Carryover Activities

The goal of many students in speech therapy is to maintain or improve carryover of articulation skills. Here are some activities that promote carryover. Remember to practice using clear speech as you communicate with family and friends.

Talk with friends about common interests

Call someone over the telephone

Interview a neighbor or relative

Read Poetry aloud

Have lunch with a friend and use clear speech

Order food on the telephone or in a restaurant

Introduce yourself to someone

Read your faorite book out loud

Tell a good joke

Complete some madlibs on the "Whacky Webtales" website and read it someone

Sing along with your favorite song on the radio

Proofreading Checklist

Students at Lakeview have been writing short essays and editing their work. Mrs. DeYoung uses the following checklist to develop proofreading skills:

Proof reading Checklist
Introduction
Does the essay have a topic sentence?
Is the topic sentence clear?

Supporting Details
Are there at least three supporting details?
Does each sentence support the topic sentence?
Do you provide examples or explain each detail?
Are there any sentences that do not relate to the topic and should be removed?
Are some transitional words used?

Conclusion
Does the essay have a conclusion?
Does the conclusion sentence use different words to restate the main idea?

Mechanics
Spelling
Capitalization
Apostrophes
No run-on sentences
No fragments
Subject-Verb Agreement
Commas in compound sentences.
Commas in complex sentences
Punctuation (end marks)

Helpful Hints for a Healthy Voice

With the coming of spring, many individuals may be experiencing a hoarse voice due to seasonal allergies or cheering for their favorite teams. Here are some suggestions for taking care of your voice from www.ucdvoice.org.

Increase fluid intake 4-8 ounces of water per day

Avoid excessive or frequent throat clearing-try sipping water instead.

Frequent throat-clearing or coughing can be injurious to the vocal cords.
Excessive cough, mucus production, or throat clearing may be an indication of an underlying disorder such as Laryngopharyngeal Reflux.

Get plenty of sleep. Fatigue can cause the voice to sound hoarse.

Use plenty of breath support. Your lungs are the generator of the voice. Take advantage of them.

Minimize caffeine, alcohol and dairy intake. These can dry out the vocal cords and/or create thick mucous.

Avoid menthol throat lozenges. These can dry the throat.

Avoid smoking, people who smoke, and noxious fumes. These are irritating and damaging to the vocal cords.

Be aware of background noise. Raising your voice above others in a loud environment can cause straining and vocal abuse.

Watch volumes and posture of head/neck while on the telephone. This can cause uneven pressure and strain on the vocal cords.

If it seems speaking takes extra effort, you have throat discomfort or pain after using your voice, experience vocal fatigue or experience "cracking" of the voice, … consult with your physician.

Cause and Effect

A Mini Lesson by Diana Dell, Ed.S.
A cause is something that makes something else happen. Out of two events, it is the event that happens first. To determine the cause, ask the question "Why Did it Happen?"

An effect is what happens as a result of the cause. Of two related events, it’s the one that happens second or last. To determine the effect, ask the question "What Happened?"

Practice pairing causes and effects with these activities:http://www.quia.com/mc/94601.htmlhttp://www.quia.com/mc/20632.html

At times connecting words are used to link the cause and effect. Examples of connecting words are:
because, so, consequently, therefore, due to the fact, since, as a result, the reason for, thus, nevertheless

Practice selecting connecting words for sentences with this activity:http://www.smccd.net/accounts/sevas/esl/gramcheck/8-7.html

Spring into Speech

Over the past several weeks, Speech/Language groups at Prairieview and Lakeview have been focusing on conversation, carryover of articulation skills, and applying vocabulary strategies. As the school year winds down Mrs. DeYoung's third, fourth, and fifth graders will be practicing speaking in front of a group. These students will share favorite poems, prepare oral presentations, and complete story-telling activities. Jr. High students will complete a final written essay as well as practice oral presentation skills.

Carryover Practice

Here are some ideas for carryover activities that you can try with your child: • Ask your child to read out loud from a story book, cartoon or magazine that he chooses. • Let your child talk on the phone to a friend or relative. • Play a game together or with a group of people. • Role play an interview with someone your child admires. • Trade roles with your child and let him correct you. • With your child, choose a special time each day that he will use good speech, for example, at lunch or dinner time every day or every time he is in the car. Your child may want to tie a string around his finger or use other prompts to remind him to speak well. • Ask your child to tell a story he knows in his own words. • Have a conversation together.

Tips for Parents of Children Who Stutter

• You must be aware of your child’s worry and discomfort. Your child will try not to stutter. But the harder he tries, the worse the stuttering is apt to get.
• You probably make remarks about your child’s stuttering from time to time. It is understandable for you to want to help. Perhaps you don’t find it easy to listen to the stuttering and would like it to stop. When you say or do something to help your child, you should observe carefully. If your help results in his becoming more relaxed and calm, you will be doing the right thing. His talking will get easier, too.
• It is quite possible your child does not want to be helped when talking. Then it is no use trying to do so. He or she will only get more tense. (Maybe because he gets the message that he is not allowed to be imperfect?) The more the child tenses up, the harder it will be for the words to come through. Better than any stranger, parents know whether their child is tense or relaxed. That is why we ask for your help. Because you know your child best and can gauge his or her feelings, you give the most valuable support of all.
• It is important to state that parents’ behavior never is the cause of stuttering. Your child was born with a hereditary tendency to stutter. This means the area of speech is a weak point in his general make up. Stuttering manifests itself when demands (in whatever area of life) become too heavy. This stuttering is harmless in itself. But if your child thinks others do not like his stuttering, he will try to talk “better” and to hide or stop the stuttering. That makes the stuttering worse, and it is the reason he still suffers because of it.
• So remember you are not the cause of your child’s stuttering, but you are the nearest and best supporters on his road to talking more easily.Your child may feel angry as well as hurt and discouraged because of his speech problem. What he needs most are parents who allow him to be resentful or sad about it and who show they understand.

These tips are from Sometimes I Just Stutter by Eelco de Geus.

The Stuttering Foundation has many excellent books, articles, and DVDs for parents of young children who stutter. You can access their website for this and other free resources at www.stutteringhelp.org