Even if you didn’t really laugh at that joke, you probably smiled just a little bit, right? Which is one of my favorite reasons to use jokes in therapy–it’s fun! And if I’m having fun in therapy, my students are likely to be having fun too. But, jokes are great for so many reasons. I’ve written before about why we … Read More
Why You Should Be Teaching Figurative Language
It’s probably happened to all of us at some point–you hear a phrase in conversation you’re not familiar with. Maybe the speaker is from a different part of the country, or a different age group, and although you understand the words they used, you’re not sure what they mean. I spent a year living in Charlotte, NC, and heard the … Read More
5 (FREE) Way to Use Fall Leaves in Therapy
I don’t know about you, but I love fall. I love the cooler temperatures, the colors of the leaves, and my very favorite–cardigans. I also love finding creative, easy ways to incorporate seasonal vocabulary and objects in my therapy sessions. If you live in a place where the leaves change color and fall from the trees, this one is for … Read More
The “Good News” Phone Call Home
If you’re a parent, you’ve likely had this experience…your phone rings during the day, and you see it’s daycare or school calling, and immediately your mind is racing…and it’s usually not good. Someone is puking, or struggling with math, or has been in a fight. On the other side, it’s not particularly fun to be that caller either. Maybe it’s … Read More
How I Talk to Kids About Goals in Speech Therapy
As speech language pathologists, we’ve all had that moment…usually in front of an administrator…someone asks a student what they do in speech, and they answer “Play games!” You smile, and explain that it’s not just games, but you’re playing games while you get 100 reps of that R sound you’ve been working on, or answering “who” questions, or whatever your … Read More
Getting Your Back to School Binder Ready
When you’re the parent of a child with a hearing loss, there’s a lot more to getting ready to “go back to school” than just emptying your kid’s backpack from last year (hello, liquefied banana!) and repacking it. You have to talk to the teacher, make sure your equipment is ready, and so much more. And this year? Well, you … Read More
Using a One-Pager for Back to School
As speech language pathologists, teachers of the deaf, or parents, we know what makes “our kids” tick and what’s special about them, but how do we communicate that to new teachers or school staff? One resource I like to use at the beginning of a new school year is a one-pager introduction. It’s simply one page that highlights who a … Read More
Face Coverings and Auditory Access for Students with Hearing Loss
If you work with students who are deaf or hard of hearing and use speaking and listening, you know that good auditory access is so important. We do everything we can to give them the best access. We make sure their devices are programmed optimally, we think about seating choices and remote microphone technology…but something new we’re contending with is … Read More
Becoming Antiracist
Hello Mighty Voice readers! It’s been a loooong time since I’ve published a new blog post. My time to work has been limited during COVID and I’ve been focusing on my family first, but I’m excited to be getting back at it. Today I want to talk about becoming antiracist. I’m learning that just being “not racist” isn’t enough. Black … Read More
Enter to Win a $10 Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Card
Teachers, therapists, parents…you’ve all stepped up during this coronavirus pandemic, and deserve a gigantic “thank you!” for the work you’ve done with kids. So, in conjunction with the sitewide sale May 5-6, I’m giving away a $10 Teachers Pay Teachers gift card. The giveaway is open now, and will run through Tuesday night, May 5th at midnight, and I’ll pick … Read More