Speech Practice on the Go: A Perfect Blend handout

I found this fantastic handout for FREE from A Perfect Blend on teacherspayteachers.com  you can pick it up HERE.  What a fantastic resource for getting more out of car time.  I had a couple of additional ideas that came to mind as I read through Amanda Newsome's handout.  I thought I would share my ideas as well.  These are strategies that I have learned from my clients and suggested to my clients.  Pick one and give it a try!

Articulation Practice - 

• STOP LIGHT:  whenever you come to a stop light practice your target sound, I love to think of rhyming words that all end in your target sound.  Practice sounds and preliteracy skills all at once! (syllable/word level practice)
• TARGET SOUND "I Spy": this is a huge favorite of my clients, I think all kids love a good round of "I Spy", look for your target letter on signs, license plates, etc. or look for items that start with your target letter. (word/phrase/conversation level practice)
• 3 FUN THINGS:  as a kid I always had to report on three fun things I had done at school that day.  Now I use that activity as a great opportunity for focused sound practice at the conversation level.  You cue your child - I want to hear 3 fun things you did at school today, and I want you to think about using a really clear /r/ sound when you tell me each thing! (conversation level practice)

Language Practice - 

• 3 FUN THINGS:  (see activity above) instead of focusing on sounds, focus on past-tense verbs.  Listen for words like "painted", "played", "kicked".  If your child is missing that -ed ending you can restate to show active listening and provide a nice model.  ie. "we play on the slide", "oh, you played on the slide! that sounds fun!"
• I HEAR/SEE A...: great activity for young kids beginning to put sentences together, just watch for awesome things out the window and them model sentences with "I see" or "I hear", for example, "I see a police car!"  "I hear a big loud truck!".  You can also add 5 senses work by turning the sentence into "My ears hear a big loud truck!"
• SIMILE "I SPY": this is a fun twist on traditional I Spy, you take turns giving color or texture cues using similies (ie. I spy something as blue as the sky, I spy something as shiny as a diamond).

Social Skills Work - 

• DAILY REPORT:  I throw this onto the end of 3 fun things everyday when I pick my kids up from school.  After we talk about the fun things that happened I ask, "Is there anything about today that you would change?".  Your child can let you know what they might change about the day and how they would change it.  For example:  "At recess we played tag but I had to be "it" the whole time and I didn't like that"...then you respond, "You didn't like being "it" all recess?  So what would you change? Is there anything you can try next time to make that change?" This is a good chance to review problem-solving skills with daily interactions in a low-key loving atmosphere.  Of course, some things you can't change but then you can talk about the feelings your child experienced, help them name the feeling, and recognize it.