Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Using What I Already Have...Differently

Have you seen the post from Miss Speechie at Speech Time Fun on using wind-up toys in therapy?  Well, I have a collection of wind-up toys.  I  use them quite often for PECS reinforcers.  (I know I promised you a PECS series and it's coming!)  I loved this idea, but somehow never managed to use it in therapy...until today!

I was working with a child with a phonological disorder.  We were targeting final consonant deletion.  He first cut out and colored pictures from Phonology Round-Up! from Super Duper. Then I put them in the bottom of a shallow storage bin:


I did find that with the cut pictures, the wind-up toys would get stuck.  So, I slipped a sheet protector over the top...problem solved!  This child had some motor planning issues, so he had difficulty winding the toy.  I wound it for him and he told me where it should start, named the pictures as the toy passed over, and finally named the picture where the toy stopped.

Well, he liked that activity, but I think he liked this one more.  I pulled out my bag of blocks (you know, the 1-inch colored cubes).  He built a tower (or two) in the center of the same box:



When he was finished, he shook the box to knock the tower down.  Then, as we picked up each block, he had to say the picture that was under it!


The more blocks you use, the more practice you get!  I was a little bit surprised how much he liked this "game."  But, it worked for me!  And all using what I already have....differently!

Have you tried something "different" like this? What has worked for you?


PS, I'm hoping to do more activities like this in therapy...changing what I have (even if only slightly).  I'll keep you updated as to what I've liked!
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