Many times when I’m planning for my younger articulation groups (k-2nd grade) behavior management is the biggest concern. Younger elementary kids have a hard time sitting quietly on the best of days. Then, add in any other contributing factors like sensory issues, ADHD, or having speech scheduled right after recess and behavior management of the group becomes the name of the game.
When I think about plans my goals are:
a) ability to gather over 200 trials per student
b) engaging activity that the kids enjoy, but does not over-excite
c) activity to keep students working while peers practice
One of our favorite activities is something we’ve named Draw, Write, Artic.
Each student uses a drawing book. The books have drawings broken down into steps. In our artic groups, students say 10-15 words before they can draw each step of the image. The timing works out very well so that by the time I come back to them in the group, they are ready to move on to the next part of their drawing.
Most of my students love to draw. The ones who don’t love to draw are usually hooked after they try it for the first time. Even non-artists can create art when it’s broken into steps. It’s adorable how excited they get. Once they are done with their art, we can write sentences with our target sounds to describe the art.
I’m sure your wheels are turning for other uses for these books! The activities are perfect for kids also working on retelling steps/directions, basic concepts, and similar language goals.
There are lots of illustrating books available. I use the Draw-Write-Now Box Set
It came with eight different books.
This gives us plenty to go around the table in a group!
I love the examples they include of a fully illustrated image and written passage.
Do you let your little artists work on their art during articulation groups?
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Hey Jenna! Love the therapy idea. The link to the books lead me to an “error” page. Do you have another link?
THanks for letting me know! I fixed the link!
Would you suggest these books for middle schoolers? One of mine came in with a book similar to this just yesterday.
I think idea is great for MS. If your students are gen ed, these might be too easy – although I tried to draw one and couldn’t. If your students are cognitively delayed they would work!
I love this idea. I have several groups that include at least one little artist. I tell them to choose a few of the target words we’re practicing, write them on a paper, then draw illustration for the words. They take their papers home for artic practice.
The Draw, Write Now books look gorgeous. But, they seem kind of expensive to have kids drawing in for multiple therapy sessions. I’m thinking I’d have to buy new books every year. Can pages be reproduced and given as handouts to work on during sessions.
Hi Anne! You don’t draw in the book – they are filled with model and directs and you draw on your own paper. There isn;t anyone where in the book to draw 🙂 You could def. copy them for homework!
What a creative idea! I tried it out in my group today with 4 artic students and one language kiddo I was making up minutes for and it was perfect!! It was so quiet in between turns! When the students were done drawing-I had them write about the picture that they drew-while they were waiting for their turn. They shared their writing at the end and circled any of their speech sounds in their writing! FUN!!!
Genius! One of my groups loves to draw and begs to draw from my drawing books (similar, but not the same ones). I usually just make them choose a picture with their sound in it and talk about it, but I don’t do it often, because it doesn’t elicit a lot of productions. I didn’t think of making them “earn” a step. And I love the extension of writing about it. I think you have made some First-Graders very happy.
Hello! It looks like these books are no longer available on amazon (via the link that was provided in your post). Do you know where else I can get these? Or anything else similar?