8 Ways to use Tap Lights for Speech and Language

One dollar store find I can’t get enough of is tap lights.  I can make them work for pretty much any kid on my caseload. Here are the top 8 ways I use our “Speech Lights.”

*tip: put magnets on your tap lights to they stick to your white board.

Articulation Ideas:

1. Where’s my sound? As students say each word, have them locate if their target sound is in the initial, medial or final position.
2. Timer: These lights (from Wal-Mart) have a built in timer. You can set them for 1, 2, or 5 minutes. Have your student and a buddy pair up. Read word lists or sentences that contain target sounds. When the light goes out, switch places and the other person reads!
3. Sound Sentences: Have your students work on target sounds in sentences. Every time they use their target sounds in the sentences, tap on a light!
4. Carryover Reader: Use a reading sample at the students age appropriate level. Listen to your student read. If they make an error, turn on one light. See if they can read the whole passage without making three sound errors.

Language Ideas:

1. Categories: For every category member the student names, tap a light.
2. Tap-In: Every student gets a light. When you are asking all members to think of an answer, have the students turn on their lights to indicate they’re ready to discuss.
3. Sentence Expander: To increase MLU tap a light for each word they say while making a describing picture.
4.  Rate my Sentence. For students working on grammar and sentence structure, set a few expectations (verb tense, pronouns, word order). Write a sentence and then go back and check each of the expectations. Check if they used the right word order, pronouns, etc. Tap a light for each of the skills the student correctly uses in the sentences.

I hope this gives you some ideas. Leave me a note if you use this or if you have some more ideas for these lights!