An RtI Alternative


I am participating in SL3's RtI blog hop. Each day during May, SLPs and OTs are sharing a post dedicated to School Based Innovation and RtI. You can check out everyone who participated and their links here.

This year, my special ed coordinator gave the SLPs permission to try something we have wanted to do for several years. I found it frustrating to have students on my caseload with 1 or 2 error sounds that I knew could be corrected if I could just see them one-on-one for 5-10 minutes a couple of times/week. Thankfully, the coordinator bought into what we were asking for, and agreed to let us try it.
We call the program Quick Speech. This is not a special ed program, so the most students I can see through Quick Speech is 10% of my caseload. It also is not RtI.
I identified students from screening who were stimulable for their error sounds, or who only had 1 or 2 sounds in error. I see them 2 times/week for 5 minutes for "kill and drill". I like to use Articulate It! (Smarty Ears) as the stimuli since it takes the data for me. That way, I can concentrate on what the student is saying. Plus, I only have to carry my iPad and a notebook with me. Since Quick Speech is not a Special Education Program, I don't see the students in my speech room for their session.
Parent permission is required; we make it perfectly clear in the letter that this is not a special ed service. Also included is what may be recommended following the 9 weeks.

An important aspect of this program is homework. I keep track of when it is given and when it is returned with a parent signature. I keep it simple: I write down words missed during the 5 minutes and the student takes that sheet home to work on.
I try to have everything on 1 sheet: Goal, Attendance, Data, and Homework:

(Original Data Sheet from Kelly Davis, who gave permission for the form to be modified. Original can be found here.)
So far, I have seen excellent progress with students. I have been able to keep several students from being identified as "Special Ed Students" only to have them be dismissed during the year that they were identified. Definitely a "win-win" for everybody!


Why I Joined my State Organization

I've been back in Tennessee for 11 years, yet this is my first year to actually be a member of TAASLP, Tennessee Association of Audiologists and Speech Pathologists. My previous state's organization was very active in the area of public schools. School-based SLPs held offices, chaired committees, and served on committees. They have great state conventions with many sessions specific to our setting.
To be perfectly honest, I haven't heard a lot of good tings about TAASLP, specifically for those of us in the schools. And I decided things need to change.
I have to credit Annie Doyle for lighting a fire under me. She's the President-Elect of her state organization. I have no desire to fill that role in my state, but I thought I could start by having some say in getting quality speakers for the convention that school SLPs are actually interested in. We're the ones in the schools; we're the ones who know what's really going in our setting, not the professors in the universities. We're the ones who know what the trends are, what areas we want/need to improve, and where we're headed. When it comes to the schools, we are the experts; we are the reality.
My main reason for joining TAASLP is to get more school SLPs involved...and to help educate those professors & clinical supervisors understand exactly what we do; not what they think we do.

I'm linking up with Speech2U...see why others joined their state organization!

Week in Review: 05/15/2015 and an End of Year Giveaway

Old School Speech

This was a week for taking it easy and enjoying my students one last time.

Game:

 I had my first student choose a game, and he chose Crocodile Dentist.
 For the last session of the year, I found a craftivity that is actually for back to school. Freebie  My SEEDsational Summer. The kids glued pictures with their sound in it on the inside.

One of my students matched idioms with their definitions.
When the kids got through with the craft, if there was time, they got to play a game on the iPad. (Speech & Language - Based...of course!)

This is my last Week in Review for the year. 

In honor of the end of the year and the end of my 31st year as an SLP, I'm giving away a copy of my team game Ready for Summer: 3 Games in 1 for you and a friend! You can find the link here. Leave your email and tag a friend to be entered to win. (Winner will be chosen using random.org. Contest closes at 6:00 pm EST on 18 May 2015.)


S...Peachy Feedback Linky Party

After months of seeing this linky party, this is the first one I'm actually participating in since opening my TpT Store! The amazing Nicole at Allison's Speech Peeps is our host.
In her words:

What is it?
“S…Peachy” Feedback is a linky where TPT sellers reward customers who leave insightful, helpful and encouraging feedback on products bought from their TPT stores. I know I’m speaking for all who create here, but we sellers absolutely LOVE to hear your thoughts on how our products have been beneficial to you, inspired you or even suggestions on to make them better! Each winner receives a product of their choice FREE from the store they left feedback.
How does it work?
It’s super easy!
For readers, check back here after a big TPT sale to see if you’re a winner. Lots of speechie blogs participate, so make sure click through the blogs at the bottom of this post to see if you’re a winner!
My store is just getting started, but I've already received some excellent feedback from some buyers. It is so much appreciated! And now...my very first winner:
Katie C: email me at tnslp29@gmail.com for a free product from my store!
Don't forget to check out the other feedback winners here.  You just may be a winner!


Week in Review: 05/08/2015

Old School Speech
I started this linky so that SLPs could go to 1 place to get ideas for therapy. Write a post about either what you did this week, or what you have planned for next week. All I ask is that you share a link back to my blog in your post.
(This post includes direct links to the products. Free products are indicated.) 

Theme of the Week:  Nugget & Fang (Tammi Sauer)

5 Minute Day:
I only have a couple of groups that have 4 students in them. Here's how I do my "5-Minute Day" in a small room:
At the top of the picture, one student said his/her target, then played Chipper Chat and the other one played the team game from Nugget & Fang Speech & Language Companion Packet. The student in the bottom left is working at the "listening station".

Preschool Language:
I used the same emergent reader as last week, but I printed off the visual cues in black and white and attached it to the bottom so my student could take it home. ( Emergent Reader about Spring --FREE from Julie Shope!).

School –Aged Language:
One of my students is working on has/have (you can find it here), and one is working on idioms. The game, idioms cards, and worksheet can be found here.  The idioms can be found separate here & are free.


Game Day:
I read Nugget and Fang (or had the student read it), and the students played the game from the companion packet.


Craftivity:
Talk about an impromptu craftivity! This was so simple, and I already had the orange strips.
One more week of therapy for me! Next week is going to be super laid back for me.

What do you do in your therapy room this week, or what do you have planned for next week?

App Review: StepByStep


The following is an app review. The views are my own. I received a promo code for the app through SOAR Therapy for expressing my opinions.  Links (in dark red) are provided for your convenience. Want to see larger pictures? Just click on one and scroll through!

When Aaron (Chief Operating Office/Co-Founder of SOAR Therapy) contacted me to offer me a promo code, I immediately said yes. I use another sequencing app quite often in therapy, so I was up to try something a little different.

(For larger pictures, please click on a picture and scroll through.)

Appreciated Features:

There are 2 categories from which to choose: Kids and Adults. 
It is very easy to add/delete users.
The sequences easily relate to everyday life, and depict current activities. 
The pictures are very easy to "read", and are not confusing at all. They are easily slid to the appropriate space.
Following each sequence, the user is always given the choice to retry the sequence, or see the results.
The results give the accuracy (x/x correct), as well as how long it took to complete the sequence.
There is a history option so you can review the sequences completed, as well as the accuracy and timing.

What I Would Like to See:

The ability to use the app without being connected to the internet. If you work in a public school, you know what I"m talking about! One of my schools has excellent wireless; the other one...not so much.

It would be great to have the sequences "bundled"; for example, all of the 4-step sequences together. After each sequence, you are required to go back and pick another sequence. If I'm working on 4-step sequences, I have to look through all of them to choose the one I want.

Following the choice of another sequencing, you have to re-choose the user. I'm sure there's a reason for this, but I'd love to see the option of having the sequences automatically start upon completion of one.


Additional Comments:
This app was easy enough for a second grader to use for a center during my "5-Minute Days". I had to do a very quick tutorial, then she was able to work with the app on her own.  

The inability to have a new sequence begin when one is finished is kind of a deal-breaker for me. I have other sequencing apps that have that option, so I am more likely to use those to cut down on time than I would be for this app.

StepByStepPro is available through iTunes for $14.99. You can try it out by downloading the free app here.
For a more thorough description, visit their website.


Nugget & Fang: Friends Forever or Snack Time

I ran across this book at the school's book fair a while ago. It was such a sweet book that I had to snatch it up! Nugget is a minnow; Fang is a shark. They're friends, and they play together in the ocean...until it's time for Nugget to go to school. There, he is taught that sharks are not friends to minnows, and should be feared. Fang is heartbroken, and does his best to teach the minnows that he's not like that, and is worthy of being their friend. When the minnows get trapped in a net, Fang comes to the rescue, and the minnows see that he's not what they have been taught.

I just happen to have a companion packet that goes along with the book. There's a little bit of something for everyone:
comprehension cards:
 a team game:


and a competitive game:
same/different:
idioms:


 describing:

 following directions in black-line as well as color:


 vocabulary:

 and homework:

 There's even a sentence strip to help students answer the question "What swims in the ocean?"!



I have this for sale in my TpT Store as well as my Teacher's Notebook & Speechtivities Shop.
There just happens to be a sale going on! Today is the last day for the TpT Teacher Appreciation Sale; the Teacher's Notebook Sale runs through 08 May.

Quick Tip Tuesday #12


 Kim is hosting "Quick Tip Tuesday". Posts that are short, sweet, and to the point...what could be better?
Do you have a tote that you use for storage, but have nowhere to put it? Here's a way to "jazz it up":
I bought some wall stickers from KMart and slapped them all over a tote that I have.





Please visit Kim and see who else is linking up with good ideas!
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