Monster Speech Theme!

October is here! This time of year is so much fun because we get to jump right into some of the most fun holiday therapy themes. There are so many options for spooky stories and ghoulish games, but sometimes those are a little too scary for our little ones. So I always love incorporating a (friendly) monster theme into my sessions this time of year. I wanted to do a round up post of all my favorite monster themed activities so you can join in on our fun!

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links for your convenience. This means if you purchase something using my link, I may make a small commission. 

First on the list, books! Some of my favorites are: The Color Monster, Go Away Big Green Monster!, and Don't Push the Button! These are all fun books for young children. The monsters are cute and there are so many great story extension activity ideas out there.  Check Pinterest if you need some inspiration. 

The Color Monster is a great book to use for all ages. It talks about different emotions and relates them to a color. This book has opened up some great opportunities to talk about feelings and why we feel that way. Our office is using this book as our book of the month for October. 

 Go Away Monster! is a fun board game where students have to reach into a bag and pull out different pieces of furniture to make their bedroom. If they pull our a monster instead, you throw the monster into the box (we call it the monster dungeon!) and yell, "Go Away Monster!" You can always change that tag line to something that incorporates a specific target word or speech sound. 

Another really fun monster game is this Half Match Monster Edition game by Minds That Play! This is a super cute way to work on social skills, attributes, and asking questions. The game suggests two different ways to play (one is like Go Fish and the other is like Guess Who) but you could definitely use this open ended or even as a reinforcement after tasks are completed (how many monsters can you create before the session is up!?) To learn more about the game, check out their website, here!

A fellow SLP shared this adorable monster snack holder on Instagram the other day. I immediately ran to amazon to purchase one because I knew it would be perfect for my monster theme! There are literally unlimited things to do with this adorable little guy. We have been feeding him spiders (spider rings) as a fun reinforcement activity.  Someone mentioned that this would be great for feeding therapy and I absolutely agree! 

On the iPad: Toca Kitchen Monsters!

I have had this app on my iPad for quite a while. My students love it and it has some great language opportunities. You first choose the monster you want to cook for, then you choose the food, how you want to prepare it, and finally feed the monster. Sometimes they love the food, sometimes they don't (which is always pretty funny to see their reactions!) You can download this app in the app store for iPhone and iPad for FREE, here!

And what would a good theme be without some good ole ART-ticulation color pages?! I have monster themed articulation activities in my TpT store. You can check them out here! 

What monster activities do you use in your sessions? Please share below, I love finding new fun things for my students!

Using a Farm Theme in Therapy!

June has come to an end and we have just wrapped up our month long farm theme! 'On the Farm' may be one of my favorite themes. There is so much vocabulary and fun activities that you can do with farm animals! The kids have been so engaged this month and I am excited to show you what we have been up to!

This post contains Amazon affiliate links for your convenience. This means that if you purchase something using my link, I may make a small commission. 

First I wanted to share the books we have been reading. Some of my favorites are:

Mrs. Wishy-Washy's Farm

Ten Chirpy Chicks (this one must be out of print because it's listed for a crazy amount of money on Amazon. I linked a similar story instead)

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Cow

Giggle, Giggle, Quack

What is a fun theme without a fun sensory bin?! For this one I used popcorn kernels and some squishy farm animals (that are actual bath toys!) This was great for imaginative, sensory play! These animals were also fun to use as characters in the stories we were reading. We used them with story retell and sequencing.  The are also perfect for working on prepositions (put the cow under the chair, on top of the box, etc) 

 I found this Farm Bingo game at Home Goods a few years back. This is a fun game that reinforces vocabulary as well as the opportunity to work on turn taking and social skills. I have also used the cards from the game for other activities. I found a newer version on Amazon for around $10. Check it out here!

 I had been on a hunt for a fun, interactive farm app. I downloaded a few different ones, puzzles, animal sounds, etc. but I really enjoyed the Peekaboo Barn app! I had used their Peekaboo Trick or Treat app in the past, so I knew my students would like this one, too. It was fun to use with the squishy farm animals and the String-A-Farm activity (which was a fun way to also work on fine motor skills) The wooden animals were also great for the sensory bin. 

Last but not least, we used My Little Farm so much over the past few weeks. I wrote an entire blog post about My Little Farm in May. You can check it out, here! This felt farm house is so much fun and so engaging. It's great for vocabulary, following directions, expressive language, receptive language, prepositions, sorting, etc. So much F U N ! 

I keep all of my thematic units in clear plastic bins for easy access and organization! I purchased my bins from Target and the labels I use are free in my TpT store. You can download them, here!

 Next up is our summer Under the Sea unit! 

My Little Farm!

E-I-E-I-O! It's that time of year for a farm theme! One of my favorite themes to use in therapy is a farm theme. The books and the activities are so much fun. This year I added a new toy to my bag of farm themed tricks and I am so excited to share it with you!

My Little Farm is a felt farm house that my students have been having so much fun with. If you remember a blog post from a few years ago, I went on and on about how I loved using My Little House in therapy. (You can check that post out here.) My Little Farm is created by the same SLP and it is just as adorable. 

 You can use it as a flat lay activity or velcro it together as a 3 dimensional farm house! The farm is reversible. One side looks like a red barn and the other is an interactive farm scene. Part of the farm scene is purposely left open ended while the other allows for matching activities. There are over 30 people, animals, and farm equipment felt pieces to play with. This has been such a fun way to elicit expressive language with open, imaginative play. But the pieces are also fun to use for category sorting, vocabulary,  object function, and pronoun activities.

 Recently I have been using the farm to target answering WH-questions, specifically where and who. Last week we even created a whole story with characters, a setting, and a sequence of events with this farm. My older students got to work on their writing and retelling skills while creating their own story. Any time you can switch up activities to work on the same skills, it is a huge win in my eyes!

 As a traveling SLP, I love that this can be folded flat and easily carried in and out of therapy settings. It also takes up minimal room in my trunk which is important these days! My Little Farm comes in a box with a handle that makes it very convenient to carry in and out of homes and schools. This would be a perfect addition to a therapist's therapy tool collection, a classroom or birthday gift.  It would also be a great purchase by a parent so they could have some fun with language at home!  To learn more about My Little Farm or to purchase your own, click here to visit the SmartFelt Toys website.  Use code: SIMPLYSPEECH at checkout for free shipping!

Thank you My Little Farm for sponsoring this post!

Photos by: Erika Johnson Photography

How I Organize My Therapy Materials By Theme!

 It's no secret that I love using themes in therapy. They keep me organized, they give me motivation, and my students seem to be more engaged. Over the years I have collected a TON of therapy materials that go along with my themes but organizing them has always been a chore.

I have tried so many ways to organize my materials that I could write an entire blog post just on that. I've used everything from large ziplock baggies to an entire filing cabinet but nothing has really seemed to stick. The baggies were good for books, but not so much for games and activities. So the search continued.

One day while browsing the isles of Target (I know, shocker!) I came across these clear storage boxes and knew they would be perfect to store all my themed materials. The boxes were large enough to hold books, games, and activities but not too large to throw into the back of my car. 

These bins have been a saving grace for me. As I switch to a new theme, I switch the bin out in my car. As a traveling SLP, I don't have access to all of my materials all the time. So having this bin in my car makes it so much easier to have what I need accessible. It also helps keep me focused on what materials to use. Since I am using a theme, I am not constantly racking my brain for what activity to do each week or with each student. For most of my students, the story and activity will be the same, I will just adjust it based on their age level and goals. 

All of the boxes are labeled by theme for easy grab and go. I used to store them in my garage but recently moved them to our therapy clinic so I can share the love with my co-workers. 

The labels are FREE in my TpT store here!

Using a Dinosaur Theme in Therapy!

I absolutely love using themes in therapy. I run my therapy sessions by themes.  They help keep me organized and focused on therapy activities. I also feel like themes give my students extra exposure to similar vocabulary. As a traveling SLP, themes help me limit the amount of materials I carry around. I use the same theme and books with all of my kids, I just adults the related activities I use based on their goals. I just wrapped up my dinosaur theme and I think this may have been my favorite theme so far! Here is what I did!
(This post contains Amazon Affiliate links which means if you purchase something using my link I may make a small commission)

All of my therapy sessions are built around books. I use a book in 99% of my therapy sessions. There are so many goals you can reach just but using a book. (You can check out a post I did on that here.) I typically read a new book every week with my students. Some books can be stretched out for 2 weeks. These are the books we have been using:

What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night

Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs

Harry and the Dinosaurs Go to School

How Do Dinosaurs Learn Their Colors?

How Do Dinosaurs Play with Friends?

How Do Dinosaurs Go To Sleep?

 Another thing I love to include while using themes is a sensory bin. With this sensory bin I used black beans and plastic dinosaurs. Thankfully I found a lots of dinosaurs in my kids' playroom, but Amazon has a ton available! This is a fun way to let the kids pretend play- which is a great language opportunity. We also discussed the differences in the dinosaurs, worked on prepositions, and sorted them by color and size.

A few years ago I happened to find a dinosaur popper at Walgreens. My kids love shooting the ball at target words (articulation, vocabulary, sight words, etc). I get a ton of practice out of them when the popper comes out! 

We also lined the cards up to make a path, for the dinosaur. Then we had the dinosaurs go on a "Dino Walk." The kids practiced their words as the plastic dinosaur walked down the path! 

If you know me, you know I love using PlayDoh in therapy! Especially with articulation. These Dinosaur Dash articulation mats from Texas Speech Mom were a total hit! We even used the dinosaurs to smash the ball of PlayDoh as they practiced their words!

 I keep all of my themes organized in a clear storage box. This keeps everything organized by theme and all of my related materials together. When it's time for a new theme, I simply take out a new box and put it in my trunk!  I use a 20qt clear bin that I found at Target. It is big enough to hold all of my themed materials but doesn't take up too much room in my car.

We're Going to the Zoo!

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links for your convenience.

It's that time of year where most of my younger kids are taking field trips to the zoo. They are super pumped about it, so why not tie in some zoo life into your therapy sessions?

A few months ago, we took our daughter to the zoo. It was so much fun seeing her expressions as she got to see and touch (with a lot of hand sanitizer) so many animals! 

A trip to the zoo can really bring out some major language opportunities. For example, before you go, have the kids predict what they will see. Show them a map and maybe google image some picture of animals that live at the zoo. While you're there, ask them what they see, hear, and smell- although that can be a loaded question if you are anywhere near the elephants! Days following your trip, have them recall what they saw, who they were with, and what their favorite part was. 

Every time I am given the opportunity to jump on a classroom's thematic unit train, I do it. Kids learn the best when they see the material in multiple settings and with many exposures, so why not bring it into the therapy room too? The zoo unit may be one of my favorites. A few weeks before the field trip, I like to bring out some zoo themed books. There are so many great zoo books out there but these are a few of my favorites:

My Heart Is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall

Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

Curious George Goes to the Zoo

Since I was spending so much time teaching about the zoo, of course I created a thematic unit of speech and language activities to go with it! This packet is full of activities that target: vocabulary, patterns, comparing & contrasting, articulation, and writing... just to name a few! There are also some open-ended activities included that you can use to target any goal desired!

What's a thematic unit with out a matching homework packet? I've got you covered!

You can download these activities in my TpT store here, or enter to win a copy below!!

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Under The Sea: A Thematic Unit {Giveaway!}

I just love using themes in my therapy sessions. Under the Sea is always one of my favorites to use while the weather is still warm (granted, that often goes until November here in Florida!) I love reading stories such as Ten Friendly Fish or The Rainbow Fish in therapy then following up with some fun sea related activities. I created this thematic unit to use in my therapy room and I would like to share it with you! 

This packet includes activities that target the following goals:

Vocabulary

Expressive/receptive language

Concepts of same/difference, big/small, plurals

Phonemic awareness

Prepositions

Colors

Articulation

The first activity included in the pack are sea creature flashcards. There are a total of 14 flashcards that can be used unlimited ways. My suggestion is to print out 2 copies and play a matching/memory type game with them. It's also fun to hide them around the room and have your students name the cards as they find them. 

The second activity included is a phonemic awareness activity. Each sea creature will only eat foods that have the same beginning sound as his/her name. Your students get to help the sea creature figure out what they should eat for lunch!

"This is my friend Watson Whale. He only like to eat foods that start with the /w/ sound. 

What should Watson eat for lunch?"

The third activity included is a preposition activity. Have your students complete the sentence that best describes the picture. Prepositions targeted include: under/below, over/above, next to, in front, behind, near, far. 

I have also included a BINGo game because who doesn't enjoy BINGO?! There are 4 different BINGO mats and calling cards included. 

Next up are 2 following directions coloring sheets.

Last but not least, 2 articulation homework sheets. One sheet targets the word level and the second targets the sentence level. There are no words pre-printed so you can use these worksheets for any speech sound!

You can purchase this activity in my store here! You can also try to win a copy below. If you cannot wait to purchase this activity, go ahead. If you win the raffle, you can choose any other activity from my store for free!

Good luck!

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Community Helpers: A CCSS Thematic Unit! {Giveaway!!}

July isn't even over yet and the stores are screaming "Back 2 School" already! Part of me hates the fact that summer is coming to an end but the other part of me secretly loves this time of year. I get overly excited about notebooks and new crayons. At the beginning of each school year, I organize my year based on thematic units. Thematic units help keep me organized. I feel that if I know the theme that I am going to be using, I have more direction for therapy. I have a clear idea of what stories I will be reading and what kind of activities we will be doing in speech. I have created a series of thematic units and I would like to introduce my first of the series... Community Helpers!

This activity pack is full of language based activities that also help you hit those common core standards. This year, my state is taking the common core head on, so I want to be prepared. I try to always keep those standards in mind now when creating actives and planning for therapy. 

Let's take a little tour inside this activity....

First up are vocabulary posters. I have created a poster for 8 community helpers:

Firefighter

Baker

Crossing Guard

Police Officer

Doctor

Farmer

Dentist

Veterinarian

Next up, I have included a community helper matching game. These cards can be used many ways, but I indented them to be used as a matching game. Print out 2 copies and play a concentration/memory type game with them. You could also hide them around the room and have your students name the community helper as he/she found them.

For our little ones working on patters, I included a pattern worksheet. This worksheet includes AB, AABB, and ABC patters.

The picture above is of my game board. 

These inferencing cards can be used on their own or as game cards with the game board. Have your kiddos answer a question before the take roll the dice to move across the game board. 

These pronoun cards could also be used with the game board or on their own. 

Bonus cards for the game! Print as many copies of this page as you would like. 

There are 4 venn diagrams included prompting students to compare and contrast:

Firefighter vs. Police Officer

Dentist vs. Doctor

Baker vs. Farmer

Veterinarian vs. Doctor

I love a good writing prompt! After your kids have learned about community helpers, encourage them to choose what community helper they would like to be and draw a picture!

Last but not least, attribute cards! Let students show off all they have learned about community helpers!

I am very excited about this activity! You can download this activity in my store or try to win a copy below! If you can't wait for the contest to be over and want to purchase it now, go ahead. If you win the contest, I will give you another free product of your choice from my store. Good luck!!

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