I started using Toca Boca World when all my appointments were still on telehealth (until I got my first round of COVID shots). A year later I have patients who still request it during in-person appointments. This open-ended video game is packed with things to explore and it’s really useful for speech and langauge treatment. …
“Brain Cells” is a game that my aunt, Jeanne Jurgensen, developed and generously gifted to me. Kids can bounce or throw koosh or ping-pong balls into the box, which is divided into “cells.” The word inside the box is the word we then work on by talking about its meaning, making a sentence with it, …
I’m noticing that children who were born shortly before the pandemic are taking longer to warm up to me than the 2-year-olds I’ve seen prior to “these unprecedented times”. So I’m implementing the same rules I use for children who are demonstrating signs of anxiety, such as those with selective mutism: talking is rewarded, but …
I’m noticing that children who were born shortly before the pandemic are taking longer to warm up to me than the 2-year-olds I’ve seen prior to “these unprecedented times”. So I’m implementing the same rules I use for children who are demonstrating signs of anxiety, such as those with selective mutism: talking is rewarded, but …
I picked up this fun game as a great way to work on articulation. How the game works: The children (or the child and I) each get one of the two bags filled with plastic food. No one can look into their bag. When the first card is flipped over both participants race to find …
I hate that so many children are waiting so long for speech and language treatment. I wish I didn’t have a waiting list, but the alternative is sacrificing the quality of the treatment my business provides. I got curious and did some research. It turns out that SLP waiting lists are an international problem. Children …
With continued recommendations to maintain social distancing and patients whose parents are concerned about the vaccine I’m continuing to brainstorm games that actually include social distancing that I can use during speech and language treatment. All of these games can be used as rewards or breaks while using common speech and language techniques. Some of …
I made this FREE Minecraft “Create-A-Story” slideshow that you can download and use without even downloading Minecraft! I use it in “edit” mode and have the kids choose the setting from the left of the 1st slide and the characters from the right of the 1st slide. Then I copy-and-paste their selection to the 2nd …
For my patients who master the conversation trains I switch to multi-timers. Once they master the multi-timers I start using this FREE conversation hot cocoa slideshow – this shows them how many turns they’re taking compared to their peer or me. I start by showing them the first slide, which has ideas for conversation on …
For patients who are working on creating narratives, grammar, and/or fluency, I’ll have them make narratives in Toca Boca World using the “movie” button. This button is only available in community locations (not in the houses you can customize). When you press and hold the button it will begin recording the video on the screen …
