Goldilocks and The Three Bears Speech & Language Companion Pack

What's that you say?  Someone's been eating your porridge? Oh, that Goldilocks is such a trouble maker!  It's no wonder why this story is so popular with kids!  As I'm sure you are becoming aware, I am a self-proclaimed "book enthusiast."  I love to come up with activities that target IEP goals and reinforce themes from stories at the same time.  After all, SLPs are great at multi-tasking.  Who else can manage behaviors, facilitate language and articulation, choose fun activities (that are also educational), all while taking data?

My inspiration for this project came from searching the crazy cute graphics from Scrappin Doodles.  When I saw the clip art for this story, the wheels started turning.  Here is a glimpse at what transpired...

The first thing that went through my mind was "This is perfect for PRONOUNS!!!  Now how do I make the activity so that the child is really engaged and doesn't feel like they are being drilled?"

So the activity goes like this...You choose an object to place into the prompt box.  For example, "Whose (chair) is this?"  The child then moves the picture to the response strip along with a picture of who it belongs to.  Even though my preschoolers can't read, they are learning that the printed word "says" something and they quickly pick it up.  Once they have "read" the response, they pull off the object and place it with the correct character.  I attached each character to a paper bag, which makes it perfect for containing all of the little cards.

Then I thought "How do I use this to target pragmatic development?"  Well, the story lends itself to so many opportunities to discuss feelings, talk about manners, etc. and so I thought with the use of puppets, the children could role play.  So, I made these too!

Many of the children I see have difficulty sitting for an entire session so I try to create activities that require movement, even if only taking a few steps away from the table in my cubicle.  I use my cubicle walls as a work surface very often since it doubles as a felt board of sorts.  Velcro is one of my therapy staples. In this prepositions activity, the child stands at the felt board and re-creates the picture chosen using manipulatives.

Reading can be particularly challenging for many children with speech-language delays and disorders.  Why not give them a head start with some pre-reading and early reading activities?

             

This next activity was inspired by one of my kids with a repaired cleft palate.  We have been working on discriminating between /p/, /b/ and /m/.  With "P"apa Bear, "M"ama Bear and "B"aby Bear, this "Minimal Pairs Porridge" activity worked out perfectly.

Working on Wh- questions is another "classic" IEP goal.  My groups love board games, another perfect opportunity for also working on turn-taking, and so I created a Wh- game with a Goldilocks-themed board and playing cards.

"Category Cabins" targets vocabulary development, as well as categorization through sorting.

My little Goldilocks testing it out

I also included printable worksheets with directions for at-home practice.  Having parents help with reinforcing new and emerging skills is so important and having these ready-made activities makes it so much easier!

Repetition is key

Repetition is key. What did you say?  Repetition is key.  Repetition is a critical component to speech-langauge acquisition.  The more frequently something (in this case, speech and language) is repeated, the more familiar it becomes. 

Singing songs with repetitive phrases, such as Wheels on the Bus or Old MacDonald Had a Farm is a great way for children to learn.  The same goes for books with repetitive language, such as Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury.  As tiring  and as boring as it may be for you, the adult to read the same book for the zillionth time (I know it's not a real number but you get the point), children learn more and more each time it is read to them.  For example, the first time a book is read to them, they may just think "Hey.  That sounds kind of fun and I like the pictures."  After the second or third time, they may begin to recall pictures that are familiar to them.  After several more times, the child begins to recall more details and may even begin to "retell" the story by themselves, as they turn the pages.  This, of course, is my favorite step since you get to really hear how it sounds to them.

Similarly, when we repeat sounds, the child gains more and more knowledge about those sounds, as they are heard over and over.  When a child first begins to use sounds, they usually say the vowel portion of the word most clearly (for example, "ow" for "meow").  It is usually not until the word has been said many, many times that he or she begins to acknowledge the other sounds within the words.