First Week of Speech Activities

The first week of speech can be stressful, to say the least. There's so much going on and students are still getting used to being back in school, and let's be honest... so are we!

This is my list of tried-and-true, back-to-school activities to get organized, get to know my students, and get the year started off right!

1. GET READY WITH A PLANNER

Where are all my planner lovers?! Never fear, the SLP planner is here. It's got everything you need to stay organized throughout the year. Track timelines, plan therapy sessions, and create your speech schedule all using this planner. It's got a little bit of everything you need to stay on track all year round.

2. LEARN ABOUT YOUR STUDENTS

This fun bundle of resources has a variety of back-to-school activities to engage your students. Host a class-wide (or school-wide) scavenger hunt, roll the dice to learn about each other, create a "social media" profile with your students, and more! These resources make getting to know each other low pressure, yet interesting.

3. INTRODUCE YOURSELF

Now that you and your students have met each other, it's time to meet the parents! Send home a copy of this "Meet the SLP" form with students so their parents know a little about you, as well as your contact information. You can also post this to Class Dojo, Remind, or Google Classroom if needed.

4. SET UP A REWARD SYSTEM

If you're planning to use a reward system with your students this year, you're in luck! You can set up a money system, such as Reward Bucks, a non-tangible reward system, such as Punch Cards & Reward Cards, or go a totally different route and use this student favorite, Smellies!

5. REVIEW GOALS

Let's be real. Students likely do not remember all of their speech goals when they come back from the summer. Take a day as a refresher and go over their goals! Use an activity such as Speech-Language (Basketball) Goal Review, or a more interactive version such as this Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Goal Review. Either way, it's a good way to remind students WHY they come to speech. 

6. HAVE SOME FUN!

If you've got a bit of time at the end of your first sessions back, play a round of Would You Rather! You can sign up for a year's worth of free printable activities and digital spinners here. Trust me when I say these are a HIT with students.

I hope these resources help your school year start smoothly and engage your students in their first sessions back. Have a great year!