Home Practice Ideas
Check out this post about 5 minute activities!!! http://www.home-speech-home.com/twenty-5-minute-speech-therapy-activities-you-can-do-at-home.html
Themes For The Year
As mentioned in the blog post dated 8/23/14, Little Treasures is the current curriculum being used in Howard County Public Schools. Below is a list of themes and links to on-line resources from Macmillan/McGraw Hill, blog post links, and more.
Unit One-----Who We Are----August/September
Body Parts, Whole Body Listening, Five Senses, Mary Had A Little Lamb
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Unit Two-----Making Friends----September
Classmates names, Teacher names, Feelings
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Unit Three--------Families-------October
Family members names, "Flora's Blanket," "A Mother for Choco," "Bee Bim Bop," The Three Bears, Things at home, Rooms of the house, "Glad Monster Sad Monster"
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Unit Four--------Food---------November
Fruits, Veggies, Meat/Dairy, "The Surprise Garden," The Little Red Hen, Thanksgiving, Turkeys, Cooking
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Unit Five----Our Neighborhood-----December
Community Helpers, "Bear About Town," "Silly Sally," Three Little Pigs
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Unit Six----Transportation-----January/February
"Sheep In A Jeep", Vehicles sorted by air/land/water,. "Duck In A Truck"
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Unit Seven--Animals Around Us March/April
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Unit Eight-----Nature
March Seasons, weather, nature vocabulary, insects. Books: "Grouchy Ladybug" by Eric Carle; "The Very Busy Spider" by Eric Carle, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle, "In the Tall Tall Grass" by Denise Fleming. Songs: The Itsy Bitsy Spider and Baby Bumblebee
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Season's Sort on-line game
Franklin's Weather App I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly (video) Noodle Words (iPad app $2.99) Grandma Loves Bugs (iPad app $2.99) Boogie Bugs (iPad app $.99) Forest Flyer (iPad app $2.99) Hungry Caterpillar (iPad app $3.99) |
Unit Nine------Animals in the Wild-----March/April
Unit Ten---Health and Fitness---May/June
Beyond Counting
"Language" is more than books and literacy. It is also math concepts. From directional concepts (in/out, on/off, etc.) to quantity concepts (some/all, a lot/a little, etc.) Here are some great websites with lots of activities to help you expose your child to foundational math concepts beyond counting and numbers.
http://www.teachpreschool.org/2012/02/everyday-math-in-preschool/
http://www.learnwithplayathome.com/2013/03/measuring-activity-with-plastic-bottle.html
http://www.mathatplay.org/resources_itt.html
http://www.teachpreschool.org/2012/02/everyday-math-in-preschool/
http://www.learnwithplayathome.com/2013/03/measuring-activity-with-plastic-bottle.html
http://www.mathatplay.org/resources_itt.html
math_on_the_playground.pdf | |
File Size: | 59 kb |
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Yoga
Check out this You Tube video (don't think something is wrong with your computer; it is silent) of a PowerPoint Presentation given by Christine Ristuccia, MS, SLP, RYT on Implementing Yogic Techniques into Speech-Language Pathology, at the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) convention in Philadelphia, PA Nov, 2010. We will begin to incorporate yoga in the coming months. The slide show will explain why I am so excited to include this into our wonderful program!!!☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟
So far, the songs we have done modified yoga poses with include: Laurie Berkner "Goldfish" and Laurie Berkner "Drive My Car." Using music as a way to weave yoga into the routine is an easy fit. The "poses" done during these two songs, while different, all work towards building up core muscles. Don't worry; we are not trying to give your kids a six-pack :). Core muscles are developing throughout childhood. Core muscles support stability in the trunk (center of the body), protect the back from injury, and aid in respiration. Both stability and respiration are vital for speech sound production.
Stability is important because it enables smaller muscles to move independently from larger ones. The muscles for articulation (jaw, lips, tongue, teeth, palate) are small muscles that need to move quickly and precisely for speech to be intelligible. Our articulators (jaw, tongue, etc.) need to move independently from our head and then independently from each other. Little babies can provide us a clearer picture of stability. When babies start making sounds they are mostly vowels and repeated consonant-vowel combinations (e.g., mamamamama, babababa, papapapapa). They can make those sounds because their jaw can now move up and down. The lips can come together when the jaw moves up and lip sounds can be made (that's why these early sounds occur across languages). The tongue, which is attached to the mandible (lower jaw), will also come up to the top of the mouth as the jaw closes.....and the early tongue sounds are heard (e.g., tatatata, dadadada). More sophisticated speech sounds (e.j., sh, th, f) require the jaw, lips, and tongue to move separately from each other. All this leads us back to the need to develop stability in the trunk to aid with intelligibility.
In our language, all of our speech sounds are made during exhalation (releasing the breath). Core muscles help the diaphragm propel the air out of the lungs. The airflow must be long enough, which begins with a deep enough of inhale. The airflow also needs to be slowly released. The muscles of the abdomen should be the muscles used to expand the chest enabling the lungs to inflate. However, this is not always the case. Check to see if you use your abdomen muscles, by lying down and putting a pillow on your stomach. You should see the pillow move up and down with your breath. If you are not engaging your core muscles, then you are probably using your clavicular (shoulders) muscles to create space in your ribcage. Interestingly enough, all babies are born breathing with the stomach muscles, and sometimes over time for a variety of reasons switch to breathing with their upper body. Think of when a doctor tells you to "take a deep breath." Most likely you pull your shoulders up to expand your chest. Better respiration and deep breaths can occur using the core muscles, not the upper trunk.
In case you are interested, here are the "English" names for the yoga poses we have been practicing. The very modified core building yoga poses in the "Goldfish" song include: cobra, locust, hero, and boat pose. There is a lot of up and down in the movements for this song, but the kids love it of course. In the "Drive My Car" song the modified poses are boat and staff. During this song, I encourage the kids to move forward and back by shifting their hips (not easy for our young kids), as well as, to keep their hands off the floor when "pressing on the gas" and "stopping." The kids want to use their arms for stability while they lift their leg, but its a good challenge and core building exercise to work towards hands off the floor and one leg extended off the ground. Below are the songs with visuals from YouTube. We watched these exact videos projected onto the white board when doing our yoga. Enjoy!
Stability is important because it enables smaller muscles to move independently from larger ones. The muscles for articulation (jaw, lips, tongue, teeth, palate) are small muscles that need to move quickly and precisely for speech to be intelligible. Our articulators (jaw, tongue, etc.) need to move independently from our head and then independently from each other. Little babies can provide us a clearer picture of stability. When babies start making sounds they are mostly vowels and repeated consonant-vowel combinations (e.g., mamamamama, babababa, papapapapa). They can make those sounds because their jaw can now move up and down. The lips can come together when the jaw moves up and lip sounds can be made (that's why these early sounds occur across languages). The tongue, which is attached to the mandible (lower jaw), will also come up to the top of the mouth as the jaw closes.....and the early tongue sounds are heard (e.g., tatatata, dadadada). More sophisticated speech sounds (e.j., sh, th, f) require the jaw, lips, and tongue to move separately from each other. All this leads us back to the need to develop stability in the trunk to aid with intelligibility.
In our language, all of our speech sounds are made during exhalation (releasing the breath). Core muscles help the diaphragm propel the air out of the lungs. The airflow must be long enough, which begins with a deep enough of inhale. The airflow also needs to be slowly released. The muscles of the abdomen should be the muscles used to expand the chest enabling the lungs to inflate. However, this is not always the case. Check to see if you use your abdomen muscles, by lying down and putting a pillow on your stomach. You should see the pillow move up and down with your breath. If you are not engaging your core muscles, then you are probably using your clavicular (shoulders) muscles to create space in your ribcage. Interestingly enough, all babies are born breathing with the stomach muscles, and sometimes over time for a variety of reasons switch to breathing with their upper body. Think of when a doctor tells you to "take a deep breath." Most likely you pull your shoulders up to expand your chest. Better respiration and deep breaths can occur using the core muscles, not the upper trunk.
In case you are interested, here are the "English" names for the yoga poses we have been practicing. The very modified core building yoga poses in the "Goldfish" song include: cobra, locust, hero, and boat pose. There is a lot of up and down in the movements for this song, but the kids love it of course. In the "Drive My Car" song the modified poses are boat and staff. During this song, I encourage the kids to move forward and back by shifting their hips (not easy for our young kids), as well as, to keep their hands off the floor when "pressing on the gas" and "stopping." The kids want to use their arms for stability while they lift their leg, but its a good challenge and core building exercise to work towards hands off the floor and one leg extended off the ground. Below are the songs with visuals from YouTube. We watched these exact videos projected onto the white board when doing our yoga. Enjoy!
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American Sign Language Colors
Click here for the ASL (American Sign Language) signs for colors.
Click here for a video from the highly acclaimed sign language series called "Signing Times."
Click here for a video from the highly acclaimed sign language series called "Signing Times."
Phonological/Phonemic Awareness Activities
3_5years.pdf | |
File Size: | 476 kb |
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Bubbles Activities
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1. Great link to another Speech-Language Pathologist's website. I couldn't have said it better, so I didn't try :)
2. Click here for a make it yourself bubble solution....especially great resource in the winter when bubble solution is hard to find!!!
3. A Little Bubbly: concentrated grape juice (or apple juice) with seltzer water instead of normal water. Your children will love how it tastes.
4. Electric Bubbles: Get a small electric fan and have your children hold the bubble wand in front of it. The fan will blow the bubbles for them.
5. Bubbly Milk: During bubble week let your children make bubbles in their milk. DOUBLE points as it also is food play!
1. Great link to another Speech-Language Pathologist's website. I couldn't have said it better, so I didn't try :)
2. Click here for a make it yourself bubble solution....especially great resource in the winter when bubble solution is hard to find!!!
3. A Little Bubbly: concentrated grape juice (or apple juice) with seltzer water instead of normal water. Your children will love how it tastes.
4. Electric Bubbles: Get a small electric fan and have your children hold the bubble wand in front of it. The fan will blow the bubbles for them.
5. Bubbly Milk: During bubble week let your children make bubbles in their milk. DOUBLE points as it also is food play!
_ Bubble Play for Early Sound Development
(Excerpt Taken from Topics in Speech and Language)
One of my most favorite activities to do with infants, toddlers and preschoolers is to play with bubbles. The kids absolutely love bubbles and I often bring them out for the last few minutes of a session. The older kids think it's a reward and will work well with the promise of bubbles. I love them for several reasons. If the child is old enough, I have them practice blowing the bubbles as part of the activity. This works on oral motor strength and coordination. I use bubbles to encourage sign and gesture usage for "more," "please," "done," "bye," "yes," etc. I use related words to encourage all early developing sounds such as /h,p,b,d,m,n,w/. Some bubble play related words are: bubble, more, up, bye-bye, pop, done, please, wet, gone, blow, wow, uh-oh, high, yes, no.
When blowing bubbles with the child...use the key words repeatedly. For example: "Look....bubble..up-up-up...bye-bye bubble....pop-pop-pop...." "More bubble...pop-pop-pop....all gone..." "More bubble...uh-oh...pop-pop-pop...." "Bubble...wow!....up-up-up... uh-oh...pop!" "Wow...high bubble....bye-bye." This is also a chance to ask questions of your child and encourage responses either verbally or with gestures. Ask child "Do you want more?" Encourage them to use head gesture for "Yes," sign for "More" or use words if they are able to say "more" or "more bubble."
This bubble activity is done regularly and the children begin to respond to the repetitiveness of the words modeled and the activity of blowing and popping (popping the bubbles with a pointer finger encourages fine motor skills as well). They will often imitate the repeated words like "pop-pop-pop" after a few sessions. Soon they start to use some of the phrases spontaneously! Parents in my sessions usually love this activity as well. I encourage them to get bubbles and use them as often as possible when the children are learning these early sounds.. I recommend the spill proof type of bubble containers that are available now.
I will also work on body parts and object recognition with bubbles. I will catch the bubble on the wand and pop it on a body part or toy while I label it. "I'm going to pop this bubble on your foot." "Pop on block." You are then modeling speech sounds and vocabulary.
So get those bubbles out and have fun! The learning opportunities are endless. Posted by Brenda Van Wie at 12:46 PM Tuesday, January 12, 2010
One of my most favorite activities to do with infants, toddlers and preschoolers is to play with bubbles. The kids absolutely love bubbles and I often bring them out for the last few minutes of a session. The older kids think it's a reward and will work well with the promise of bubbles. I love them for several reasons. If the child is old enough, I have them practice blowing the bubbles as part of the activity. This works on oral motor strength and coordination. I use bubbles to encourage sign and gesture usage for "more," "please," "done," "bye," "yes," etc. I use related words to encourage all early developing sounds such as /h,p,b,d,m,n,w/. Some bubble play related words are: bubble, more, up, bye-bye, pop, done, please, wet, gone, blow, wow, uh-oh, high, yes, no.
When blowing bubbles with the child...use the key words repeatedly. For example: "Look....bubble..up-up-up...bye-bye bubble....pop-pop-pop...." "More bubble...pop-pop-pop....all gone..." "More bubble...uh-oh...pop-pop-pop...." "Bubble...wow!....up-up-up... uh-oh...pop!" "Wow...high bubble....bye-bye." This is also a chance to ask questions of your child and encourage responses either verbally or with gestures. Ask child "Do you want more?" Encourage them to use head gesture for "Yes," sign for "More" or use words if they are able to say "more" or "more bubble."
This bubble activity is done regularly and the children begin to respond to the repetitiveness of the words modeled and the activity of blowing and popping (popping the bubbles with a pointer finger encourages fine motor skills as well). They will often imitate the repeated words like "pop-pop-pop" after a few sessions. Soon they start to use some of the phrases spontaneously! Parents in my sessions usually love this activity as well. I encourage them to get bubbles and use them as often as possible when the children are learning these early sounds.. I recommend the spill proof type of bubble containers that are available now.
I will also work on body parts and object recognition with bubbles. I will catch the bubble on the wand and pop it on a body part or toy while I label it. "I'm going to pop this bubble on your foot." "Pop on block." You are then modeling speech sounds and vocabulary.
So get those bubbles out and have fun! The learning opportunities are endless. Posted by Brenda Van Wie at 12:46 PM Tuesday, January 12, 2010
What do I do if my child can't blow bubbles???
_I have found the bubble hierarchy (Talk Tools)
to be successful with children who haven’t been able to
blow bubbles prior to this approach. Moving through the hierarchy:
1. popping the bubble on their lips,
2. blowing the bubble off the wand
3. blowing a bubble through the wand
4. and slowly learning to blow for a sustained distance.
I use this approach with the students at school. Feel free to ask to see a visual demonstration!!
1. popping the bubble on their lips,
2. blowing the bubble off the wand
3. blowing a bubble through the wand
4. and slowly learning to blow for a sustained distance.
I use this approach with the students at school. Feel free to ask to see a visual demonstration!!