Curriculum-based Speech Therapy Activities: Pre-K/K: English & Spanish Edition (Volumes 1&2)

The majority of students who receive speech therapy spend thirty minutes or one hour per week with their speech therapist. This equates to approximately 3% of a child’s academic day. That means that the majority of her time is spent with parents and her teacher. We also know that the more ways (multi-modal) and times (opportunities) a child practices a skill, the more she will be successful. By using classroom themes we not only access the vocabulary topics, but also provide a way for the child to practice newly acquired communication skills on a topic that she is familiar with. Plus, the homework provides greater communication opportunities on each theme through interactions with the parent.

Intervention is Highly Successful When it:
• Aligns to curriculum
• 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
• Takes into consideration second-language influence and low socio-economic status

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THESE MATERIALS PROMISE TO DO.
These lesson plans were developed by a group of bilingual speech-language pathologists who provide therapy services to young children and their families through home- and school-based programs. The goal of many young classrooms is to provide early intervention in order to reduce the need for future services and improve academic outcomes later on. In this model, it is not uncommon for the speech-language pathologist to see a student in individual or group settings using therapy materials which are chosen solely with the child’s goals in mind. While this paradigm works well for a handful of students, we found that greater gains can be made when therapy aligns to the curriculum and when parents can interact with a child based on what they bring home from school. By using the classroom themes we not only access the rich vocabulary from the classroom but also provide a way for the child to practice newly acquired communication skills on familiar topics. Plus, parent summary letters ensure greater communication opportunities on each theme through interactions with the home.