Back to School Sale – What’s in your cart?

Teachers Pay Teachers is having another Back To School Sale!

Do you need a few new things for your caseload?  Teachers Pay Teachers is having another back to school sale with saving ups to 25%.  Be sure to grab a few great things.

Here are a few things I have been wanting!

I don’t know about you, we started school where I live on August 10th.  Right about now I have met almost all of my students and I’m trying to make sure I have what I need in for all the goals.  I switched schools this year, so I now work with kids in grades 3-6 and the goals are a little different!

Perfect time for a teachers pay teachers back to school sale!

Here are a few things I have in my cart.

 

I like these easy print and go coloring pages from Peachie Speechie.  They are not too juvenile for my current kiddos and are a great way to keep the kids in groups just busy enough while they practice sounds.  These also seem perfect to send home for extra practice and carryover.

 

I’m loving this Language Progressing Monitoring Tool Upper Level from Natalie Snyders.  It seems like a perfect addition to my toolkit for checking skills and preparing for IEP meetings.  It seems to include many of the goals I’m addressing with my new students.

This vocabulary strategies set from Speechy Musings looks awesome too.  LOTS of my kids have vocabulary related goals and this seems to cover what I need.

The back to school sale starts August 31st on teachers pay teachers.  These are a few things in my cart.  What’s in yours?

Looking for a few fall freebies?  Check out these free fall printables.

 

Happy Shopping!  Let me know what you find!

3 Free Fall Recipes to Make With Kids

Looking for some easy fall recipes that are fun to make with kids?  These fall themed fun foods are great to make, tasty and easy!  A fun Fall Snack Mix, Spooky Oreo Spider Cookies, and a Graham Cracker School Bus are fun to make and eat.  These 3 free fall recipes to make with kids are great for small groups in classrooms, life-skills classes and more.  Cooking together is fun and helps kids learn to follow directions, learn new vocabulary, and build community. Try some of these free fall recipes with your students.

1.  Fall Snack Mix

 

This simple, no-cook recipe is a sweet and salty fall themed snack.  This version includes pretzels, Chex cereal, M&Ms, marshmallows, and candy corn, but you could easily modify with other items.  Kids practice measuring, pouring, stirring, and talking about favorite snacky treats while making this tasty recipe.

Click HERE for Free Fall Snack Mix recipe.

 

2.  Graham Cracker School Bus

This graham cracker school bus is an arts & crafts project and snack combined!  A tasty graham cracker becomes the body of the bus, while pretzels become windows and mini Oreos serve as wheels.  Use a knife or paintbrush to spread the yellow frosting on the graham cracker to paint your bus.

Click HERE for your free graham cracker school bus recipe.

 

3.  Oreo Spiders

Have some spooky Halloween fun and serve up some Oreo Spider cookies.  This super simple recipe requires Oreo cookies, pretzel sticks, M&Ms, and a dab or two of frosting.

Click HERE for the Oreo Spiders recipe.

 

I hope you enjoy making these recipes.  These 3 free fall recipes to make with kids are a great and delicious way to add some cooperative learning and fun to the classroom.

Looking for more fall fun!  Try these free fall worksheets!  Click HERE

 

20 Day Self Care Challenge Poster

20 Day Self Care Challenge Poster

20 day self care challenge

Download this free 20 day self care challenge poster for free HERE

Take some time to take care of yourself.  This free 20 day self care challenge poster is a great way to get you started on taking some time each day to care for yourself.  Just download and display somewhere that you see often to remind yourself to take a little time for you.  The activities do not need to be completed in order.  Pick what feels right for you for each day.  Some days might be perfect for a little celebration dance, while other days you may really want to go out for a walk, or just sit for a few quiet minutes with a cup of tea.  The point is to listen to your body and pay attention to how you are feeling and give yourself the care you need in that moment.  Download this free 20 day self care challenge poster and give yourself a little love and kindness.

Here are a few ideas for each day:

Take a Walk:  Walking improves fitness, alleviates depression, improves mood, improves circulation and posture, and can reduce your risk of stroke.  Walking can also stimulate creativity and confidence, and reduce anxiety according to a recent NBC news article.  Walk outside if you can with a friend, or alone. Getting outside in nature has its own benefits as well.  If you can’t get outside, try a treadmill or just do a little tour around your home 🙂  Looking for some motivation?  Here are a few walking apps that I like:

Charity Miles

Map My Walk

World Walking

 

Call a Friend:  Not only is this good for your self-care, but can help a friend as well!

Get Outside:  Take a few minutes to get outside in some natural light and air.  Give your tired eyes a break from the screens.  Studies show that time spent outside (especially in greenspace like parks, forests, etc.) has many positive health benefits including reducing blood pressure, anxiety and depression, and increasing focus and overall happiness.

Read a Book:  So many options here!  Personally I like the feel of a paper copy of a book (and it gives my eyes a break from screens), but there’s tons of great kindle and other online reading options.  There’s tons of great self-help, motivational guides, biographies for inspiration, and great fiction books out there for an escape from reality.  Spending a little time reading something that feels good to you is a great activity for self care.

Have a Cup of Tea:  Did you know that some teas can help with cancer, diabetes, cholesterol, heart disease and weight loss?  The antioxidants in green tea  may interfere with the growth of bladderbreast, lung, stomach, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers; prevent clogging of the arteries, burn fat, counteract oxidative stress on the brain, reduce risk of neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, reduce risk of stroke, and improve cholesterol levels.  Black tea may protect our lungs from smoke and reduce risk of stroke.  Chamomile tea is thought to prevent complications from diabetes and may stunt the growth of cancer cells.  

Take a Break if you need it!:  Seriously!  Pay attention to what your body is telling you. Self care is about knowing when you need to take a few minutes for yourself to take care of you!   A break can be whatever you need at the time – lay down and close your eyes for a few minutes, allow yourself a few minutes to watch a favorite show, put off the chores for a few minutes, etc.  Get back to it after you give yourself a little break!

Journal:  According to verywellmind.com some of the benefits of journaling include:  releasing stress, listing things for which you are grateful, clarifying your thoughts and ideas, and problem solving.  Here are a few journals that I really like:

Pretty basic journal

Let that Sh*t Go

The One Minute Gratitude Journal

Eat Some Chocolate:  1)  If you really want the chocolate – just have some!  A little of course:)  There are actually some reported health benefits of chocolate, and the darker the chocolate, the more healthy it reportedly is.  Chocolate is believed to contain antioxidants, and may lower cholesterol and prevent memory decline.

Take a Social Media Break:  Yes, social media can be helpful for keeping connected with friends, but it can also be hurtful.  Have you seen The Social Dilemma on Netflix?  If not, it is certainly worth a look.  Spend a little time being social with those in your immediate environment.  It is good for your self care and those you love.

Treat Yourself:  You deserve to treat yourself once in a while.  What does that look like for you?  Treat yourself to an ice cream, or fancy coffee.  Buying yourself that new shirt you have been eyeing, or get your nails done.  Take a walk by yourself at the beach or go for a long drive listening to your favorite playlist.  Whatever it is, allow yourself a little treat once in a while.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Free Fall Printables – Easy and Versatile

free fall printables

 

Looking for some low-prep, easy to use fall worksheets?  These free fall printables can help you plan a few ready made lessons for THOSE days.  Each of these is easy to print and use with mixed groups on a variety of goals.

 

Fall Freebie Printable Themed Mats 

These fall themed mats are perfect free fall printables for keeping kids engaged and focused as they take turns practicing their goals in a small group.  Each black and white mat has ten items to match.  I like to use these to make sure that each of my students gets at least 10 trials for practice and data collection. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fall-Freebie-4084045

 

To use these Free Themed Mats, simply print the downloadable free picture scene mats and accompanying pages with pumpkins and candy corn pieces that students can color and cut apart.  You can also give the students candy corn and candy pumpkins to place on their mats or mini-erasers.  These are very versatile and perfect for mixed groups.

 

Top Ten Things I Like About Fall Free Printable

free fall printables

This Top Ten Things I Like About Fall worksheet is perfect for thematic vocabulary building, creative writing, and working in collaborative groups.  The kids have lots of fun with this as they share opinions and brainstorm ideas.  These free fall printables are perfect for introducing a fall themed book or unit.

 

The Top Ten Things I Like About Halloween Free Printable

free fall printables

This Top Ten Things I Like About Halloween printable works just like the other free fall printables.  Just print and go.  The students list events and things that they see around Halloween that they like.  In creating their lists, students save the #1 thing for last.

I hope these free fall printables are helpful to you as you plan for your groups.  I love having some simple ready to go activities that are versatile enough to keep my students engaged and cover lots of target goals.

Keep it Simple

Keep It Simple

There’s a lot going on right now. A LOT. Like most SLPs, I was thrown into the world of teletherapy last spring. Before the pandemic struck, I was providing speech therapy face to face to little ones with autism in a university clinic. It was beautiful. I could engage directly with the kids, use toys and materials readily available, move around with the kids, and keep it fun. Then suddenly, everything went virtual. Like everyone else, I scrambled, researched, and tried to learn everything at once about screen-sharing, online games, Boom cards, online books, apps and everything I could get my hands on. What I learned though, was that often for my little ones and their families (and for my own sanity), keeping it simple was key. Here are a few ways I kept it simple with the little ones:

Establish a routine. Have a clear beginning, and end to the session. Use a visual schedule if you want. I love these visual schedules:

You can also simply let the students and parents know at the beginning of the session what you hope to accomplish. Sometimes I will write this down on an actual whiteboard and other times I will just verbally explain.

Take advantage of the opportunity to connect with families and to address language skills in a new way. Providing teletherapy gives me an opportunity to connect with caregivers that I don’t typically have. For each student it is a little different. For some, it is an opportunity to have direct conversations with parents about their concerns and to address them directly. In other sessions with families, (especially for my youngest families) I use a coaching model and help families learn how to interact with their children to facilitate language.

For other families, while I work directly with the kids, the caregivers have an opportunity to observe speech therapy directly and to learn strategies that they can implement at home.

Don’t feel pressured to do all the things! Focus on the goal, not on all the fancy technology options! Sometimes I can get wrapped up in trying to figure out how to include interactive google slides, green screens, movies, boom cards, and interactive white boards in my sessions when what I really need to focus on is engaging with my students and addressing their communication goals. I am trying to learn all of the new things and trying to be tech savvy, but quite honestly, sometimes it is just too much for my students, my families, and me! The articulation cards, books and speech therapy strategies you use in face to face can also be used in teletherapy.

Use movement in your sessions. Kids need to move around, and keep busy. They are still the same little active kids even though they are on the other side of a screen. Here are a couple of things that have worked well for me.

Add additional technology elements when you and your students feel comfortable.

I hope this is helpful to you! Take it easy on yourself and keep it simple if you can.