Bubble Categories

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Hey Everyone!

Time for my monthly (or so) check-in. ;)  Boy have I been busy with Jamberry work and end of the school year goings-on, but I wanted to share some fun books and another activity for those of you who are still in school or working summer school!

Summer is a great time to play with Bubbles!  I found these adorable books on Amazon and I've been using them in some of my sessions:

I've noticed that my students this year have really struggled with categories - especially naming a category when given members of the category. So, I developed this activity.

There are bubble wand cards that each have 3 category members each:

Then there are bubble container cards with a category name:

There are a few different ways you can use this activity.

1. First, you can use the bubble wand cards separately. Shuffle and have students draw a card. They can read the three members and try to come up with the category.
2. You could also use the bubble container cards separately. Shuffle and have students draw a card. They can read the category name and try to name a specified number of members.
3. Another way to use the bubble container cards would be to divide students into teams.  One card is drawn and teams take turns naming a member of the category until one team can no longer think of a member. Once that happens, the other team gets the point.
4. Use both sets of cards together, mix them up and play a Memory Game.

There is also a game board to increase motivation during your sessions:

My kids love bubbles and I've been using actual bubbles as a reinforcement for this activity.  You can download for FREE in my TPT store! As always, please leave feedback if you download! :)

More EET Fun: Beads 2 and 3 {Out of This World Vocabulary!}

Over the summer I broke down and bought the Expanding Expression Tool.  I had been skeptical about purchasing the EET because I wasn't sure how well my caseload of preschoolers and kindergarteners would get it.  We've been going through each bead on the strand one at a time.  (If you missed my post about the first bead, Green-Group, you can see it HERE.  Two weeks ago we did the second bead (Blue-Do), but I never got a chance to write about it before now.  This week we're doing the third bead (Eye - What does it look like?).

Blue-Do:
Essentially, with this bead you're working on object functions.  We worked on (1) describing the function of common objects that you might find around the house or the classroom, and (2) listing objects you might need to perform a specific task.  Here's a preview:

"What do you do with...?"

"What do you need to...?"

I used the space-themed game from my Seasonal and Thematic Dot Reinforcers to make the activity more fun!

Eye - What Does it Look Like?
Not going to lie...I've been doing a lot of ground work in my sessions for this activity.  This is an area my kids really struggle with - using more than one attribute to describe.  So, we've been doing some fun activities to target using attributes of color, shape, and size to describe.  Here are some of them:

• Orange Pumpkin, Orange Pumpkin by First Grade a la Carte (using color + object)
• Shape Monster Book by Chit Chat & Small Talk (using color + shape)
• Shape Monster Craftivity (using color + shape + size):

Basically for this craft, I pre-cut shapes (large for bodies, small for eyes, nose, mouth) and used my Cricut (Paper Doll Dress Up Cartridge) to make small and large hands and feet.  The students had to request their parts using color plus shape and/or size descriptors.

Now that they have the idea of using those attributes, we are pulling out the cards from my Out of this World Vocabulary packet.  Here's a sample:

PSSST! I included poster charts for kids to use to help them remember colors, shapes, and sizes:

Green-Group:
Since I was creating a packet to accompany the EET, I added a category activity. You can use this activity for category naming and sorting:

And there are some game play cards to increase the fun/competition/motivation!

If you missed my last post, we're creating an EET "caterpillar" as we go through the beads. Here's what it's looking like these days:

The activities described above can be found in my TPT store:

Out of this World Vocabulary Fun

Seasonal and Thematic Dot Reinforcers

Are you using the EET with preschoolers and kindergarteners?  What activities/strategies have you found to be most helpful?

Introducing the EET (Expanding Expression Tool)

I'm guessing that you've heard of the EET before (Expanding Expression Tool). I first saw the EET described in a catalog from Northern Speech Services and thought "This looks cool!"  I couldn't imagine that it would be appropriate for my caseload that is largely (maybe 90%!) preschool.  Still, I kept coming back to it...reading reviews from other bloggers, checking out materials developed by other bloggers to use with the EET, and checking out the EET website itself.

If you haven't done this yet, head over to the EET website and watch some of the videos. I couldn't believe the four year old little girl! I thought, if she can do it, my kids can do it!  I finally broke down and bought my own kit.

I was so excited to get the EET, you'd think I was a kid on Christmas! I ended up ordering the kit, some small student strands, and the EETCHY steppers.

I started using the EET in therapy this week (yes, with preschoolers!) and I wanted to share with you.  I "introduced" my students to the large EET strand and drew their attention to the different parts of the strand.  We paid particular attention to the head, which is green. The manual and poster will tell you that GREEN=GROUP.  Many of my kids weren't sure how to define "group," but they were able to make groups!  I gathered some items and put them in a "mystery bag."  (I recently bought some new sheets and they came in a bag that is made of the sheet material and has a flap with velcro closure at the top. We used that).  Then I gave them baskets and I placed an item into each basket and told them they would make groups.  Some of the kids needed some supports and assistance, but most were able to sort the objects into groups:

We had the food group, the crayon group (aka the "colors" group), the animal group, the block group, and the dishes group.  I know some of these aren't "real" groups, but the activity helped the kids understand the concept!

My plan is to introduce the strand one ball at a time.  As we go, I'm going to create a caterpillar on the wall.  This pin was my inspiration, but I don't think I'm going to get that fancy.

Overall, the kids seemed to enjoy the activity and the "caterpillar"!  I'm hoping they will continue to have fun with this and expand their language at the same time!  If you're looking for more EET ideas, I've started an EET board on Pinterest.


I would love to know...I've heard people call the EET strand a caterpillar and a worm, but do you have a special NAME for it?

Update: Since writing this post, I've added a product to my TPT store that targets the first three beads of the strand. You can find that HERE.

Vocabulary Barometers

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This summer, I read (most of) Bringing Words to Life.  Now I've been putting a lot more thought into vocabulary. Especially Tier 2 words.  We all work on synonyms, right?  Ever notice that some synonyms are just a little more "bleh" and others are a little more extreme?  Take mad for example...You might think that someone who is furious or enraged is more mad than someone who is annoyed or bothered, right?

Here's an activity to work on those "degrees" of words...Vocabulary Barometers!  (or Synonym Barometers, if you prefer).

On each page, there's a barometer.  Put your target synonym in the middle and challenge students to come up with words that are "more" or "less" that word!  I've filled in a few words for you to start...

Here's a sample of the sheet filled in:

There is a blank page as well so you can choose your own target words.

I'll be honest here.  This idea isn't 100% my own.  Our new superintendent suggested a similar activity during our professional development day.  I created these worksheets based on her suggestion of "degrees" of synonyms.  This free download is available on my Facebook page.  You must like the page to download. Once you do, click on the "Free Downloads" tab!

Enjoy!

What I learned in professional development...

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[Source: WikiCommons]

Monday and Tuesday, I participated in two professional days to start the year off.  The underlying message of both days could probably be summed up in two terms:  "time on learning" and "rigorous instruction."

Time on Learning:
Essentially, my principal suggested that we have a lot of down-time in our school.  Because I work in a low income district, the students get universal breakfast.  That means that all students enter the school and have breakfast before they begin their day.  Many times, this eats into instructional time.  We discussed ways to reduce down time and to increase direct instruction.  I won't go into a lot of detail on this because I think these strategies would very much be building specific.  However, I've been thinking that I might start coming up with a quick activity to do with my kids during transitions from their classrooms to my room to increase their time on learning.

Rigorous Instruction:
I'm going to preface this one by saying that I missed the first half of the session to attend a Medicaid billing session....However, what I gathered is that rigorous instruction occurs when students are actively engaged in a lesson, they are using higher order thinking and problem solving, and they are encouraged to be persistent in their efforts.

In the talks on rigorous instruction, we heard a lot about vocabulary, and the data from our school's performance on the ELA section of state-wide assessments.  After hearing all of this, I have to say, my selection for my professional summer reading book, Bringing Words to Life, was the right choice!  If you're not familiar, this book is about robust (aka rigorous) vocabulary instruction.  Many examples of rigorous instruction that were given to us reminded me of things that I had read in the book (and my principal hadn't even heard of the book!).

     

We also got to see some examples of test items that were difficult for our students as compared to other students in the state.  Many were related to vocabulary (especially synonyms/antonyms) and inferencing - two things SLPs work on quite a bit!  I'm really excited to use some of the strategies I learned in this book and to use my new EET this year!  I'm hoping both will make a difference in the students I service!

Are you implementing anything new this year?  I'd love to hear about it!

Book of the Week: "Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site"

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(Image Source:  Amazon.com)

This week's book of the week is "Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site" and was written by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld.  This is one of my favorite books that I read, not just in my therapy room, but in my home!

I wrote this post for Playing With Words 365 while Katie prepares for Baby #3.  Katie was a big inspiration to me in starting my own blog and she has proven to be a wealth of information, not only regarding speech and language, but on blogging as well!

To continue reading (and to download the freebie), head on over to Playing with Words 365!

Book of the Week: Dear Zoo

Disclaimer:  This post contains affiliate links to Amazon.com for your convenience.

This week's Book of the Week is Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell.  It's a wonderful book for preschool students, but can be modified for use with upper elementary as well.  Here's the kicker.  The Book of the Week post this week is being featured over at Schoolhouse Talk in honor of Abby's 1st Blogiversary!

So, to see more about this book and to download a freebie, head on over to Schoolhouse Talk!

App Review & Giveaway: Describe it to Me

I'm so excited to bring you some info on the latest app by Smarty Ears Apps - Describe It To Me.  This app, like all of those developed by Smarty Ears, was designed by a certified speech-language pathologist. The coolest thing about this app is that it uses a game show format to build receptive and expressive language skills.  The app description states that Describe it To Me is "designed to help clients build a deeper understanding of everyday items."  But you can do so much more with this app than that! (More on that later.)

Getting Started:
Before we start, I wanted to share a few features that are available from the home screen.  Support: This button allows you to watch a video tutorial on using the app, view a description of the app, backup/restore the app, and email Smarty Ears for support.  More Apps:  View more of the apps available from Smarty Ears.  Report Center:  This is where you can go to view the data from your Describe it to Me sessions.

When you're ready to begin, tap Play.  You will need to add a player to begin.  You can manually add a player or import players from Therapy Report Center. When you add a player, you can choose to import a photo (from the camera or photo roll) or use one of the many built-in avatars.  The screenshot below shows you an example of both an avatar and photo icon.

From this screen, you can also adjust the settings for the app.  You can choose what happens when the student is incorrect (buzz or remove the item), choose visual/auditory reinforcement, choose whether or not to display points, and choose whether or not to use a spinner.  From this screen, you can also customize the word list (below) by selecting/deselecting words (below). For example, if you are using with younger kids, you might want to keep the vocabulary more simple.

Using the App:
Once you have your players added/selected and your settings selected, you are ready to begin.  You can use this app with up to five players. The players will be displayed on the spinner.  The target word/object is displayed on the television screen and the question type is displayed above the screen.  You can change the target word by pressing the forward/reverse buttons on the side of the screen and switch from receptive/expressive targets by sliding the button to R/L.  Change students by tapping the avatar of the desired player.

Receptive:
In the receptive mode, the student is given questions about the object with four possible answers.  There are six questions for each item (located along the top of the TV screen).  These can be changed by sliding the indicator icon.  The questions are related to:

Category:

Function:

Parts:

Location:

Visuals:

Extra:

I used the same object for each question type so you could get an idea of the question asked.  The questions are generally the same for each object.


Expressive:
For the expressive component, the same six question types are present and the questions that are asked are the same as in the receptive component.  However, in expressive mode, the student must respond verbally.  You can score a student's responses by tapping Correct/Almost/Incorrect.

Reports:
When you're finished with your session, tap DONE.  As with most Smarty Ears apps, Describe it to Me has built in data collection and will generate reports based on your sessions.  You may view/email these reports, or export to Therapy Report Center.

Reinforcement:
Describe it to Me has a few different types of reinforcement.  First, do you remember the settings?  You could select Visual and/or Auditory Reinforcement.  The visual is shown below.  The auditory is a sound that occurs when the student gets the item correct.

In addition, Describe it to Me provides rewards whenever a child gets 10 correct answers in a row:

These rewards will be stored in the player profile of the app.

Homework:
Describe it to Me has built in homework sheets that you can email to a parent or email to yourself for printing.  We all know that carryover is essential and what better way to promote carryover than home practice!

Eliminate 1:

Circle 3:

And that's Describe it to Me!  Here's what I think:

The Pros:

• I've often used a "Describing Hierarchy" in my therapy sessions that is somewhat similar to the question prompts in this app.  I've found using an approach like this to be helpful for students with word retrieval difficulties.
• Receptive/Expressive components in the same app!  We all have mixed groups, right?  This app makes working with mixed groups easy!
• The app description says that is was designed to be used to build a deeper understanding of everyday items.  It really can be used for so much more:  increasing vocabulary, answering wh- questions, use and comprehension of categories, use and comprehension of attributes, part/whole relationships, object functions, word retrieval, etc.
• I don't have an EET, but have read up on it a bit.  This app looks like it focuses on similar concepts and can be used in conjunction with EET.
• I love the built-in home practice sheets! They can easily be shared with teachers or parents for printing.
• Built in reinforcement and data collection are always big pluses in my book.  Because of the reinforcement and fun game show format, kids may be more motivated to practice skills using the app than without it.

The Cons:

• I've turned the spinner on.  I've turned the spinner off.  I cannot notice a difference either way.  
• I would love to be able to record expressive responses.  With that said, I know that adding a recording feature would likely increase both the price and storage space of the app, so I can live without that feature.

The Bottom Line:
Describe it to Me is a great app that can be used to address so many language targets.  This app is fun and motivating for students, not to mention affordable.  Describe it to Me features similar concepts as the EET and is a great addition/companion to the EET.  I cannot wait to try this app with some of my students with word retrieval difficulties because I know it will make a difference!  As of this posting, Describe it to Me is on sale for $4.99 in the App Store.  The regular price of this app is $9.99.  Smarty Ears was kind enough to provide a copy for me to give away today.  To enter, use the Rafflecopter below.

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