Miss Diamond's Speech Page

Welcome to Miss Diamond's speech page! Here you will find activities and resources for speech and language. 

Below is a link to the book Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See?

During book reading have your child label the animals he/she sees. You can expand their language by using color + animal. You can tongue to expand their language by using I see + animal (I see bear) and I see + color + animal (I see brown bear). 

 

Below is a link to the There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Frog. 

During book reading have your child label the vocabulary in the book. You can incorporate questions such as "What did the Old Lady swallow?"

If your child responds with one word have them expand "She swallowed a frog." If they cannot do that model the correct sentence for them. This will help with pronoun "she."

You can also practice asking "where" questions and prepositional phrases. You can ask your child "where is the frog?" Your child should respond with "in her belly."

If you can get out (in backyard, front yard, around the neighborhood) and see if you can find Spring related items (flowers, gardens, butterflies, worms)

 

 

Below is a link for a website that focuses on articulation. This website offers ideas and pictures to help your child focus on their articulation skills. On this website you can choose the target sound to work on. If your child is working on articulation skills these target speech sounds can be found in their IEP within their speech goals. 

 

As we are all home I suggest with the  sun shining you should try and venture outside. This is a great way to help expand language and take it from inside of the house to outside.

I have attached 3 different types of outdoor scavenger hunts for you and your child. While outside make sure to model appropriate language of the different things you see. If your child uses one word to label, try and expand upon that. If your child says "leaf" you can say back to them "You see a green leaf." You can also try and incorporate different actions into you hunt. For example, if you are walking down the sidewalk have your child skip, jump, hop, walk. 

Music is a great way to incorporate language into movement. The links below are for songs that focus on performing actions and following directions.

You can always google songs for preschoolers. If you child is working on labeling animals, clothing, toys, etc there are children’s songs dedicated to those areas.

If you need more ideas for songs and music feel free to reach out by emailing.

 

Songs for performing actions and following directions:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUXk8Nc5qQ8&vl=en

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hft6uJQIF4g

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3c8fzbsfOE

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPQpWWh8M1I

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhRQSOMRk_A

Before Spring Comes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IMQguIVLL4

 

Have your child listen to the book with you. You can discuss the pictures from the book using appropriate language.

Incorporate questions such “Who is in the grass?” “What is melting?” You can ask questions related to the book such as “What do you make a snowman with?” “What do you use for a snowman’s nose?”

Be sure to incorporate new vocabulary words. The egg is hatching. Hatch would be a new vocabulary word. The seed is sprouting. Sprout would be a new word.

If you have any questions as to how to ask questions or new vocabulary to incorporate feel free to reach out.

Below are links to different describe a scene pictures. You can either look at the pictures on your computer or you can print them (if you have access to a printer). Follow the instructions on the page. Focus on responding to the wh- questions below the picture. Practice answering the questions using complete sentences. If your child is not ready to answer the questions on their own, you can practice answering them together. You can also practice having your child identify and label the pictures within the big picture.

The activity below is not only great for practicing saying all of the sounds in a short word, it is great for practicing making sentences. For students working on prepositions (in, on, under) you can practice while making the sentences. You can also expand on the sentences and ask your child questions. For example, after making the sentence with the boat. You can ask your child “Where does a boat go?”

Here is another activity that focuses making sentences and expanding vocabulary. Spring is here and this activity focuses on using different pronouns "he" "she" "they." Have your child practice making sentences such as "he has a sheep." If your child is not ready to make sentences yet, practice labeling the Spring vocabulary that is a part of the activity. Even if your child's not ready to say the sentences on their own, model the sentence for your child to hear. 

For all of my students working on articulation, if you have an iPad at home there are many free apps you can download. My personal favorite is articulation station. On this app you can play a memory game, but you can also record yourself saying the words and sounds and listen back. 

For those who are not working specifically on articulation you can still use this app as a way to practice vocabulary or making sentences such as "I found + picture." 

 

 

Below is a link for the book The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle.

 

You can work on asking wh- questions. "What did the goat say?" "What did the cow want to eat?" "What is the spider making?" You can have your child respond with 1-word answers if that is all they can do. Encourage longer responses and model the responses if necessary. 

 

If you have toy farm animals as home use this as a time to incorporate play into your speech and language time. Pretend to have the animals acting out what they do in the book. You can also have the animals play together on the farm. 

 

If you need more ideas or suggestions please do not hesitate to email me. 

 

 

Happy April! Now that April is here I have posted a new monthly calendar with various speech and language activities to practice throughout the month. I hope you get out and enjoy the sunshine today!

 

 

I have attached a copy of 25 different speech strategies. Try and use these strategies when you are home home and doing activities such as laundry, playing, cooking. These strategies are a great way to expand speech and language for your child.

It is a beautiful day so take advantage of it. There are so many things you can do outside to help promote speech and language. I have attached a list of different outdoor activities and ways to promote language. You can also try to use some of the strategies listed above.

 

 

Unlike yesterday, the sun is not shining. Since you are stuck in the house why not go on an indoor scavenger hunt. You will need to read the clues to your child and have them find the desired object. You can try and use the strategiesI posted the other day to help increase your child's language.

I hope everyone had a great Spring Break! 

One thing I love to do is get a little dirty during speech. One way to do this is to mix shaving cream and corn starch. I do not use exact measurements, but when you mix the shaving cream and corn starch it becomes a bit like snow. If you do not have corn starch do not worry you can use just the shaving cream. 

After you make the snow take out some fun toys such as plastic toy animals. 

Have the animals do fun things in the snow such as walk, run, jump, sleep.

After talking about the actions put two words together animal + action.

Happy May!

 

Here is an activity you can do outside. It is a "recipe" for puffy sidewalk paint. You can use whatever colors you would like and make anything you want. Talk about what you are making with your child. 

Hi friends! 

 

For all of my friends that like to make things, I have a great activity for you!

 

If you mix 8 cups of flour with 1 cup of oil (I never make that much so feel free to lower the amounts) you will make moon sand.

Moon sand holds it shape so if your child wants to make a snowman or use cookie cutters in their sand it will stay in that shape.

I have not tried it, but you can try to add a little bit of food coloring or washable paint to change the colors. I do not know if this will change the consistency, but try it out!

Everyone know how much I LOVE books and reading. I have found a few websites that are great resources for online books.

https://www.vooks.com offers a free month of books. These books come to life when you are reading them.

https://www.youtube.com is another website. You can type in the title of any book and you can find it being read. If you want to read it yourself just turn off the sound and you can read it to your child. 

http://www.magickeys.com/books/ offers lots of free online stories for kids.

https://www.freechildrenstories.com you can choose an age range for appropriate books. 

 

You can read the books, ask questions, label the pictures, make sentences, JUST HAVE FUN!

 

HAPPY READING!

For my friends working on saying specific sounds, here is a game you can print and play. If you have any questions about how to have your child say the sound correctly I'm always here to help!

 

For those who are working on expanding language you can use this game as well. You can roll a dice (there is a dice app for those that do not have one at home). have your child label the picture they land on and if appropriate put that word in a sentence. 

 

Don't forget to have fun! 

Here is a fantastic book!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar 

I know many of you are learning all about bugs with your teachers. Here is a nature scavenger hunt where you get to look for bugs but also so many other great thing you find outside. Parents you can print this out or use your phone to look at the pictures to find. 

Before going out have your child label the items they are going to look for. If your child is  not at the labeling phase have them identify the items by pointing. For those who can, make a full sentence using the pictures ("I will look for a slide"). 

Make sure to take pictures during the activity and send them to me so I can see all of the fun you are having!

Here is one go my favorite books!

It Looked Like Spilt Milk

 

While reading the book, you can have your child label the pictures they see. You can expand on that by discussing what the picture does or what you do with the picture. For example, who looking at the bunny you can talk about how it hops and eat carrots. 

 

After you read the book you can do a fun project. If you have milk in the house put some on a paper plate and talk about what it looks like. 

You can also take a piece of construction paper and put a little white paint in the middle of the paper. Fold the paper in half and move the paint around. When you open the paper talk about what you see.

Hello! Here is a fun activity you can do inside or outside.

I have attached a link to Spring vocabulary. You can practice by first having your child identify the pictures. After identifying, have your child label the pictures. 

 

You can print and cut out the pictures. Spread them out and play a game of bean bag toss (if you do not have bean bags you can use a ball or anything you can toss). Your child can label (either independently or modeled). Have your child practice using short sentences "I got + word," "I see + word." 

 

As always if you have any questions please reach out. If you can take pictures or videos during game play feel free to send them to me!

I am attaching a fun SPRING BINGO activity that you can do as a family. You can use a yummy treat (m&m, cheerios, skittles, etc.) or crayons/markers as your "chips" to  cover the pictures.

 

You can use this as a way to identify vocabulary or to label the vocabulary. If your child is ready to make  sentences they can say "I picked + word" or "I have + word."

It's time for another Spring book!

Let's Look at Spring 

 

 

Listen to the story and talk about what you see. Ask your child to label the pictures in the book. Make sentences when appropriate "I see + word."

 

After you read the book take a trip outside. Look for the different things (flowers, birds, etc) from the book. 

 

Make sure to send me pictures or videos!

I hope you all had a great Memorial Day Weekend! I am posting a great listening activity. This activity has options for following single step or multiple step directions. Your child can also identify the color crayon they would like to use ("Find the red crayon.")

 

During this activity you can also work on expressive language. Have your child label what they are coloring using single words or short sentences ("I am coloring the sun.") Your child can also request the color crayon they want ("I want red crayon.")

Here are some activities that can be done outdoors or indoors. 

 

I know many of you have been playing "Simon Says" with the OTs at school. This is a great way to incorporate following directions and identifying body parts. You can also incorporate performing actions (hop, run, walk, clap, stomp) and making the directions longer ("Simon says clap your hands and then stomp your feet.") You can also have your child give you the directions. Throughout the game follow the directions incorrectly and see if your child corrects you. If they do not say something like "Did i just clap my hands, didn't you say stomp?" 

 

 

I know that many of the children really enjoy sensory activities. You can make sensory bins at home to help with their sensory needs and incorporate

 

Ideas for sensory bins include using rice, pasta, beans, coffee, or sand. You can hide various pictures of objects in the bin and have your child find them. They can use a toy shovel or their hands. When they find the object/picture have them label it and put it in a sentence.

 

If you are looking for other sensory activities you can always make sensory bottles. Take a water bottle and you can add glitter, confetti, and food coloring. Talk about what you are doing “pouring the water” “putting the glitter IN the bottle.”

I am attaching a June Activity Speech and Language Calendar. Feel free to do the activity for everyday of the month or pick and choose the activities you and your child can do together. 

 

As always take picture and video and feel free to share!

With the rain that will be here for the next few days try playing an “I spy” game at home. Practice having your child listen while you describe things around your house. For example, “I spy something that is round, you can throw, and it bounces.” Your child should respond with ball. See if your child can describe some objects to you. If they cannot, practice with them and have them describe it to someone in your home after you practice together.

 

Ideas for things around the house…

TV (something you watch cartoons on)

Phone (something you talk on)

Knife (something you cut food with)

Spoon (Something you eat cereal or ice cream with)

Ball (something that is round, you can throw, and it bounces)

 

You can also have your child describe the way something looks specific to your house.

Even though it is not officially Summer, I have attached a copy of a summer vocabulary picture/word list. It is not too early to start practicing all fo the summer vocabulary. You can print two copies and play a memory game or you can play a flashlight game. You can use a regular flashlight or the flashlight on your phone. Hide the pictures around the room and use the flashlight tp help "find" the pictures. When your child finds the picture have them label what they see. If you child is having a hard time labeling the pictures, start by having them identify the pictures. 

For my friends working on their articulation skills here is a game with pictures to help practice /k/ /g/ /f/. 

With Summer fast approaching I am uploading a book you can print at home. It is an interactive book so your child/children can participate in "reading."

Here is an activity for my friends working on pronouns. You can print it and practice he, she, they in sentences. If your child is not ready to use pronouns you can still use this activity to expand language.

Have your child identify the vocabulary pictures first and have them identify he vs. she by pointing to the boy vs girl. Your child can use the sentence "the boy has a + word"

 

 

Here is an activity to help work on what and where questions. The questions focus on summer vocabulary. If your child is able to have them respond using full sentences. 

If your child is working on expanding vocabulary and utterances this activity is great for that. This activity focuses on using vocabulary and adjectives in sentences.

I am attaching pictures of summer action words. Feel free to act them out (putting on the sunglasses) or using the pictures while playing different games (hide the summer actions in sand and have your child dig to find them).