Comics

Most educators I know have access to a computer and the internet in their classrooms. These resources open up loads of possibilities for speech/language therapy, without having to purchase anything extra.

One of my favorite free websites is Make Beliefs Comix Comic Creator! The website allows users to make their own comics using a variety of characters, backgrounds, and props. Two of my favorite features are the speech and thought bubbles and the fact that many characters are available showing more than one emotion. While you could certainly use this activity with students with articulation, receptive/expressive language, or fluency needs, I have used it primarily with students with pragmatic language or social skills needs. Here are two examples of comics I created for one of my students:

This particular student was making inappropriate comments in class like "Is that necessary?" or "I don't think so," when teachers asked him to do something. I made these comics to encourage him to take the perspectives of other people around him by adding blank thought bubbles. I also intentionally left the last comic frame blank so he could predict the consequences of positive versus negative actions. I printed the comics out and had him fill in the blank thought bubbles and events and we had a discussion about Froggy's choice-making.

The other nice thing about targeting inappropriate behaviors via comics is that the student does not feel like you are saying HE or SHE did something wrong. You are talking about the behavior through a character, so the student tends to be less defensive. Later, after discussing the behavior, I might say something like, "How does this story relate to your school day?" or "Tell me about a time you could have made a different choice."

If you do not have access to a computer, printer, or internet, you could still have students create their own comics by drawing. You could even create some of  your own if you are feeling artistic!

Have you ever used comics or Make Beliefs Comix in therapy? How have you addressed socially inappropriate behaviors?

DIY Puzzle

The Do-It-Yourself Puzzle is another activity I learned by observing someone else.  Once I saw it, I knew I had to use it in my own practice!

The speech-language pathologist I observed printed a picture that related to season. Then she cut up the puzzle into six pieces and wrote a number on the back of each. Here is an example below:

  

After the student completed a task (said a target word five times, said a sentence, answered a question, followed a direction, etc.), he/she rolled a die. The student then earned the puzzle piece that corresponded to the number on the die. The goal is to complete the puzzle! If you are working with small groups, have a puzzle for each student. If possible, I recommend printing each puzzle on a different colored paper to avoid confusion.

If you don't have a printer in your building, have the students draw their own pictures and make their own puzzles!

Don't have a die? Don't put numbers on the pieces and have the student select randomly.

I work in an elementary school and even my older students liked this! They were excited to figure out what the puzzle picture was and made guesses with each piece they earned.

This activity also works well with students with behavioral needs, since they can visually see how many turns are left before the activity ends. You can also choose any picture you want to increase student motivation. For example, use a racetrack scene for a student who loves cars.

Have you used DIY Puzzles before? If not, I hope you'll give it a try and let me know how it goes!

I Spy

I Spy with my little eye... an activity that does not require any extra materials or toys!

I think the I Spy game is one of those go-to activities for many therapists. It requires minimal preparation, can be done almost anywhere, and most elementary age students can play it! It can also be a short warm-up, cool-down, or "break" activity. What I want to share today is how to specifically tailor this oldie but goodie to meet the needs of various students.

Articulation - I often use this game with students who are working on initial /s/ blends. The words "I spy..." come up over and over again, making it perfect for repeated /s/ blend practice at the sentence level! You can also purposely "spy" items that include the student's target sound. For example, if working on the /r/ sound, you might spy a chair, computer, eraser, ruler, and so on.

Basic Concepts - Incorporate basic concepts into your clues. I spy something that is under the table. I spy something that is not red. I spy something that is small. You get the idea!

Defining and Describing - Similar to basic concepts, incorporate descriptive definitions and encourage the student to do the same. For example, I spy something you use to write. I spy something that is round. I spy an appliance.

Fluency - Use this game as a way to practice using fluency-enhancing or stuttering modification strategies. For example, if targeting the "easing in" strategy, the student may specifically practice gently producing the "I" sound at the beginning of the sentence "I spy..." If working on the phrasing strategy (what my students and I refer to as "scooping" a few words at a time), the student may focus on briefly pausing at natural places. For example: I spy // something red.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication - I do not currently have any students on my caseload who use AAC, but I imagine you could adapt this activity to meet their needs as well. Perhaps the student could generate the sentence I + spy + something + (color) and give yes/no responses using his/her communication device.

Generating and Answering Yes/No Questions - Is it a shirt? Is it a clock? Pretty self-explanatory!

Nonverbal Language/Social Skills - Michelle Garcia-Winner's Social Thinking concepts (e.g., thinking with eyes, social detective, etc.) could easily be part of this game. In addition to providing a verbal clue, provide a visual clue by physically looking at the object. Encourage students to follow your eye gaze to help figure out what you are thinking about. If they do well with that, see if you can fade the verbal clues completely!

I am sure there are many other great ways to adapt I Spy. Please comment and share the ways you have used it with your students!