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Using puzzles for speech therapy sessions with students is one of my favorite ways to incorporate play-based therapy. Puzzles are inexpensive, do not take up a lot of space and so versatile. One of my absolute favorite puzzles to use for speech therapy is the Wooden Dress-Up Puzzle made by Melissa and Doug. This puzzle allows for so many different ways to work on speech therapy goals and communication. In addition, there are many benefits to using puzzles for speech therapy to help with language development.
How to Use Puzzles in Speech Therapy
Using puzzles in speech therapy can be fun for most children and therapists. There are different ways to use puzzles in speech therapy. You can use puzzles for target requesting, labeling, pragmatic language, asking and answering questions plus many more ways discussed below.
How Do Puzzles Help with Cognitive Development?
Puzzles develop memory skills, as well as an ability to plan, test ideas and solve problems. This is one of many reasons that they are important to incorporate with students, especially at the early childhood level, to help with cognitive development. Cognitive learning is characterized by comprehension, organizing ideas and applying knowledge through choice and evaluation. When children play with puzzles, they learn the power of choice and strategy as they begin to recognize and understand how pieces fit together to complete the bigger picture. Check out 13 Benefits of Puzzles for Child Development.
How Do Puzzles Help with Language Development?
Puzzles are a fun way to learn and boost different language skills that your child may be developing in a fun and interactive way. Puzzles strengthen vocabulary in many areas including shapes, colors, animals and transportation. They can also help younger students practice expressive language skills like requesting (gestures count), and receptive language skills like following simple directions.
10 Ways to Use the Melissa and Doug Wooden Dress-Up Puzzle in Speech Therapy:
The Melissa and Doug Wooden Dress-Up Puzzle is one of my favorites puzzles for speech therapy. Check out the list below of all the ways you can incorporate your speech and language goals when using this puzzle!
1. Labeling in Speech Therapy
To work on labeling in speech therapy, have students name the clothing items and body parts in the puzzle.
2. Story Retell in Speech Therapy
Doing a story retell in speech therapy is a great chance to work on pronouns to help with language development. Try using the wooden dress up puzzle to retell the classic story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Don’t forget to try to have students use the five elements of a story retell: characters, plot, setting, conflict and resolution. You can even make an entire unit out of it by grabbing this Goldilocks and the 3 Bears Book Companion Set.
3. Teach Spatial Concepts in Speech Therapy
Using this puzzle in speech therapy to discuss different spatial concepts such as: top, middle and bottom. Say things like “Put the shirt in the middle” or “What goes in the middle of the bear?” For more hands-on ideas for teaching spatial concepts in speech therapy, check out this post.
4. Simple Syllable Shapes
Work on different Consonant-Vowel (CV), Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC) and Consonant-Vowel-Consonant-Vowel (CVCV) words while playing with the puzzle.
CV: on, off, up, bear, shoe
CVC: same, head, foot
CVCV: mommy, daddy, baby, nono, haha
5. Naming Emotions Activity
Many students enter speech and language therapy with IEP goals of naming emotions. This puzzle comes with different faces for the bears that convey many different emotions. It can be fun to let students dress the bears and place the faces however they want and then have them name the emotion that each bear might be feeling. If that skill might be too difficult, then name an emotion that you see and have them point to the bear who is “feeling” that way.
6. Same VS. Different in Speech Therapy
Focusing on basic concepts such as items that are the same vs. items that are different is a great way to utilize the dress-up puzzle. Ask questions after dressing the bears such as, “which bears have the same color on?”
7. Sorting Activities for Speech Therapy
Have students sort the items with the puzzle by types of clothing or by family member for practice with this skill.
8. Functional Academic Skills in Special Education
This wooden dress up puzzle can allow for you to work on such basic skills as identifying colors and counting with students that have goals for this.
9. Following Directions in Speech Therapy
The ability to follow directions is often worked on in speech therapy. Children are asked to follow directions in their everyday lives so this is a functional skill that they need. When using this dress-up puzzle in speech, give directions related to the target skill of the student (single, 2 and 3 step, temporal, etc.). For example, ask the student to put the blue pants on the middle bear.
10. Target Inferences in Speech Therapy Goals
Last, describe a scenario and have the child dress the bear family for that activity. Make sure they pick the correct faces for the bears too! For example: Tell the student that the car broke down in the rain. What would the bear’s faces look like? What could they wear to help them in this situation?
More Ideas for Play-Based Speech Therapy
- Community Helpers and Pretend Play in Speech Therapy
- 10 Ways to Play with Dolls to Elicit Speech and Language
- 10 Ways to Play: Category Sorting Rods
- 10 SLP Ways to Play with Cars
- 10 Ways to Play with Empty Eggs
- 10 SLP Ways to Play: Felt Garden Edition
Comment below and let me know: Do you use puzzles for speech therapy?
Do you love play-based speech therapy?
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