Welcome to today’s episode, where we chat about sensory bins and the incredible benefits of sensory bins for your preschool and elementary speech therapy students. Whether you’re a seasoned SLP or just starting out, sensory bins are a fantastic tool you’ll want to incorporate into your practice. Kids dig them and once you know how to use them, you will too! What is a Sensory Bin? So, what exactly is a sensory bin? It’s a tactile experience contained in a storage container filled with various materials that children can manipulate. Think of it as a hands-on way to engage kids and make learning both fun and effective. When choosing a container, make sure it’s large enough for children to explore without spilling everything out— a good-sized storage container usually does the trick. Exploring the Benefits of Sensory Bins Sensory bins are more than just filler activities; they’re powerful tools for learning and development. By engaging the five senses, they help children explore and understand their world. Language skills get a significant boost too, as kids describe items, tell stories, answer “wh” questions, and use verbs in context. Social skills also get a lift. Sensory bins encourage turn-taking, initiating interactions, requesting, conversing, and engaging in pretend play. They are excellent for fostering social interactions in a natural, playful setting.Cognitively, sensory bins introduce concepts like color mixing and gravity, supporting children’s understanding through hands-on exploration. Additionally, they aid in developing executive functioning skills such as waiting, body awareness, attention, and focus. Practical Ways Sensory Bins Support Speech and Language Skills Sensory bins integrate motor movements and support the development of schemas, enriching pretend play scenarios. They provide numerous opportunities for kids to practice and improve their speech and language skills naturally, making therapy sessions more engaging and effective. Join the Sensory Bin Speech Therapy Webinar for SLPs Want to learn more? Join our live “How to Use Sensory Bins in Speech Therapy” webinar on June 11th at 5 PM PST / 8 PM EST. Can’t make it live? No problem—access to the replay will be available for 30 days. For just $9, you’ll receive an ultimate guide with resources for creating sensory bins and $15 worth of sensory bin printables. Plus, earn CMH hours applicable toward ASHA CCC’s and state licenses. Get Started With Speech Therapy Sensory Bins Sensory bins are an invaluable tool in speech therapy, offering endless benefits from language development to social skills and beyond. Don’t miss our webinar to delve deeper into creating effective sensory bins and expanding your therapeutic toolkit.Stay inspired and keep making a difference! The post The Benefits of Sensory Bins In Speech Therapy appeared first on thedabblingspeechie.

In this episode of the Real Talk SLP, Felice welcomes Daj Mitchell, a seasoned Speech-Language Pathologist who loves using artificial intelligence to streamline her caseload management tasks in the school setting. Daj shares her journey with getting started using AI tools for speech therapy to help her save time and brain energy with tasks like progress notes, IEPs, documentation, speech therapy planning, parent handouts and more! She encourages SLPs to get started using AI tools to get make some of their time and reduce stress! What We Discuss About AI Tools for Speech Therapy in This Episode: Daj’s Journey to AI: Learn about Daj’s professional background and her path to integrating AI tools into her school-based practice. The Challenges of the SLP Workload: Daj shares insights into the common hurdles SLPs face, from scheduling and planning therapy to handling IEPs and Medicaid billing. AI Solutions for SLPs: Examples of how AI tools like ChatGPT can revolutionize caseload management by automating tasks such as generating homework assignments, creating parent handouts, and collaborating with teachers. End-of-Year Reflection: Daj reveals her song of the year, “Work,” by Rihanna, which encapsulates her busy yet rewarding year. Key Takeaways About AI Speech Therapy Tools: Practical AI Uses: Daj provides tangible examples of AI in action, enhancing productivity and fostering better collaboration with educational staff. Advice for Tech-Anxious SLPs: Tips on starting small with user-friendly AI tools and overcoming tech intimidation. Upcoming LIVE Webinar with Daj! Don’t miss Daj’s upcoming webinar in June, where she will discuss practical AI applications for SLPs in more detail. Join the ChattED PD membership to watch her webinar and get your clinical maintenance hours with PD that will help you boost your clinical skills and confidence. Resources Mentioned: ChatGPT Difit Magic School AI Freebie and Resources Follow Daj on Instagram: @yourslpdaj Follow our podcast: @cotreatcorner Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Podcasts Closing Thoughts:   Be the SLP that every kid wants to see. Embrace technology to make your professional life easier and more effective. Join us next time on the Real Talk SLP podcast for more caseload management tips and therapy ideas! The post Getting Started with AI Tools for Speech Therapy With Daj Mitchell appeared first on thedabblingspeechie.

Today, on the Real Talk SLP podcast, we will discuss tips for picking speech and language therapy books for your caseload. Most school-based SLPs have larger caseloads, so finding a speech therapy book to cover every age and goal is tricky. I am going to help you narrow down the book selections so that every month, you can use 2-4 books to cover the majority of your speech therapy caseload. In episode 114, we talked about what to do before you start reading books in literacy-based speech therapy. This helps students with comprehension, increases engagement with new vocabulary, and extends the life of a book in your sessions. In episode 115, I share lots of ways to increase engagement in your sessions when reading books.  Add Your Heading Text Here If you work in the school setting as an SLP, you need professional development training that will help you serve your students well. We want to help support you with building your clinical skills! Get those PD hours done with practical strategies you can implement with your caseload tomorrow. Sign up today! For the month of May, here is our line-up of speakers on Instagram.  Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Speech Therapy Caseload Before you select a speech and language therapy book, consider what goals you are targeting with your students.Here are the list of questions I ask myself when determining what literacy-based speech therapy book I am going to choose:What are the goals you are trying to cover?How many goals can I address with this book?Would this book fit my student’s language levels and attention span?Does this book have a lot of words with my student’s speech sound?What does this book provide for supporting skills in the classroom environment?Does this book provide a new perspective or glimpse into another culture? Speech and Language Therapy Books Resources So if you love using a theme-based approach and need support with picking books, we provide book cheat sheets and book companions in the Themed Therapy SLP membership. We also provide Google Slides with links to songs, videos, and digital activities as well as speech homework, newsletters, task cards, non-fiction reading passages, themed flashcards and more! Here is a list of the books we provide activities for in the membership to give you idea of the themes and books.  To find books by themes, speech sounds, or types of language areas, here are the two resources I mentioned for finding books: Book Share TimeSweet Southern Speech If you are on a budget, try to find books at your school or local library. Check to see if your school will give you a free GetEpic account or check out half priced books. Speech Therapy Books for a Summer Theme Mentioned in This Podcast Episode In this Real Talk SLP podcast episode, we discuss picking speech therapy books by target area or age. If using themes, pick your theme, then pick your books.Here are the books I mentioned in the podcast episode:Amazon affiliate links are provided for your convenience. I receive a small commission when you use my links.Beach Day by Karen Roosa – great for wh-questions, describing goals, syntax and morphology goals, building background knowledgeLet It Shine by Maryann Cocca-Leffler – great for wh-questions, describing goals, syntax and morphology goals, building background knowledgeWhen a Dragon Moves In by Jodi Moore – great for figurative language, perspective taking, inferencing, story elements, cause and effectA Camping Spree with Mr. Magee by Chris Van Dusen – great for wh-questions, building background knowledge, story retell, making predictions, thought bubbleJabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall – great for students to make personal connections with going swimming, story retell, comprehension, grammar, sound-loaded for speech soundsThere Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Shell! By Lucinda Collandro – great for sequencing, AAC CORE words, sound-loaded for s-blends, SH, and L, answering “what” questions The post Top Tips for Picking Speech and Language Therapy Books for Your Caseload appeared first on thedabblingspeechie.

When it comes to reading books in your speech therapy sessions, it’s hard to keep all the students engaged. And, your therapy time is short, so keeping kids attentive is important for therapy. Today, on the Real Talk SLP podcast, we are talking about 10 ways to increase engagement when reading speech therapy books. You will get practical tips for your literacy-based speech therapy sessions that you can use tomorrow! Join the ChattED PD Membership If you are a school-based SLP and want practical professional development hours that will help you boost your clinical skills, join the ChattED PD membership. We provide PD training that you can take action on tomorrow with your speech therapy caseload. Engagement Strategies to Use With Speech Therapy Books Here are the engagement strategies mentioned in this podcast episode to help with literacy-based speech therapy: Use iconic gestures – to help teach vocabulary, use it with predictive texts, allows another way to show the child understands the word if they are non-speaking.Shared Book Reading Strategies – pointing to vocabulary and giving kid friendly definitions of words as well as asking questions that help with making personal connections with the characters.Novel effects app you can use your phone or iPad. It has lots of our favorite books and would be perfect to use in your small groups or your whole class lessons. With this app, it provides sound effects and music when you read aloud.Bring in props for the characters, key vocabulary or items that help with sequencing or story retelling. If your students can handle having a prop, have them raise the prop when they hear a certain phrase or predictive text.Activate background knowledge – Before you read the book, you can activate background knowledge by taking them on a virtual field trip using a platform like Google Earth to see the setting of the book. You can show them some YouTube videos, sing a song, etc. I talk more about activities you can do before you read the book in episode 114. More Tips & Tools for Reading Speech Therapy Books 6. Kids retell the story – After you read the book, have students retell the story in their own words and use book creator to help them make their own story version. 7. Do think alouds – Using think aloud questions help with comprehension and staying engaged with the book. Use graphic organizers or anchor charts to talk about characters and elements in the story.8. Give each child a story element to hold up when they hear their story element come up in the story.9. Incorporate movement – stand and share, turn to your partner and whisper about the character.10. Ask an essential questions – Have an essential question that draws in their personal experience? We include book cheat sheets with essential questions in the Themed Therapy SLP membership. Resources to Help With Literacy Speech Therapy Units If you love using books + themes to plan speech therapy sessions, check out the Themed Therapy SLP membership. We provide book cheat sheets, book companions, and extension activities to help you implement a theme-based approach with less stress for your preschool and elementary caseload.  The post 10 Ways to Increase Engagement With Speech Therapy Books appeared first on thedabblingspeechie.

When you are pulling out a book in your literacy-based speech therapy sessions, it’s natural to want to jump into reading the story with the group. But, there are some easy strategies that you can do before you begin reading the book to your speech therapy students. In fact, doing these strategies will help your students with understanding the content in the story better. Plus, they will have more engagements with vocabulary in the book. And, you can use a book for at least 2 sessions (often you can use it for 2 weeks or more). Need Actionable Professional Development Hours? If you work in the school setting as an SLP, you need professional development training that will help you serve your students well. We want to help support you with building your clinical skills! Get those PD hours done with practical strategies you can implement with your caseload tomorrow. Sign up today! Free Flower Themed Speech Therapy Guide Wanting to plan a fun spring theme for your speech therapy caseload? Use this free flower themed guide to get ideas for flower books, toys, games, sensory bins, and step-by-step visual craft and cooking activity.  What to do Before You Read the Book In Your Literacy-Based Speech Therapy Sessions Here are some strategies that you can do before you begin reading a story to your groups:Teach any concepts that would help their background knowledge on the topic or theme of the bookHave them start making inferences by asking students about the cover of the book and what they might think the book could be aboutPre-teach key vocabulary by showing them a photo of the word, giving a kid friendly definitions, and ask thme to share a time when that is important to them (we provide focused vocabulary task cards for all the books in the Themed Therapy SLP membership).Before reading the book, you can use graphic organizers to discus what they know about the topic and what they want to know after reading the book. Or, making I wonder statements to see if some of those “wonders” are answered during the story or if you need to plan an extension activity to find out the answer. Literacy-Based Speech Therapy Resources Mentioned in This Podcast Episode In this episode of the Real Talk SLP podcast we talked about what to do before you start reading a book. The book example in the episode was using Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson. To help activate background knowledge, you can do the following:-show a video of a bear waking up–sing a wake up song to talk about a bear waking up-watch a video about bears. A book companion and cheat sheet is included in the Themed Therapy SLP membership for Bear Wants More as well as all the books in the membership. The post What to Do Before You Start Reading Books in Literacy-Based Speech Therapy appeared first on thedabblingspeechie.

When it comes to lesson planning for your mixed speech and language groups, using crafts can be super effective! But, I know some of you may be thinking, “I don’t do speech therapy crafts because it’s too much prep and mess.” Now, I definitely agree with you that crafts can distract from sessions if they have too many tedious steps, or don’t ensure enough practice on speech and language goals. But, these five speech therapy crafts that I am going to share in this episode are worth the prep! Because they are easy to adapt, can be sent home as homework, used as a therapy tool and something student’s can pull out to practice in future sessions. Join ChattED PD Membership for School-Based SLPs ChattEd is a monthly membership that offers a blend of LIVE and on-demand webinars on topics you want to learn about. It will help you earn professional development hours for your state license and national certification.  We know the school setting is unique, so we are committed to finding speakers that aren’t just gonna throw research at you but give you actionable ideas, therapy approaches, and relevant info to help you support your caseload well.  We want a community for SLPs where they can ask questions and get feedback so our platform will be interactive with discussion boards for YOU to get the support you need to build your clinical skills The Key To Choosing Crafts for Speech Therapy Sessions When considering making a speech therapy craft in your session, you want to make sure the craft is easy to adapt for different ages and goals.Low prep is a nice bonus.As well as a craft that can then be used as a therapy material to work on articulation and language goals.Can be re-used in your future sessions to review targets or skills.Something that can be sent home as the homework for the week.All the crafts shared in this episode can do all these things! That’s why they are worth the prep. Articulation & Language Crafts Mentioned In This Episode Here are links to all the crafts mentioned in this episode:Windsock craftJellyfish craftArticulation Paper Plate Challenge CraftLanguage Paper Plate Challenge CraftArticulation Craft WalletsPaddle Paper Plate CraftThe Any Craft Companion is mentioned to pair with these crafts.There are themed crafts included in the Themed Therapy SLP membership with lesson plan ideas and step-by-step visuals for making that craft. The crafts included can be paired with books for the theme. Additional Crafts For Speech Therapy That Are FUN! When you are a crafty SLP, it’s hard to only recommend five crafts you should do. So, here are some other fun crafts that you can do with your students:Rainbow CraftsPout Pout Fish CraftSummer CraftsTall Tall Grass Craft What Crafts Do You Love to Make With Your Students? Do you have a craft that you love to make with your speech therapy caseload? Let me know in the comments or reach out to me @thedabblingspeechie on social media to share easy, simple crafts you love that are effective and engaging for your students. Stay in Touch with Michelle If you have more questions about Easy Report Pro or assessment reports, you can find Michelle on Instagram. One of the coolest features of this tool is that you can schedule a 1:1 virtual onboarding call to get all your report-writing questions answered, and they will also help you work on a report while navigating the tool! = The post 5 Crafts for Speech Therapy That Are Worth the Prep! appeared first on thedabblingspeechie.

If you plan a spring theme for your preschool and elementary caseload, you will love all the spring toys and games shared in this podcast episode. When we think of spring, we often think of holidays such as Easter, insects, planted flowers, spring picnics, and outdoor activities. You will get a variety of spring toys and games that you can use to bring to life the concepts of your spring theme.This blog post includes Amazon affiliate links. When you use one of my links, I receive a small commission at no charge. Love Themes? But No Time for Planning Speech Therapy Lessons? Check out the Themed Therapy SLP membership if you love using themes for your speech therapy caseload but struggle to find the time and energy to plan your lessons. The membership is for busy school-based SLPs who serve Prek-5th grade students and want to streamline their therapy planning process.  When you become an SLP themester, you can access three themed therapy units a month! For speech therapy, the themes of March and April include fairytales, weather, frogs, spring, insects, and chores. An annual membership gives you access to 36 themes, including penguins, baking, space, and camping, to name a few! Need Themed Cheat Sheets for Using Spring Toys & Sensory Bins? We also provide toy guides for all the themes in the Themed Therapy SLP membership with links to toys, games, sensory bin items, crafts, or activities you could plan for hands-on or play-based lessons. In our spring-themed unit for April, we provide sensory bin cheat sheets for a flower garden sensory bin, toy companion cheat sheets for a garden toy set, and baby chicks sensory bin cheat sheets. Spring Toys for Your Speech Therapy Sessions Using spring-themed pretend play in your speech therapy sessions can target a TON of goals and keep your students engaged. Plus, you can build schema around spring themed activities your students may experience this time of year. Here is a list of different spring toys and games you can add to your speech therapy material stash when planning a themed unit:Headbanz – with spring vocabulary cards (use spring vocabulary and verbs)Mystery Word Game with Google Slides – Duplicate these Google Slides and add in spring vocabulary. You can also do mystery items in a paper bag with spring items.Verb charades with spring verbs (we have spring verb flashcards in the Themed Therapy SLP Membership)Flower garden pretend play or sensory bin. You can also make a garden shop like Pocket of Preschool. More Spring Toys & Games for Your Caseload Honeybee tree or honeybee comb DIY Jumping Jack Game by GoliathFarmer’s market by Learning Resources, and Educational Insights Plush Vegetable GardenLittle people treehouse for a spring day of funInsect sensory bin – get the insect TOOBS to learn about the life cycFairy garden kit and pair with fairy TOOBS Picnic Toy Set from learning resources or the Sorting Surprise Picnic BasketsSpin to Play Picnic by eeBoo What Spring Activities For Speech Therapy Do You Use? If you have any spring activities or games you use with your preschool and elementary caseload, DM me on social media @thedabblingspeechieI would love to see what you have planned to support your student’s speech and language goals.  The post Spring Toys You Need To Add To Your Speech Therapy Stash appeared first on thedabblingspeechie.

When we plan themed therapy lessons for our speech therapy caseloads we want them to help students make progress on their goals. In this episode of the Real Talk SLP podcast, we are going to be talking about how to play speech therapy themes by month and learning how you can theme smash two themes together! I will be sharing what theme smashing is, how to do it, and ways to think through the themes you are choosing throughout the year. Why It’s Important To Use a Theme for 2-4 Weeks Before we chat about what theme smashing is, I encourage you to use a theme for longer than a week. At the beginning of this podcast episode, I share two of the benefits of planning only one or two speech therapy themes in a month.  Free Themed Speech Therapy Planner Trying to pick a theme for your speech therapy caseload can be overwhelming. When you have lots of paperwork and caseload management tasks, picking a theme can be the last thing on your list. That’s why I created a giant list of 100 seasonal and nonseasonal themes you can use to get inspiration for speech therapy lesson planning. Use the free speech therapy themes by month calendar to get organized with what to plan! What is Theme Smashing? Theme smashing is when you work on two themes at the same time and infuse them into your themed unit.You can bring in concepts from your last theme into the new theme to increase opportunities with background knowledge, vocabulary, and concepts from that theme.Here are some examples of theme smashing options:Winter season and clothingCommunity helpers and transportationInsects and flowersWindy weather and kitesBaking and birthday partyDuring this episode I break down how you can plan out these themed unit back to back to provide more opportunities with concepts from the previous theme. In the March and April months of the Themed Therapy SLP membership, we have options for baking, weather, insects, spring, community helpers and chores making theme smashing easier! Links to Resources and Blog Posts Mentioned About Themed Speech Therapy If you are just getting started with planning themed therapy or have been doing it for a while now, but need fresh ideas, take my free Themed Therapy SLP quiz! It will send you LOTS of blog posts and ideas for whatever stage you are in currently.Here are some resources mentioned in the podcast episode:3 Tips for Choosing Themed Therapy MaterialsThemed Therapy SLP MembershipBee Themed Lesson Plan IdeasSpring Themed Lesson Plan IdeasPlant Life Cycle Lesson Plan Ideas4 Themes for Younger and Older StudentsMarch Themes for Your Speech Therapy CaseloadIf you have any questions about planning by themes or need ideas, feel free to reach out on social media @thedabblingspeechie The post What is Theme Smashing? – How to Plan Speech Therapy Themes by Month appeared first on thedabblingspeechie.

Using YouTube videos in your speech therapy sessions can be a great way to increase engagement and help you plan quick, effective lessons. Because YouTube is one of my go-to speech therapy material resources, I like to find tools and tech tips to make finding and organizing my videos easier. Today in this Real Talk SLP podcast, I am sharing my top tips for using YouTube videos in speech therapy to help save you time and stress for using them in sessions. Free Winter and Spring YouTube Video Google Slides One of the best ways you can save time looking for themed YouTube videos is downloading the list I compiled for free! Storing your favorite winter and spring YouTube videos on Google Slides can help you stay organized for your teletherapy or in-person sessions. Themed Therapy SLP Membership Finds the YouTube Videos for You If you struggle with wanting to use YouTube videos because it takes SO much time trying to find videos that match the themed unit you are planning, you don’t have to waste any more time. In the Themed Therapy SLP membership, we provide Google Slides for Prek-1st, 2nd-3rd, and 4th-5th with links to YouTube videos for book read-alouds, songs, movement breaks, wordless shorts, science videos, and more! They are all organized like free spring and winter YouTube videos. Tech Tips for SLPs On How To Use YouTube Videos In this episode of the Real Talk SLP podcast we share these top tech tips:Use tools such as safeshare.tv or viewpure to block unwanted ads, comments, and suggested videos when showing YouTube videos to kids.On the YouTube video you can create a clip of the video right from YouTube. You can also clip videos using Google Slides. When you embed a YouTube video on a Google Slide, you have the option to put a start and end play time. So, if you want to skip the introduction or avoid a section of a video, you can do that!Make embedded questions and stimulus items directly on a YouTube video using EdPuzzle.Control the speed of the YouTube video so that you can slow it down for students who need more processing time with the words or movements in the video.Use Chrome Extensions like Webpaint to write directly on webpages and videos. So, if you want to visually cue a student for something to pay attention to while watching the video you can draw on it. Or, you can pause the video and draw on a specific portion of the video while discussing concepts. Create playlists of your favorite songs, books, wordless short videos, etc. for different treatment areas, themes or type of content to easily bring up again when you use with a new group or client. Plus, you can also search for public playlists and find videos quicker!For SLPs wanting to send homework or modeling techniques to parents, you can timestamp your video in the description so that parents or students can quickly get to a section of the video that they may need to rewatch. What tech tips do you have about using YouTube videos? If you have any tech tips for using YouTube videos in your speech therapy sessions, do share in the comments! Or, if you have a favorite channel you love to use in speech, let me know. For SLPs that have been following me a long time, you know I am a big fan of Simon Cat’s Videos. The post Tips for Using YouTube Videos in Speech Therapy Ep 110 appeared first on thedabblingspeechie.

In this episode of the Real Talk SLP podcast we are chatting about 5 things you can do to get stuff done for your speech therapy caseload. We manage a LOT of students in the school-based setting, which means we don’t just do speech therapy sessions. Just to list a few of our speech therapy caseload tasks, SLPs are responsible for attending IEP meetings, taking in new speech referrals, billing Medicaid, writing therapy logs, collaborating with staff on implementing the IEP and doing progress reports for the student’s IEPs. We are juggling so many things that it can quickly get overwhelming. That’s why this episode is all about how to help you manage your day better so you can leave work knowing the important tasks got done.Amazon affiliate links are provided for your convenience. When you purchase an item with my affiliate link, I receive a small commission. Stressed About Planning Speech Therapy Sessions? If you are stressed with getting all the caseload management tasks done and need some help with planning for your mixed groups, join the Themed Therapy SLP Membership. We help SLPs have engaging themed activities for your preschool and elementary caseload. Take the stress out of planning and let us do the heavy lifting with speech therapy sessions. In this episode of the Real Talk SLP podcast we talked about these 5 things you can do to get stuff done for your speech therapy caseload: Write down what you will do your entire day with strategies like writing must dos vs. may dos. You can use this free weekly Google Doc editable speech schedule to write in what you will be doing during your week outside of therapy groups.Block off time for those caseload management tasks where you do not fill that time with potential meetings or therapy groups.Look ahead at least three months. Map out all your IEPs, assessments, etc., so you know what is comingMake cheat sheets to check off the steps of big tasks. For example, write out all the steps you need to do for your progress reports so you know where you left off. With your assessments, checklists for booking a translator, calling parents, etc. Have systems specifically for your speech referrals and other things that take time. Checklists & Tools for Staying Organized With Your Week Here are some tools for writing down your most important word tasks and helping you stay focused with your speech therapy caseload:  Priorities to-do list large sticky notesWeekly Planner notepadErin Condren’s petite planners have monthly calendars with daily schedule and to-dosHave speech therapy report templates so that you can write them more efficiently without errors. What tools or systems do you use to help you with managing your speech therapy caseload? I would love to hear what you use or do! Email me at fe*********@*****************ie.com The post 5 Things to Help You Get Stuff Done With Your Speech Therapy Caseload appeared first on thedabblingspeechie.