Welcome to the first 3rd Thursday 3 for all! It’s my first attempt at a linky party-they are way more fun than the old Home Interior’s parties. Does anyone remember those? They sold not-my-style decorations for the home. Think a giant framed painted picture of a girl and her dog-with a coordinating shelf and then a girl and a doll figurine. Maybe with some matching wall candles to complete the tableau.
It’s pretty easy for me to fall into a routine where I use the same material in the same way every single therapy session. Originally this was going to be Five new ideas for Friday but I’m feeling a little less motivated here at the end of the summer. Three seemed like a more manageable number.
One thing I absolutely love about speech language pathologists is that we often have access to the same or similar materials-BUT everyone uses it in a slightly different way. Wouldn’t it be great to have a variety of resources and ideas for using therapy materials in the same place? That’s where the “for all” part comes in. It’s a linky party. If you have an old post you’ve done on popsicle sticks/tongue depressors or a new one, you are welcome to link up! If you don’t have a blog-that’s okay-You can comment and write your suggestions below!
You are welcome to use the graphic above on your blog-please link the picture back to Speech2u.blogspot.com. Also please add a link at the end of your blog back to this post so that people know how to link up. Links can be added for the next two weeks.
This Month: I’m sharing different activities I’ve done using popsicle sticks or tongue depressors. I use these for a lot of different games. Last year, there were so many great blogs talking about different ways to use popsicle sticks. Here’s three ways, I’ve used them.
You are welcome to use the graphic above on your blog-please link the picture back to Speech2u.blogspot.com. Also please add a link at the end of your blog back to this post so that people know how to link up. Links can be added for the next two weeks.
This Month: I’m sharing different activities I’ve done using popsicle sticks or tongue depressors. I use these for a lot of different games. Last year, there were so many great blogs talking about different ways to use popsicle sticks. Here’s three ways, I’ve used them.
Emotion Sorting Sticks:
1. I had some left over colors after making Jenna from Speech Room New’s French Fry Articulation. I’m terrible at getting things for free. The first time I went to McDonalds, I felt bad so I bought three meals for the family and then asked if I could get some extra fry containers that I could use in Speech therapy. “No.” said the counter server. So then I asked if I could buy some fries but just hold the fries and give me the container. “Sorry” he said. I ended up sending our receptionist over to get some containers. She got them right away. I wrote different feelings, thanks to my thesaurus, on the leftover craft sticks and put them in an empty peanut butter jar container. I can work on sorting emotions or my kids can pick a stick from the jar and tell a story about when they or someone else felt that way.
1. I had some left over colors after making Jenna from Speech Room New’s French Fry Articulation. I’m terrible at getting things for free. The first time I went to McDonalds, I felt bad so I bought three meals for the family and then asked if I could get some extra fry containers that I could use in Speech therapy. “No.” said the counter server. So then I asked if I could buy some fries but just hold the fries and give me the container. “Sorry” he said. I ended up sending our receptionist over to get some containers. She got them right away. I wrote different feelings, thanks to my thesaurus, on the leftover craft sticks and put them in an empty peanut butter jar container. I can work on sorting emotions or my kids can pick a stick from the jar and tell a story about when they or someone else felt that way.
Articulation practice
I use the tongue depressors for these-if you get the pediatric or infant tongue depressors they are smaller shaped like a popsicle stick. I think one of these might be my idea-but the rest are ideas I’ve picked up over the years-if it’s your idea, please let me know so I can credit you!
1. Tongue tip elevation for /t/, /d/, /n/ and /l/. Have the client bite on the stick with their back molars. While looking in the mirror have them practice elevating their tongue to say their alveolar sounds. This helps to stabilize the jaw and I will use this with my clients who are producing their sounds interdentally or blading.
2. Graded jaw openings: Turn the popsicle stick sideways (vs. flat) and talk about how we don’t need to make all of our speech sounds with a mouth much wider than that. You can over-exaggerate how our speech sounds if we make really big mouth movements. Kids love this.
3. Inhibiting movement: I had a client who was producing /n/ for /i/. Yikes. Where’s the research article that helps me fix that? I’ve been trying to use the popsicle stick to inhibit elevation while providing parameter prompts to facilitate an /i/.
Make Puppets:
I bought these super hero number counting sets through Teacher’s Notebook before I started making products. I laminated them with 7mm laminating film so they are sturdy and cut around the artwork. Then I used heavy duty glue dots to attach them to the popsicle sticks:
I use them for motivation, to work on pronouns and practice conversational skills with my clients.
What are your favorite ways to use Popsicle Sticks? Link up below!
I have a set painted the primary colors on 1/2 that I use for color learning activities. I also use them for pointers – just glue on a couple of googly eyes on one tip and presto! one cute pointer 🙂
For some groups, I use sticks that are painted green and red. everyone gets a green when I pick them up. If there is inappropriate behavior in the hall, I give them a red one. That way they know, without my saying anything, they need to make some adjustments.