From Little Seeds Grow Mighty Trees

From little seeds grow mighty trees.

What we do today impacts what our students do tomorrow. No pressure, right?

When we work together with students and families, our impact increases. You can read more about the how and why I have this tree in my classroom here. In the meantime, let's get to how I made it, shall we?

Being the frugal resourceful SLP that I am, I was determined to make this project happen with minimal cost. Initially I thought I would make it using an artificial tree. Then I spotted the price on them-- yikes!

Insert Plan B.

The first thing I did was take my boys back to a wooded area behind my house to scope out our "tree". We hunted around until we found the perfect branch. However, our luck didn't end there. We also found an abandoned wooden toolbox. The perfect base for our project!! We checked with our neighbor whose son had abandoned the toolbox he had created in boy scouts and got the green light to use it. Awesome!

A little white spray paint and our perfect branch was ready to go!

I then busted out my trusty Cricut machine to add vinyl lettering to the toolbox. Vinyl and I are BFFs you know...

As in any DIY project, safety comes first so my son was well protected with his hockey helmet as he drilled into the toolbox. He loved every second of it.

Now, onto the mason jars. My daughter helped me design mason jars that we could adorn the tree with, highlighting my students' strengths from their perspective. We used floral wire to create a hanger for various sized mason jars. 

I just love how the final project turned out.  My students love showcasing their strengths and reading the positive messages that their parents leave them on the attached ribbons! You can read more about how they are used in my speech room here. You can download the mason jars here.

Student and Family Relationships Come First

Relationships come first. Establishing strong, authentic relationships with my students and families increases the value that they place on improving their communication skills. This in turn, positively affects their progress. 

Working in an urban, low SES school presents its unique challenges with parents/guardians who may not have the same knowledge on how to help their child communicate as we do as SLPs. Acknowledging the parent’s role and establishing a positive partnership with families cultivates that dialogue. 

Providing personal touches as small as offering a water bottle at meetings, making positive phone calls or sending notes home go a long way. When I meet with parents, they write a message to their child on the back of a ribbon. 

We hang it on a tree branch displayed in my room to illustrate our home-school connection. The students then write their favorite part about themselves on a mason jar tag that we attach to the ribbon. 
(You can find the mason jar tags here).

After reading his father’s message, this student filled out his mason jar with such a sweet response. We tackle what is hard for our students but encouraging words help them know that we are rooting for them every step of the way. 

You don't need to spend a small fortune to create the tree that I described above. Learn how I made mine for less than $5 here.

Spread the Love with Your Bulletin Board

When designing the bulletin board in my classroom, I wanted to use photographs in an inspirational way for my students. My district has an initiative to demonstrate pride for the city that it is in so the two came together perfectly with this one.

I loved the idea of creating a bulletin board that would inspire my students to think of speech when they are outside of my speech room. Using visuals on my bulletin board helps my students do just that. When they are out and about around the school or community, they make connections between what is in our speech room and the outside world. The more they reference our speech room outside of their speech time, the more they may think about what we actually do in there.

I often get asked where I purchased the wooden bulletin board. It is actually just Fadeless Designs Weathered Wood bulletin board paper that I purchased from Amazon. I have since spotted it at Michaels, Hobby Lobby and Joann's Fabrics as well for less than $10. Remember to bring along your coupons or use a coupon app to save even more!

The ruler clip boards were from the Target's Bullseye Playground. I had the burlap ribbon border, twin and clothes pins on hand. I cut out the letters using my Cricut Machine.

HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN PHOTOS:

First, I took some photos of student hands making a heart above a neon green piece of poster board. The poster board served as a green screen. I quickly learned that this was a lesson in following directions and fine motor challenge for a few of my friends. 

Next, I put out an all call for photos around town. I also took a few of my own on our school campus. The power of teamwork never ceases to amaze me. Our night custodian sent me so many gorgeous photos. I also received a couple from a fellow SLP Blogger, Rock Chalk Speech Talk from when she had lived locally for graduate school. It was awesome!

Using the Green Screen app by Do Ink, I placed the photos that I had acquired as overlays on the heart photos. The beauty of this is that you can do so right from your iPad or iPhone.

To do so, layer the scenic photo on the bottom layer. Then add the hand photo to the middle layer. The image will look as if the hand is in front of the scenic photo. To have the image on the hand, select the rainbow circle on the bottom (this determines which color is washed out depending on the color of your green screen). Typically, I select a bright green. However, this time tap on the hand portion and the photo will appear within the hand. To adjust the opacity, adjust the sensitivity bar.

Once you have saved the image, you can open the image in a photo editing app and convert it to Black and White. I used the app Color Story; however you can also do so by simply editing the photo with your device's built in editing features. I then printed the photos on card stock using my regular printer.

I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial. What bulletin board inspiration tips do you have? I'd love to know. Let me know in the comments below. 

Functional Storage in My Speech Room

I made a bit more progress on my speech room makeover today by repurposing a display for eyeglasses. I love that it rotates and provides functional decor for my room!

I switched out the existing display with white pegboard that I purchased at Home Depot. They cut it to the exact size that I needed. To go along with my rustic style, I used plastic flower pots from Home Depot that I glued twine onto. They were the perfect size for my needs. I attached chalkboard clothespins found at Michaels to label each flowerpot. That certainly wasn't necessary but having them match the style of my speech room just made me happy. 

Prior to my current display, I have used book bins or the top drawer of a rolling storage cart to store Articulation and Language Sticks. Their durability and having multiple targets on each paint stirrer make them an easy resource for me to grab and go in a pinch. 

Articulation Sticks are honestly a staple in my speech room. I love having over 1,000 stimulus words at my fingertips to target articulation while also introducing a variety of vocabulary concepts with picture supports. Working with a high risk, low socioeconomic and high ELL population, it is important that I maximize our activities to close that gap. 

Language sticks allow me to further differentiate student needs within mixed groups. Currently displayed are Category Sticks and Describing Sticks.  I am updating my Grammar Sticks so I can share them with you and add an updated version to my collection. If you are interested in learning more about how I use the sticks, you can check out the links below.

What tips do you have for organizing materials using functional decor in your classroom? I would love to hear!

Fun & Functional Speech Room Decor: SLP Books

These books were one of the first decorations I put out in my new speech room. Not only do I love the way these SLP books look, I love their function too! I am very intentional about the decor in my room and the meaning that each holds. When I spotted these at Michaels, I just knew they were perfect for what I had in mind!

S is for SPEECH. The "S" will house favorite moments as students graduate from SPEECH. I only wish I had started this 17 years ago! When students graduate speech, I will have them write what their favorite memory was in speech and I will write something I love about them. Relationships are huge and anytime I can take the opportunity to share a meaningful connection, I am all in.

L is for LAUGHS. I will write the LAUGHS that I always want to remember in "L". Our job is full of them! What better book to open when you are having a tough day or need to lighten up Medicaid billing? I keep a little "He Said, She said" journal of funny moments with my own kids that we love to look through together. Our "He Said, She Said" journal along with our Thankful Journal are my favorite books in the house.

 P is for PATH, as in the path you take in life. The "P" will include stand out moments with students, families, and colleagues that remind me why I am on this PATH. You know, the ones that affirm that you were right where you were meant to be. 

I am busy working on my "Fixer Upper" style speech room but will be sure to post the reveal when I am finished! In the meantime, if you love a good DIY project on a budget, head over to Instagram for some behind the scenes action.

3 Simple Dollar Store Hacks

Hi all! Raise your hand if you love the dollar store. My hand is waving in the air in a "pick me, pick me!" fashion.  I visited the dollar store the other day and thought I would let my closest peeps in on a few ways that these hack will make my life a little easier this week.



1. Limit the Hand Sanitizer to a small pump, rather than a bath. I use hand sanitizer in my therapy room when my students use the sensory bin to cut down on little germs hands spreading their love in the bin. I also use it if a student handles our hamster class pet. I picked up this hand sanitizer at the dollar store and added a Germ Blaster label. A simple hack to cut down on students pumping copious amounts onto their hands, which then overflows onto your floor is to wrap a rubber band around the neck of the pump. Now, students will get a small, appropriate amount to use.

2. Attach a battery powered light switch purchased from the dollar store to the poster below to let those in the hallway know that you are testing or use to let others know not to disturb your small group. Download the posters here for free or click the image below.

3. Purchase small ramekin containers (available in packs of 10) to keep dice under control during game or independent work activities. Stop the insanity of dice flying everywhere by placing the die inside the clear ramekin container for a student to shake to roll. It is a simple trick that will surely save your sanity.

What dollar store hacks have you tried lately? Let me know in the comments below or shoot me an email. I would love to hear from you!

SLP Vinyl Label Application

Thank you for stopping by and visiting my booth at the ASHA convention!  There is something to be said about the energy of so many SLPs in the same place at the same time, isn't there? I'd love to hear how you've put your new SLP vinyl label to use and what you learned at the ASHA Convention this year. Feel free to comment below, email me or tag me on social media with a photo of your new SLP swag so we can keep in touch!

Enjoy the rest of your trip and safe travels home!

DIY Spin the Wheel

Have you ever watched how fascinated children are with spinning the wheel at a carnival? Okay, admit it, it is pretty fun for you too, isn't it? If not, I know I am guilty as charged...  I have a funny feeling that some of you may be too though.  Those spinner games don't seem to be off by their lonesome in casinos after all, do they?  I am certainly not advocating for any type of gambling with your students but spinners in general are awesome motivators to bring into your therapy room or classroom and I am a fan of getting work done in a way that motivates my students to use every ounce of time that we have. Enough with the small talk, you are probably wondering how I made this, aren't you?

Here is what you will need...

SPIN THE WHEEL:
2 pieces of plywood (mine were each 12" x 24")
2 hinges
A Lazy Susan (I bought mine from IKEA)
Liquid Nails (or another strong adhesive) to adhere the Lazy Susan to the plywood
Chalkboard paint (to paint the Lazy Susan)
Craft Paint (if you want to paint your plywood)
Nails for the perimeter of the Lazy Susan wheel (Note: I have since switched out the nails to plastic tipped thumb tacks- I like them much better)
1 Zip Tie
1 small wooden dowel

THE CHALLENGE BOARD (this is optional, but I like to use every space I can!):
Spray painted washers in varying sizes
Screw in hooks
Chalkboard Labels


How to make the wheel:

1. Paint the Lazy Susan with chalkboard paint and allow it to dry.

2. Attach hinges to the top of the two pieces of plywood so that your wheel can be free standing.  I do recommend holding it while students spin the wheel though... they can get pretty aggressive in their spins at times.

3. Place nails or thumbtacks around the edge of the top of the Lazy Susan. I initially used nails when I made mine but have since replaced the nails with thumb tacks. I would recommend the thumb tacks because they work quite well and aren't sharp while spinning. You may need to use a small drill bit or get a hole started with a nail to place the thumb tacks in. I used a little dab of hot glue to make sure that they stayed in place.

3. Using Liquid Nails, attach the bottom of the Lazy Susan to your hinged plywood.

4. Attach the small dowel to the plywood approximately an inch from the Lazy Susan wheel by drilling a small hole and using wood glue.  Then attach a zip tow to the dowel. You may need to trim down your zip tie after it is attached. As the wheel spins around, the zip tie runs along the thumb tacks and will act as the pointer.

If you would like to add the challenge board to the other side, simply space out the screw in hooks along your board and attach chalkboard labels. I imagine that you could also use Washi tape to write the names. Use spray painted washers in varying sizes to then track homework completed, goals met, stations completed, whatever you little heart desires.

Here I was using the wheel to spice up a progress monitoring activity.  You can find this Language Progress Monitoring Tool by Natalie Snyders here.

The wheel is one of the most popular tools in my therapy room.  The beauty of the chalkboard paint is that you can change its use at a moment's notice. I use it to decipher between student turns, wh- questions, descriptive attributes, randomly assigned points, prizes, actions, comprehension questions, categories, and so on. This is where you can really let your creative juices flow!

I hope that this tutorial was helpful for you. Please comment below with any additional ideas or questions that you may have. Thanks for stopping by!

Room Decor (and Freebie)

Summer is in full swing but it won't be long until we are welcoming those new little loves into our therapy room and hearts. I love to create a warm environment for my students, a living room of sorts. A couple years ago, I created a Photo Collage with my own crew to display in my room. All you need is a large box (I used a left over wardrobe box from moving), a picture frame with a piece of black paper inside (we will add the words later) and the free (where have you been all my life) website PicMonkey. Here is the final product but I'll show you the steps along the way, don't worry.

I had this printed on a banner at my local office supply store... super cute!

First, get yourself a box, rent some kids (or have some, whatever is easier ;) ), a frame and snap away.  Don't worry about what look you are going for, just play around and have fun. My room was blue and green so we wore those colors, but really anything will work. If you are anything like me, there will be PLENTY of out takes. I do recommend taking the photos on a flat surface. Don't worry about the background, we will crop that out later. I took mine on the grass but I would recommend the driveway/floor if you can... it is easier to crop out than random blades of grass.

Zoe even joined in on the fun!

Next, after enjoying a nice cold beverage, hop on your computer and go to the PicMonkey website. Choose Edit, then select the first photo to edit from your computer (you may have it saved on your computer, flash drive, photo card, etc.). You will edit each photo that you want in your collage individually first to crop out the background and add text to your frame.

Do not worry about the Log In part, I do it all without ever logging in.

Next, Crop your photo so that you mainly have only the box. Do not worry if it isn't perfect, it will all work out when the collage comes together because we will select brown as the background that will divide the photos in your collage.

Okay, now it is time to add some text. Select the Tt box, then select the font that you would like to use. Unless there is a crown next to the font, it is free to use (all of mine were). Type your text and change your font color to white (see the photo below).  Position the text within the frame and rotate it as needed. 

It will look like the text was there all along!

When you are finished editing your photo, make sure that you save it by clicking Save and select the name and where you want to save it on your computer. Edit your next photo by selecting Open to select your next photo. It will warn you that you will lose changes to your current photo, but as long as you have saved it already you are good to go!  Edit each photo that you would like to include in your collage the same way. Next, you will select Collage from the main PicMonkey page as shown below.

Select Layout icon, then select Square Deal. I chose the 9 square option. Once the squares are open, you can expand the collage to be wide and then it will take on a rectangular shape. To add your photos, select the Images icon (right above the Layout icon) and select photos from your computer (the same ones that you previously edited and saved). Drag each photo to the boxes that you would like them placed.

Next, you will change the background from white to match your box. This will make it look like the boxes are all stacked on top of one another. First, select the Paint Palette icon on the left, then select the Dropper symbol. Make sure that Background is selected (not Cell). This allows you to match the exact color of your box. You can change the spacing to your preferred sized, then Voila! Make sure to SAVE your collage. You now have a fun, personalized photo that you can display in your therapy room or home. I printed mine on banner paper at my local office supply store. With the sale that they offered, it cost me about $14.99. You can also upload it to print as a poster or banner on Vistaprint.

Now that you have your poster all set up, are you looking for an easy print and go addition to compliment  your speech room or classroom?  You can download a fun Alphabet Banner (including digraphs and er) in either a Bright or Neutral version to compliment your decor while providing photo cues and spelling patterns that are compatible with Orton Gillingham spelling instruction. My students relate with the child friendly mouth photos that reflect correct sound production by their own peer group.

Click the Photo to Access the Bright Version of the Alphabet Sound Banner

Click the Photo to Access the Neutral Version of the Alphabet Sound Banner

You can download also this free Speech Banner here to welcome your students into your room or create a hallway display.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have fun decorating your home away from home!