Research indicates that just 3% of a child’s academic day is spent in outside support. That means that the majority of a student’s time is spent with parents and teachers. Conversely, we know that the more ways (multi-modal) and times (opportunities) that a child has to practice a skill that he is learning, the more she will be successful.
By using the classroom themes we not only access the vocabulary rich topics, we provide a way for the child to practice his newly acquired communication skills on a topic that she is familiar with. Plus, the homework that goes home provides greater communication opportunities on each theme through interactions with the parent. This presentation shares the results of a multi-year effort to improve therapeutic outcomes by tailoring PPCD, General Education, and Lifeskills therapy to match curriculum goals and objectives.
Materials can simultaneously enrich language and teach academic concepts. This way: we don’t make assumptions about a student having prior knowledge, we give students multiple opportunities to practice their concepts in school and at home, and we don’t waste precious time re-creating lesson plans and materials year after year.
Intervention with children is highly successful when it: aligns to curriculum topics, is multi-modal (hands-on, table-time, floor time), has buy-in from all educational professionals, increases parent involvement, can be used in a variety of settings (full-day, half-day, in-classroom, group therapy, and individual therapy), and takes into consideration second-language influence and low socio-economic status. By using the classroom themes we not only access the vocabulary rich topics, we provide a way for the child to practice his newly acquired communication skills on a topic that she is familiar with. Plus, the homework that goes home provides greater communication opportunities on each theme through interactions with the parent.
