Teletherapy can be an effective way to deliver speech/language services; however, gaining kids’ attention and keeping them focused and engaged can be challenging! Incorporating fun visuals, games, and activities helps with participation and motivation. Take a peek at the following resources and consider whether they might be useful for the kids you work with!
BrainPOP
BrainPOP is an online educational platform for students and educators. While some parts of the platform require users to purchase a subscription, there are many resources that are free to access. There are games, worksheets, and videos for a variety of ages.
I have used BrainPOP resources to target pragmatic language skills with middle school students. BrainPOP’s Social Emotional Learning content addresses topics like emotions and friendship. One of my favorites is the Conflict Resolution unit, which provokes discussion on how to handle anger and frustration, advocate for yourself, and reach a positive outcome. “There are ways to disagree without being disagreeable!” Check out the Conflict Resolution topic below! https://www.brainpop.com/health/personalhealth/conflictresolution/
Sortify
Sortify is another resource from BrainPOP that I like to use when addressing attributes, similarities and differences, and categories, especially for learners who are ready for a challenge. Students sort items such as animals, foods, or even dinosaurs into categories. Click the links below for Sortify and Sortify Jr.
Toy Theater
The Toy Theater website has a wide selection of quick and simple learning games. The website is geared toward elementary-age children, but some games are timeless and can be used with all ages (tic-tac-toe!). Use the Hidden Picture games to practice the /sp/ blend in “I spy…” sentences. Play the Story Sequence game to practice sequencing events and narrating a story. There are also teacher tools such as a timer, dice, and random number generator.
Visit https://toytheater.com/ to check it out.
PBS Kids
PBS Kids is a fun website for younger kids (around kindergarten through early elementary). Some games might appeal to older kids too! I have frequently used the Ruff Ruffman Hamster Run game from PBS Kids. Children enjoy stacking and arranging blocks to help the hamster get his treat, and there are many opportunities to practice use and comprehension of prepositional concepts such as “on,” “between,” or “above” as the building blocks are moved around.
Other Tips
I rarely give kids control of the screen with their mouse during teletherapy. I find that it helps me facilitate the session and maintain the primary focus of our therapy sessions (i.e. using games as a tool to target specific skills). Occasionally, I’ll give kids control with their mouse so they can follow directions or demonstrate other skills, but I do this on a case-by-case basis.
Remember, there is no “right way” to use online resources–get creative, and use them however works best for you and your students or clients.
You are the best resource! As a speech-language pathologist, we know how to make any object a toy and how to make any activity an opportunity to develop speech, language, and communication skills.
I hope you enjoyed this “funtastic” blog post!
-Marissa Swanson, MA, CCC-SLP
Comments