Back to School Linky Party

I am pairing up with Jenna from the Speech Room News for her Linky Party to celebrate the Best Year Ever Sale on Teachers Pay Teachers!

It's almost that time for me... I "officially" go back in 7 days but I'll be there tomorrow to get ready for all of those fresh faces that will fill my room! I am still with the same district but starting at a new school this year. It is bittersweet because I LOVE where I am coming from but love where I am going too. There is certainly a huge part of my heart that will miss my familiar faces dearly but I have no doubt that I will love my new friends as well (our hearts just grow and grow, don't they?). The school that I am going to be at this year is in an urban low socioeconomic area with a significant amount of English Language Learners.  What does that mean to me? Well, in creating new resources, it was imperative for me to include visuals in every way I could. Here are a few of the resources that I created or revised with this next year in mind. One of the best parts is that they are all on sale, along with the rest of my store for Teachers Pay Teachers Best Year Ever Sale 8/1-8/2/16! Remember to enter promo code: BESTDAY to earn 28% off.

One such resource is my Cup Stacking Alphabet Sound Edition. You know those ball popper toys that our students all love, love, love? This is the perfect companion for them, available in both color and black & white. Instead of just incorporating commonly misarticulated sounds, I incorporated every letter of the alphabet at the word and sentence level so that classroom teachers could utilize it as well. {Always, always, always have carry over in mind!} Students can also use ping pong balls, go bowling or (I'll huff, and I'll puff and I'll...) blow the cups down. It is a very easy prep (just prep one set of cups!) activity that is applicable across many goals. Vocabulary goals? Pick a letter and the student uses the words in a sentence, describes the picture, etc. Did I mention that every letter board incorporates one sight word as well? Here are some photos in action.

My next excitement comes from a material that has been a favorite in my therapy room for over 10 years but is receiving a facelift to update images and expand to include more vocabulary. My Articulation Sticks evolved many years ago when presenting Innovative Speech Therapy Ideas Part Part III at the Speech Symposium in which I added a Make & Take portion to my presentation. A Make & Take for a group of 100+ SLPs would have to be 1) cost effective (aka cheap) and easy to make. Articulation sticks have been a great, versatile addition to my therapy room and nice break from the traditional task cards because you can take them on the go or get up and move with them (without playing 52 card pickup). My Growing Articulation Speech Bundle contains 140 target words with visuals for each phoneme (70 initial & 70 final position).  Look for it to continue to expand and keep your eye out for Language Sticks, coming soon.

Another resource that was valuable in my therapy room last year and I plan to continue to utilize this year is my Sight Word Tangrams pack. The tangrams are a great way to incorporate the curriculum with both reading (sight words) and math (geometry) standards addressed during a hands on activity. The tangrams are sorted by phoneme and pair a visual with each sight word. I can easily access the full color tangrams on my iPad (easy, no print) or use my printed minimal color version. There are also data sheets notebooks that are perfect if you would like the classroom teacher to use them as an RTI activity and easily track data.

There are so many materials in my cart as well. Here are some of the goodies that I can't wait to add to my therapy resources!

I love to use hands on activities and incorporate movement in my therapy sessions. The hands on Craftivities that the Dabbling Speech offers are going to be the perfect addition! I used her mouth creativity in the spring with my students and they LOVED it! I love how versatile her craftivities are for mixed groups.  Plus, they include visuals! Woot! Woot!

Next, I have Sparklle SLP's Therapy Organizer Materials for a New Year in my cart. I love starting the year off on the right foot with an organizational system in place for not only myself, but my students as well! I look forward to getting to know my students while we also familiarize ourselves with their goals. After all, that is the real reason why we are all there isn't it?

Ashley Rossi's Speech Brag Tag Bundle is just as cute as it can be, isn't it? I love how they also offer specific feedback in a way that builds metacognition skills. I am excited to use them to reward student growth and effort in a motivating (yet prize free box) way.

Well, my shopping has likely only just begun. My cart is overflowing and I look forward to adding some more. I love the bargain that the Back to School sale offers with 28% off. It is invigorating when you find a great deal, it saves you time and increases your skill set as a therapist. Bring it on 2016-17. You will be my best year yet.