One Activity - Many Skills

I've been wanting to do this cork/pushpin activity ever since I wandered across the idea.

Pinning Shapes

Disclaimer/Warning: Only use this activity with children you are sure aren't putting things in their mouth any more. And even then, closely supervise.

I found cork squares at Joann Fabrics for about $2. Use a marker and draw shapes on the coasters. You could use cookie cutters to trace simple shapes. (I did dots, but if I were to do it again I would just trace lines.) Bring cork, pushpins, and the children to the table.

Introduce pushpins to children. Explain that pushpins are for grown-ups and children only get to use them during very special activities because they are sharp. Remind them that if they ever find them at any other time they should carefully bring them to a grown-up to put them away. This introduces basic safety rules and also has the side benefit of making the children very excited about the activity.

Let them use the pushpins to fill in the shapes.

Skills/Objectives addressed here:
Vocabulary/Concepts: Shapes, colors (we only had red pushpins, but if you had many colors you could address colors and patterns), patterns
OT: Fine motor / pincer grasp / hand-eye coordination
Speech: Use this activity as a motivator. The child gets to push a pin in after every X repetitions.
Pragmatic: Listening to directions, turn taking, attention span, eye contact

Final /k/: Free Pivot Phrase Picture Prompts

Description

This is a set of four pages of picture prompts. Each page uses a different pivot phrase that targets the final /k/ sound. The first page uses "I like the...". The second page uses "I pick the..." The third page uses "I take the...". The last page uses "Look at the...". The picture prompts are designed to be simple and varied. The picture words are CV, VC, or CVC in syllable shape and include mostly early emerging consonants. The vowel sounds are varied to improve carryover.(Scroll down to preview pages.)

How to use these prompts:

Use these prompts if your client is ready to practice final /k/ in multi-word utterances. Start with two words (Look top.). Then move to three words (Look at top.). Then do all four (Look at the top.). Skip any of the prompt pictures that your client is unable to produce. For example, if your client is not yet producing /w/, skip the prompt picture "wood".

Deliberately break up the flow of practice after every line. Stop briefly and ask your client to repeat something entirely unrelated to /k/. Then go back to the page. This will briefly disrupt motor memory and improve generalization in the long run.

Permissions

I give permission to copy, print, or distribute these pivot phrase picture prompt pages provided that:

1. Each copy makes clear that I am the document's author.
2. No copies are altered without my express consent.
3. No one makes a profit from these copies.
4. Electronic copies contain a live link back to my original and print copies not for merely personal use contain the URL of my original.

Looking for Feedback

I would love to hear back from anyone who uses these. Let me know if there is anything you would change. Comment on this page, or send me an email at testyyettrying(at)gmail(dot)com.

Where can I find more?

This is the only set of pivot phrase picture prompt pages I have so far. I do have free articulation therapy card sets on my Free Speech Therapy Articulation Cards page.

Pivot Phrase Picture Prompt Pages

To download click on the image to open it full size. Then right click on the image, choose "save as" and save the page to your computer.

Heart on His Sleeve

Michael is at an age where he is beginning to be interested in playing with his peers. I watch him play with his sister, or with a friend during a play date, or even in the play place at the mall or McDonalds. He tries so hard.

He'll carefully set up an activity in his room. Last week it was a picnic. He carried a blanket, pretend food, and play dishes up two flights of stairs from the basement to his bedroom. He spread out the blanket in the middle of the room and laid out a beautiful picnic. Then he excitedly ran down the stairs to invite his sister to play. She wasn't interested. First he invited. Then he wheedled and whined. Finally he broke into tears. I didn't know what to do. I felt for him. I wanted her to want to go. But she didn't. She's still too little. She wanted to be near me. I suppose I could have dropped what I was doing to go upstairs with both of them, but I didn't. I don't remember why.

During a play date a couple of days ago Michael desperately wanted to show his friend one of his birthday presents. Again, he was practically quivering with excitement. It is adorable and he is just so earnest and genuine. And his friend was more interested in playing with something else. And he melted down, again.

At the play place I see him look at the other children and carefully choose someone who looks his age to be his friend. He'll walk over and introduce himself and ask the other child's name. More often than not, the other child simply goes their way. I watch other children successfully bond. Even Ava is beginning to be able to do it. But it doesn't quite work for Michael and I can't quite put my finger on why. He's often on the periphery of the group.

I see this as a budding issue on two levels. First, I wish I could figure out why socializing isn't quite gelling for him. If I could figure that out, perhaps I could subtly redirect him to be more successful. The second level is his sensitivity to rejection. The meltdowns are heartbreaking for him and for me. And they don't help the social situation. Surely the solution isn't to "reject" him at home on purpose when he invites me to do something just so that I can try to help him handle the feeling...

If anyone has any wisdom or resources to share here I'd really appreciate it because I'd love to find a way to help my sensitive little boy and I don't have a lot of ideas.