Page 12 - Lifeskills Lesson Plans Volume 1 Digital Version

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How do we make our services and support relevant to students in the school seAng? The answer lies in the
school curriculum. Research indicates that when teachers and speech-language pathologists collaborate and
use classroom content, students make greater gains in their communica on skills (Throneburg, Calvert,
Sturm, Paramboukas, & Paul, 2000). When we improve students’ abili es to communicate their thoughts and
ideas on topics that are at the heart of classroom discussions, we are improving their abili es to ac vely

par cipate in their community.

Collaborate

Large group ac vi es involving the whole class have been shown to be beneficial for students, teachers, and

speech-language pathologists (SLPs) (Throneburg et al., 2000). Teachers are able to see examples of how
SLPs implement language strategies in a more natural classroom context. SLPs have the opportunity to be a

part of the implementa on of the academic curriculum. Most importantly, students in collabora ve

classrooms make progress in communica on and academic skills.

Observe
Modifying lesson plans and interven on materials for children with different levels of communica on

abili es and mul ple impairments is a challenging task. When planning for a diverse group of students, it is

important to observe students in their classroom seAng. Observing will provide insight into the classroom

dynamic and the various levels of func oning of the students.

Group Students

Choose which students require individual a8en on and which students would benefit from being part of a

group based on your observa ons, their speech-language goals, and their communica on abili es.

Communica on abili es can be broken down into:

 Non-verbal

 Non-verbal and inten onal with gestures

 Low-verbal (1-2 word u8erances)

 Verbal

Life Skills Speech and Language Enrichment Ac vi es Vol 1 11 Copyright © 2016 www.bilinguis cs.com. All Rights Reserved