by Anne Page | Oct 23, 2014 | Therapy Ideas
This packet contains games and activities to support the book Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin. The book is instantly engaging using humor and fun illustrations.
I have been trying this out for the last two weeks with great success. The kids love the story and are able to remember details. Using puppets and the games/cards from the activity has been a great combination.
The Activity Pack, available on TeachersPayTeachers contains two levels. Level 1 is designed primarily for kids with special needs. These are kids who are working on using longer sentences, who are learning spatial concepts and who are learning to answer “wh” questions. I made some of the materials in a large size to accommodate visual impairments and to facilitate focus (larger is easier ). I also kept the graphics very clean and simple.
The vocabulary in Level 2 (for Kindergarten to 4th grade) includes card for definitions, synonyms, antonyms. Just cut out these cards and use them during a simple board game. I just give the kids a taco card for each correct answer.
Level 1 also includes positional words (spatial concepts): These concepts can be really difficult to grasp. I made the images large (a full sheet). Concepts included are behind, in front, on (because it’s easy) and under. Hold up the card and say “Where is the taco?” If correct, give student a taco card to hold. Use the sheets to cue for Taco Bingo if needed. Bingo sheets are included. Sometimes bingo chips are too hard for the kids to grasp; try plastic water bottle tops or pompoms.
For both Level 1 and 2, there are “Wh Questions”. I created some visuals to help with the “wh” questions. The picture sheet is for use in cuing and for kids that are less verbal. The “wh” question cards are for use with the students that are able to answer questions but are still working on knowing the difference between a “who” question and a “where” question. Kids are given a taco card for a correct answer, they like seeing who can get the most tacos!
I hope you have as much fun with this as we have!
by Anne Page | Oct 16, 2014 | Therapy Ideas
I am always on the lookout for great picture books that have a fun message, colorful illustrations , a little humor, and appeal to a large age range. Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin, is a book that delivers. It appeals to my K through 4 students and my special needs students. I am a big proponent of bringing more literacy and the gift of story to all children. (Click on book title for a link to Amazon.com)
I look for ways to make the story come alive for students that are working on very basic communication skills. Visuals, sound effects, and a crazy enthusiastic reader (me) are all strategies that work! I don’t read at them, I include them in the story by getting them excited. This year I have a couple of student that respond really well to puppets. So I decided to make some puppets and “props” to help support the story in Dragons Love Tacos.
These sock puppets were sooo easy to make! I bought a really soft pair of socks from Target (the kids love the feel of these) and some felt sheets. It was really simple to make some wings and hot glue them to the socks. My husband helped me, and we made a stream of fire, and some fun little tacos for the dragons to eat.
When the puppets talk to the kids, the kids are sometimes more responsive. The puppet can ask them yes/no questions, “what’s your name?”, and ask them questions about the story. It’s just so much fun! I really encourage you to try it. Watch for my Dragons Love Tacos book companion COMING SOON!
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by Anne Page | Oct 9, 2014 | Inspiration
I am on fall break this week and enjoying every minute of it! This is a great time to recharge. And here in Phoenix, October is the month when our HOT months are over! It’s planting time and outdoor life time. Brad and I took a little road trip to northern Arizona and got to enjoy the beautiful aspen groves. It’s so important to have work/life balance; I am grateful for this time! I hope you have some time to take a breather this month.
by Anne Page | Sep 30, 2014 | Technology
I love technology and social media: catching up with friends on facebook, instagram photos, Pinterest, Teachers Pay Teachers, and shopping online! I love pizza too-doesn’t mean I can eat it every day without getting some unwanted results! Everything in moderation, my dad used to say.
Last week, after listening to Brendon Burchard’s podcast “How to Unplug”; I decided to take the 30 day challenge. Nothing digital for the first hour that I’m awake; that’s my hour for me. And nothing digital for the last hour before bed (that was more difficult). A study proved that people who checked their email first thing in the morning were 30% less productive over a week’s time. That’s because you become scattered; suddenly you’re thinking about what other people want you to do. You lose focus of YOUR priorities for the day.
So how’s my challenge going? Now, in the morning I journal, plan my day, and sometimes go for a quick walk. At night, for that last hour, I give my busy mind some to decompress. I am reading a book; a paper one, with a cover and pages I can turn. I am feeling calmer and more centered. I have more time to talk to my hubby.
I still have my technology fix during the day and I still love it. But as my dad also used to say, “There’s a time and a place for everything”. (Smart man, my Dad).
by Anne Page | Sep 30, 2014 | Evaluations, Freebies
So you’ve completed your testing and written your report. Now it’s time to present the results to the student’s parents. This is delicate work; use empathy and try to put yourself in the parents’ place. Know your “audience”. This is not a time to dazzle them with your brilliance or to use all of the vocabulary that you learned in grad school.
Remember, we have our own lexicon and so does the education world. This can be a little overwhelming. A few years ago, I was in a meeting where a well-meaning special education resource teacher was telling a parent that her son was behind in his ability to decode and comprehend grade level informational text. She talked for a while and then asked the parent if she had any questions. The parent said, “you lost me 10 minutes ago, I have a 6th grade education and I have no idea what you are talking about.” That’s something I won’t ever forget.
Parent friendly language is really important. We want to invite understanding and collaboration. When we are giving standard scores, percentiles, and standard deviations below the mean; we need to interpret and not overwhelm with information. Here are a few tips that I have found helpful:
- Start with the child’s strengths, every parent wants to hear some good things about their child
- Use pauses, take breaths. Try not to be nervous and rush through the information.
- Encourage questions. If parents have a glazed look or are just nodding in agreement with everything-not a good sign.
- Use visuals (don’t assume understanding of the Bell Curve) I created a simple visual that you can use to give an overall picture of what the child’s communication strengths and areas for improvement are. The score range varies slightly by test but generally the average range is from 85-115. Mark scores right on the sheet or put in a plastic document cover and mark with dry-erase marker. This is not meant to replace the Bell Curve, it’s just an additional way to make results clear for parents. Click Here for your free download.
- Provide examples
- Explain how this will affect the child in his classes
- Hopefully you had a chance to explain what areas you were testing at the pre-evaluation meeting. Now would be the time to briefly explain again the different areas of speech and language. I use this chart available in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store.
- Let them know that you are available to answer any additional questions after they’ve had the opportunity to read the complete evaluation
- If it looks like the child will qualify for services, give the parent an idea of what this will look like
- Ask the parent what area they would like to see their child improve in first
Parents are such an important part of the team approach, the more they understand; the stronger your team will be!
Hey there I’m Anne Page. I help heart centered SLPs and educators put the fun in functional communication. 