Present Notes:
Do worksheets need to be boring? On this solo episode, Hallie shares 4 simple methods to make worksheets extra participating for older college students with out including a ton of prep or turning each session right into a sport. She explains methods to pair worksheets with easy video games, select high-interest subjects that hook up with college students’ lives, give them extra selection in how they full the exercise, and use a easy white coloured pencil trick so as to add a component of shock. Most significantly, she reminds SLPs that the purpose isn’t to make remedy look fancy—it’s to assist college students really feel profitable, take dangers, and see that studying can truly be enjoyable.
Right here’s what we discovered:
- A worksheet doesn’t routinely imply boring, and generally it’s precisely what you want for knowledge assortment, classroom-based duties, or fast classes
- Pairing a worksheet with a easy sport could make the exercise extra participating with out altering the therapeutic goal
- College students don’t need to earn a sport flip by getting a solution proper—the purpose is to show and help them towards success
- Excessive-interest, age-respectful subjects could make tough language duties really feel extra manageable
- Background information issues as a result of unfamiliar content material can add one other layer of problem
- Giving college students decisions about what they use to finish a worksheet provides autonomy with out requiring further prep
- A white coloured pencil can flip an odd worksheet right into a easy reveal-and-check exercise
- The purpose isn’t to make remedy elaborate; it’s to assist college students really feel profitable, take dangers, and have enjoyable whereas studying
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TRANSCRIPT
00:00:00 Hallie: Fast break, SLPs. The Speech Retreat is again. It’s the digital skilled growth occasion that’s truly enjoyable. Give it some thought: raffles, laughs, a digital photograph sales space, and real-world concepts that you should use the very subsequent day for preschool by means of highschool. Six totally different audio system that truly get it and are speaking about subjects which can be related to you. Earn CEUs reside, be a part of PDHs on replays, and join with the neighborhood of SLPs who love what they do. Don’t miss it. Be taught in regards to the subsequent occasion, the date, the audio system, and extra at thespeechretreat.com.
00:00:46 Hallie: Welcome to SLP Espresso Speak, the podcast designed solely for speech-language pathologists who work with older college students, grades 4 by means of twelve. I’m your host, Hallie Sherman, your SLP behind Speech Time Enjoyable, the Speech Retreat Convention, and the SLP Elevate Membership. And I’m thrilled to convey you conversations, methods, and insights that gives you the jolt of inspiration that you simply want. Whether or not you’re tuning in throughout your morning commute, on a break in between classes, and even throughout a well-deserved leisure time. I’m right here for you each week. Let’s do that, SLPs.
00:01:27 Hallie: Hey, hey, and welcome again to a different episode of SLP Espresso Speak. You’re caught right here with me alone immediately, however I’m gonna be supplying you with tons of inspiration and concepts that you should use immediately, subsequent week, and every time. So immediately we’re gonna be speaking all about 4 simple methods to make worksheets extra participating. As a result of worksheets get a foul fame within the SLP world.
00:01:49 Hallie: Sure, I stated it, worksheets. As a result of generally I really feel like we’re alleged to fake like we’re by no means going to make use of them. Every thing must be a sport. Every thing must be tremendous inventive. Glitter, lamination, Velcro, let’s be actual, I don’t like every of that. Every thing must be an elaborate and fascinating exercise that took us 45 minutes to prep for a 30-minute session. All these bells and whistles. And I’m right here to let you know, it’s okay to make use of a worksheet. Typically a worksheet is strictly what you want.
00:02:17 Hallie: Possibly you’re engaged on a ability on the three-paragraph stage and there isn’t precisely a board sport for that. Or possibly you’re deliberately making an attempt to imitate one thing the scholar goes to see within the classroom since you need them to know methods to method that sort of activity. Possibly you want simply one thing for knowledge assortment, or possibly it’s 10:27, and your subsequent group is coming in at 10:30, and also you want one thing you’ll be able to simply seize and use. We’ve all been there. However right here’s the factor. A worksheet doesn’t need to really feel like a worksheet.
00:02:48 Hallie: So immediately I’m gonna be supplying you with 4 tremendous simple methods to take that worksheet and make it really feel way more participating with out creating extra work for your self. As a result of you realize me, it doesn’t need to be fancy to be efficient, okay? And I’m all about it being participating and enjoyable with out it having to be a sport. So means primary, you’ll be able to pair the worksheet with a sport. That is most likely the best one to do. Simply take no matter worksheet you’re doing and pair it with one thing enjoyable. That’s it.
00:03:18 Hallie: You should utilize Jenga, Crocodile Dentist, a spinner. You possibly can even make a spinner out of a pencil and a paper clip, a die, a deck of playing cards, a mini basketball hoop. You possibly can crumple a paper and throw it within the rubbish. Flip a bottle like a bottle-flipping contest. No matter you’ve gotten sitting in your room. You don’t want a particular speech remedy sport. The sport is simply one thing that occurs alongside the training exercise. You possibly can reply a query, then take a flip.
00:03:45 Hallie: You full a part of the passage, roll the die. You discover the primary thought? Pull a Jenga block out. You make an inference? Spin the spinner and earn that many factors. However there’s one actually necessary factor I wish to make clear right here. After I pair a sport with a studying exercise, I by no means say, “If you happen to get it proper, you get a flip, and provided that you get it proper.” No. That’s not how we’re doing it right here. As a result of in the event that they don’t know the reply, that’s why they’re in speech. We’re not testing them. We’re educating them.
00:04:16 Hallie: So as an alternative, it’s, “We’re going to get the reply collectively. You’re gonna achieve success right here. I received’t allow you to get it fallacious. After which you’re going to get to take your flip.” Possibly they are going to understand it independently. Nice. And so their purpose might be not acceptable for them or they’re able to be mastering that purpose. However possibly they want a visible. Possibly it’s essential give them two decisions. Possibly we have to return into the textual content to seek out the proof. Possibly one other scholar within the group helps them.
00:04:43 Hallie: Possibly I mannequin it. No matter help they want, we’re going to offer it to them. After which they take their flip within the sport. That is particularly necessary if you’re working with teams, as a result of should you’re working one-on-one in a bunch session, you’re not working in a bunch. You wish to get everybody concerned. They’re all taking part collectively. Everybody could possibly be taking a look at that very same passage. Everybody could possibly be serious about their particular reply and serious about their particular technique.
00:05:08 Hallie: However then somebody will get to–everybody will get a flip to drag that Jenga block. You’ve taken a plain worksheet and adjusted your complete really feel of the exercise with out altering the precise therapeutic goal in any respect. I stated it: you’re taking one thing boring and making it enjoyable and permitting all the scholars to take part collectively even when they’re engaged on a special purpose. You may be engaged on a special purpose utilizing that very same passage, utilizing that very same worksheet, okay?
00:05:37 Hallie: To pair it with something for factors, for a flip within the sport, and that’s a approach to make it extra participating and enjoyable. Okay, means quantity two: change what the worksheet is about. Typically the issue isn’t that it’s a worksheet. The issue is that the worksheet is boring. Sure, I stated it. Give it some thought. Would you relatively learn three paragraphs about one thing you don’t care about or three paragraphs about one thing you’re truly thinking about? Our college students are the very same means.
00:06:05 Hallie: So if we’re asking older college students to learn passages, reply questions, establish vocabulary, make inferences, summarize, discover the primary thought, let’s give them one thing price speaking about. These are expertise which can be laborious for them. Let’s give them one thing they’ve the background information of. Sports activities, anime, video video games, getting their driver’s license, working in a espresso store, social media, cash, present tendencies, mysteries, no matter is age-respectful and truly related to their world.
00:06:34 Hallie: It is a large a part of why we use high-interest subjects within SLP Elevate. Okay? I most likely advised you guys a narrative earlier than, however I had a sixth-grade scholar that stated to me as soon as, I don’t like studying in my classroom, however I like studying in right here. As a result of not solely was it a subject he was thinking about, but it surely was additionally issues at their studying stage. You wish to additionally make certain should you’re utilizing worksheets, you don’t wish to use curriculum-based actions. You wish to use issues at their ranges, and it may not be their grade stage. Okay?
00:07:02 Hallie: So that very same scholar was combating with the opposite college students within the group one other day over who’s going to learn subsequent. And my assistant principal got here in, thought they have been, like, truly combating happening, however they have been actually combating over who was going to learn the historical past of YouTube subsequent. That is the sort of factor that may truly occur if you’re utilizing supplies at their stage and on subjects they’re thinking about. As a result of I can work on essential thought with virtually something. I can work on inferencing with virtually something. I can work on vocabulary with virtually something.
00:07:29 Hallie: I can work on summarizing with virtually something. So why wouldn’t I select a subject that’s extra prone to get my college students thinking about it? And right here’s the factor additionally to consider, and I simply talked about it earlier than, that background information issues. If I’m giving a scholar a passage about one thing utterly unfamiliar to them, then including that one other layer of, like, they do not know what you’re speaking about is one other layer of problem.
00:07:52 Hallie: And that’s actually how they often really feel within the classroom once they’re speaking in regards to the science subjects and social subjects which can be means over their head. So now they need to find out about this random matter after which exhibit this language ability that I’m concentrating on that’s already laborious for them. But when it’s one thing that they already find out about or are thinking about.
00:08:09 Hallie: All of a sudden they’ve one thing to attach that new info to, and that may make the duty really feel a complete lot extra manageable and attainable for them. We wish them to construct that confidence. We wish them to take these dangers with us. So earlier than you throw out that worksheet, check out the content material. Possibly the format isn’t the issue. Possibly you simply want a greater matter, and possibly you simply want one thing at their stage.
00:08:32 Hallie: Okay, means quantity three, ditch the boring pencil. This one sounds most likely ridiculously easy, however I promise you it actually works. Have they got to make use of a pencil? Take into consideration what a pencil represents to a scholar who’s been in class all day, and faculty is difficult for them. It represents work, assignments, exams, writing, extra work, wrestle, getting issues fallacious, embarrassed. And now they arrive to speech, and what can we hand them?
00:09:00 Hallie: One other quantity two pencil. Nope, let’s change it up. Let’s give them some coloured pencils on the desk. Use gel pens, use glitter pens, use scented markers. These Mr. Sketches have been all the time a success in my speech room. I even have used these Crayola stamp markers yow will discover on Amazon, the place as an alternative of constructing a daily line, they have been stamping little shapes onto the web page. I nonetheless love these, at the same time as a baby. What about these pens which have like 5 totally different colours and you may push down the totally different shade to write down it with a special pen?
00:09:30 Hallie: These are nonetheless round, guys. Allow them to circle their solutions with a stamp. Allow them to underline their proof in purple. Allow them to use a neon gel pen. Let’s put the worksheet right into a dry erase sleeve and provides them a dry erase marker. Even a mechanical pencil can in some way be extra thrilling than that common pencil they’ve been utilizing at school all day. Give them a selection. Which one would you like? And now we’ve added somewhat little bit of autonomy to the exercise. Are we utterly reinventing speech remedy right here? No. However that’s the purpose. It doesn’t need to be sophisticated.
00:10:04 Hallie: Typically simply that tiny change, that tiny empowerment that we’re giving them, like, what do you wish to use, could make one thing really feel totally different. Okay, right here’s means quantity 4 which you can make a worksheet extra thrilling. And this one is absolutely enjoyable. All you might be gonna want is a white coloured pencil. That coloured pencil that comes within the pack and also you’re like, what am I gonna do with this? Maintain it. Earlier than your college students are available in, take that worksheet and full the solutions utilizing that white coloured pencil. If it’s a number of selection, circle the solutions.
00:10:32 Hallie: In the event that they’re figuring out key phrases, underline them. If it’s a fill-in-the-blank, write the reply. No matter you’ll usually have the scholars write, you do it forward of time with that white coloured pencil. And since you’re writing with white on white paper, they will’t actually see it. So now when the scholar is available in and so they’re finishing the exercise and so they’re saying the solutions out loud, they don’t have to write down the reply. Allow them to say it out loud. Then they get to disclose it.
00:10:58 Hallie: Have them take a highlighter or marker and shade over the world that was hidden. And increase, the white coloured pencil exhibits by means of. Now they will test their reply. I’ve seen individuals do that with watercolor paint too, however let’s be severe. I’m not taking cups of water and paint brushes out in between teams if I don’t need to. Give me a marker, give me a highlighter, and finished. It’s that simple.
00:11:22 Hallie: And it’s somewhat surprising for them. It modifications issues up, and all of the sudden that very same exercise, that very same worksheet that regarded boring made somewhat bit extra thrilling, and it feels utterly totally different. Why does any of this matter? Like, Hallie, that is nice, I assume, however like, let me simply do the title. Let me simply try this exercise. We wish our college students to really feel utterly totally different once they stroll into our speech room. I don’t need them considering, oh, nice, right here’s one other place the place I’m going to wrestle. I would like them considering, this can be a place the place I can study to achieve success.
00:11:52 Hallie: It is a place the place I can take dangers. It is a place the place somebody goes to assist me after I don’t know the reply. That is the place it’s okay if one thing is difficult. That is the place studying can truly be enjoyable. We’re clinicians; we’re not academics. I do know, we’re the speech trainer, however we’re clinicians. And we’re not there to make college students really feel embarrassed as a result of they don’t know one thing.
00:12:14 Hallie: We’re not there to show that one thing is tough for them. We already understand it’s tough for them. That’s why they’re with us. That’s why they’re receiving Speech and Language Companies. We’re there to determine what help they want in order that they will do it. And generally which means utilizing a worksheet, and that’s okay.
00:12:31 Hallie: I’ve truly used an indication hanging in my speech room with issues that we don’t say in speech. And one among them was like, don’t say it. We will’t say if you come into the room, like, are we gonna play a sport? And if they are saying that, I advised them, I’m gonna put that sport away and offer you a worksheet. They usually all like: “ahhhh”, sort of like, I’ve a free signal like that in my TPT retailer. You possibly can search and simply discover it should you wanna cling it up. It is available in totally different colours.
00:12:50 Hallie: So should you’ve labored with older college students, you realize, they stroll by means of that door and earlier than they even sit down, they ask, we enjoying a sport? Can we play UNO? Is it a sport day? I get it. They affiliate speech with video games as a result of speech is meant to be a enjoyable a part of that day. I get it, particularly once they’re coming from the elementary faculties and so they’ve finished that extra. And you realize what? It is usually okay to play video games with older college students.
00:13:11 Hallie: If you wish to play a sport each day, go for it. I’m not stopping you. I’m all for it. And that’s most likely a complete podcast for an additional day that it’s okay to play video games along with your older speech college students. However generally you’re going to wish to make use of a worksheet, or possibly that’s your model, and you might be simply discovering your college students aren’t participating with these worksheets. Possibly that worksheet is–you want some knowledge assortment. Possibly it’s since you have been making an attempt to imitate that classroom activity, no matter it’s, possibly you simply want one thing fast. Let’s be actual, it’s like 99% of the time after I’m utilizing a worksheet.
00:13:38 Hallie: However a worksheet doesn’t routinely imply boring. I additionally don’t need our college students considering that the second that one thing seems to be like work, it must be depressing. We don’t need work to routinely imply wrestle: I’m going to keep away from it, I’m going to do no matter I can, I’m going to ask to go to the toilet, ask to return to class. Work doesn’t routinely imply boring. And a worksheet is only a worksheet.
00:14:01 Hallie: So let’s present them that they are often profitable with it. Let’s present them that it may be enjoyable and thrilling. Let’s pair it with a sport. Use subjects that they care about. Ditch the boring pencil or add somewhat magic with a white coloured pencil. Right here’s 4 tiny modifications that requires little or no prep and utilizing what you have already got in your speech room.
00:14:19 Hallie: Identical therapeutic targets, utterly totally different expertise. And hopefully the following time your college students stroll in and ask, ” Are we enjoying a sport immediately?” You possibly can say, “Simply you wait and see.” And naturally, I all the time inform my college students, we might or will not be enjoying a sport immediately, however you’ll all the time come into my room, you’re gonna have enjoyable, and also you’re gonna achieve success.
00:14:38 Hallie: All proper, right here’s my joke of the week. Why are basketball gamers such messy eaters? As a result of they’re all the time dribbling. Ba dum ching.
00:14:46 Hallie: All proper, I do know, know that one may give your center faculties may offer you idols should you use it. You possibly can both take the credit score for or blame me. All proper, guys, till subsequent week, everybody hold remedy enjoyable, hold serving to your college students see that they are often profitable. And till subsequent week, everybody keep out of bother.
00:15:07 Hallie: Thanks a lot for tuning in to a different episode of SLP Espresso Speak. It means the world to me that you simply’re tuning in each week and getting the jolt of inspiration you want. You could find the entire hyperlinks and data talked about on this episode at my web site, speechtimefun.com.
00:15:27 Hallie: Don’t neglect to observe the present so that you don’t miss any future episodes. And when you’re there, it could imply the world to me should you would take a couple of seconds and depart me an trustworthy overview. See you subsequent week with one other episode filled with enjoyable and inspiration from one SLP to a different. Have enjoyable, guys.
00:15:48 Hallie: Hey there, SLP associates. It’s Hallie right here, popping in with one of the best information ever. My new e-book, Secondary SLP Roadmap, is formally out there. If you happen to’ve ever wished for a transparent, sensible information for working with center and highschool college students, that is it. It’s filled with actual tales, ready-to-use methods, and instruments you should use instantly. Seize your copy now, test the hyperlink within the present notes or search Secondary SLP Roadmap on Amazon, after which, in fact, please do me a favor.
00:16:18 Hallie: When you find yourself studying it, snap an image and tag me on Instagram at speechtimefun. I like seeing the place you’re diving in. The speech room, the sofa, ready in a health care provider’s ready room–all of the locations. All proper, prepared?
00:16:33 Hallie: Go seize your copy and let’s make secondary speech really feel doable and enjoyable.
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