I like homework, especially for articulation. I know some people don't like to send homework. The truth is, it's not returned consistently and I'll admit that sometimes it's frustrating at the end of a 30 minute session making sure that each of my students has his or her homework. But in the end, I feel like I need to maximize my sessions with my kids, and one way that I can do that is offer the opportunity for my students to practice at home. The truth is, my students who do their homework make faster progress. And since my job is to help students not need me, then it only makes sense to send homework. I find that many students may not return their homework, but they are practicing at home. Parents will stop in the halls and say that they didn't manage to return the homework, but they are still practicing.
Typically I like my articulation homework to be 3 to 5 words or phrases that were practiced successfully in the speech room. I want them to practice 5 minutes a day, every day. A few years ago, I made up a form that provided directions in both Spanish and English with lines for each day of the week, for the parent to sign indicating that they had practiced with their child. I had a large blank space in the form in which I would write the targeted words. This was a quick and easy way for me to individualize each students homework based on their goals. You can download a free copy of that form on my
teacherspayteachers page. Towards the end of last year, I realized that I could make it even easier on me. In reality, I usually send the same words for each phonological process, because I have the best success with those words.
I read in someone's blog that they set their homework up by copying multiple pages from the
Webber Jumbo Articulation Drill Book, and then passed out a copy for homework. I considered that idea for a while. I do love that giant book. It definitely has it's uses. It's an awesome tool for single sound disorders. But I have two reasons why I didn't go that route: 1) I want more explicit directions. I found that parents really didn't understand what they were suppose to do with the pages. And if they did practice, they might only practice once that week. 2) I don't like all the words. The pictures are great, but many of the words were too hard or had sounds in other places in the words that made the target more difficult. The words "cat" and "coat" have a /k/ sound in them, but they are horrible words to work on velar fronting.
So I took my blank homework sheet, and created a homework page for each of the phonological processes I typically work with in my speech room: syllabic reduction, initial consonant deletion, final consonant deletion, velar fronting, cluster reduction and stopping.
I based my targets on Barbara Hodson's Cycles. If you are unfamiliar with Cycles or need a refresher course I recommend checking out
playingwithwords365.com's series of posts about it. It is an excellent tutorial with lots of great resources.
You can buy my homework packet on
teacherspayteachers.com here. Or you can enter my raffle. Bear with me, as this is my first time using rafflecopter. But I will give out a copy to a winner on August 1. (I'd like to give out 3 copies, but I'm not sure how that works yet, so I'm only promising one.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I like homework, especially for articulation. I know some people don't like to send homework. The truth is, it's not returned consistently and I'll admit that sometimes it's frustrating at the end of a 30 minute session making sure that each of my students has his or her homework. But in the end, I feel like I need to maximize my sessions with my kids, and one way that I can do that is offer the opportunity for my students to practice at home. The truth is, my students who do their homework make faster progress. And since my job is to help students not need me, then it only makes sense to send homework. I find that many students may not return their homework, but they are practicing at home. Parents will stop in the halls and say that they didn't manage to return the homework, but they are still practicing.
Typically I like my articulation homework to be 3 to 5 words or phrases that were practiced successfully in the speech room. I want them to practice 5 minutes a day, every day. A few years ago, I made up a form that provided directions in both Spanish and English with lines for each day of the week, for the parent to sign indicating that they had practiced with their child. I had a large blank space in the form in which I would write the targeted words. This was a quick and easy way for me to individualize each students homework based on their goals. You can download a free copy of that form on my
teacherspayteachers page. Towards the end of last year, I realized that I could make it even easier on me. In reality, I usually send the same words for each phonological process, because I have the best success with those words.
I read in someone's blog that they set their homework up by copying multiple pages from the
Webber Jumbo Articulation Drill Book, and then passed out a copy for homework. I considered that idea for a while. I do love that giant book. It definitely has it's uses. It's an awesome tool for single sound disorders. But I have two reasons why I didn't go that route: 1) I want more explicit directions. I found that parents really didn't understand what they were suppose to do with the pages. And if they did practice, they might only practice once that week. 2) I don't like all the words. The pictures are great, but many of the words were too hard or had sounds in other places in the words that made the target more difficult. The words "cat" and "coat" have a /k/ sound in them, but they are horrible words to work on velar fronting.
So I took my blank homework sheet, and created a homework page for each of the phonological processes I typically work with in my speech room: syllabic reduction, initial consonant deletion, final consonant deletion, velar fronting, cluster reduction and stopping.
I based my targets on Barbara Hodson's Cycles. If you are unfamiliar with Cycles or need a refresher course I recommend checking out
playingwithwords365.com's series of posts about it. It is an excellent tutorial with lots of great resources.
You can buy my homework packet on
teacherspayteachers.com here. Or you can enter my raffle. Bear with me, as this is my first time using rafflecopter. But I will give out a copy to a winner on August 1. (I'd like to give out 3 copies, but I'm not sure how that works yet, so I'm only promising one.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I have tried homework before, with varying levels of success. I'm thinking about trying a calendar approach...send home a monthly calendar with short S/L activities and give prizes to anyone who completes so many of the activities per month. But I like your version for artic!
ReplyDeleteThanks. The plan is to have them printed out at the beginning of the year, and then just pulling out the one I want to send home during the session. I do get a lot parents who will work with their kids even if they don't return the homework, which makes it worth it for me. That's one of the many good things about working with preschoolers, high parental involvement.
ReplyDeleteI am scheduled to begin my first school-based SLP position in two weeks and have given much thought to this topic. I like the idea of monthly calendars, particularly while I am still learning the ropes. I do give home program in my medical based setting and have seen good results, but as a mother of 3, I also understand how hard it sometimes is to manage my childrens' workload and extracurriculars. Thank you for the opportunity to enter this giveaway - I will take all suggestions/advice I can get!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your new position. Keep following this blog, I have several posts in the works on how to work in the school.
DeleteWe have winners! Congrats to Gail, Kayla, and Ann!
ReplyDeleteP.S. Check your email!
ReplyDelete