Complex Christmas Sentences

These printable cards are fun ways to focus on listening 

while expanding your child's vocabulary and complex sentence development.

To print your own set click HERE.

Santa Claus is delivering presents to all the children around the world.

 Santa Claus is delivering presents all through the night.

I looked out my window and saw Santa Claus delivering presents.

Also Included in this set are: 

A child peeking at a present.

Children opening a present.

A little girl about to open a present.

A woman decorating a tree.

A father and son window shopping.

Elves making toys.

Children singing carols.

A girl hanging up a stocking.

A man putting up lights.

Santa Claus eating cookies and milk. 

Santa is checking his list while the reindeer are eating carrots and resting behind the tree.

Santa is checking his list to make sure he did not miss any good boys or girls.

A father and daughter are bringing home a Christmas tree 

that they chopped down in the forest.

A father and daughter are bringing home a Christmas tree 

to decorate with handmade ornaments and candy canes.

What sentences can you think of?

Decorating the Tree: Following Directions

Here is a  FREE  game focusing on listening and following single and multi-step directions.

It was created by Carissa at the Home Sweet Speech Room . 

This activity includes common holiday themes, such as building snowmen,

 baking cookies, wrapping presents, decorating the tree, and singing songs!

Your child draws an ornament card and follows the directions on it.

If completed correctly, they place the ornament on their trees. 

Watch out for the reindeer, who will sneak off with your ornaments! Lose all your cards!

Thanks Carissa!

Tis The Season... for Christmas BINGO

Bingo Games Targeting:  Concepts, Grammar, Questions and Pronouns

Click here for free printable game cards.

Can you find a way to use these games for listening and spoken language?

CONCEPTS: narrow, wide, thick, thin, before, around, above, not the same,

 between, first, second, third, top,  bottom, below, behind, in front, empty,

 full, through, next to, on, and over.

GRAMMAR: is much more fun when it is Christmas grammar! - 

pronouns, negation, regular and  irregular past tense, is and are verbing,

 third person singular, plurals, conjunctions and possessives.

QUESTION FORMS: who, what, when, where, why, can, would, may, do and does

PRONOUNS: he, she, they, him, her, them, their, my, your.

Big thanks to Heather at http://heatherspeechtherapy.com who created this activity.

Listening and Following Directions Christmas Style

Grab this free printable here..

Following Directions Christmas Style

has engaging graphics and includes suggestions for following directions
or target specific listening levels according to the child's needs.

Examples include: 

"Put a token on all the brown animals except the one wearing a hat."

"Put a token on the brown haired girl that is on the right side of the girl singing." 
   

Leave a comment and me know if you use this at home or in your therapy sessions.

Building Listening and Background Knowledge with TRIVIA

Christmas Trivia Game For:

Children who are Hard of Hearing

Children who are deaf or hard of hearing, even with advanced hearing aids and cochlear implants miss out or mishear a significant amount of auditory input. Their hearing loss results in the reduced ability to overhear information that is not directly spoken to them.

To expand language learning, children need to make connections between listening, recalling background knowledge from prior experiences in order to build a foundation upon which to add new ideas, vocabulary, concepts and social language skills. The broader the child’s foundation, the easier it is to fill in gaps when unfamiliar words or ideas are heard in conversational speech.

You can actually foster this kind of scaffolding through games such as Christmas Trivia, talking about the answers, learning the new vocabulary resulting in critical listening and expanding spoken language skills.

Children with Auditory Processing Disorders

This same game is excellent for individuals with APD, as it targets auditory closure, auditory memory, auditory comprehension, making connections for scaffolding and more.

Sample Game Cards:

Everyone knows Santa is chubby 

but what is the answer to this question?

 A child may know something round 

with a bow is hanging on the front door but 

never heard it called a “wreath”.

Likewise, someone may recognize and sing 

a portion of a popular Christmas song but 

would have difficulty when asked to finish the line.

Free Game Cards:

Click here for free printable trivia cards available at www.speakingofspeech.com 

Directions:

Have one person be the clue reader. The other players listen and race to answer the trivia. Each card is worth a certain number of points. The player with the highest points wins.

Today, many children in family-centered, Auditory Verbal Therapy can develop speech and spoken language at the same rate as their hearing peers. Children with APD can make significant gains when given the tools by trained audiologists and home carryover.

      Let me know if you play Christmas Trivia. Looking forward to your comments. Have fun!

HOLIDAYS: Tips for Families

This week, my article was featured and published by AGBell

 at the Listening and Spoken Language Knowledge Center. 

I hope as you spend time with family and friends this holiday season, 

these tips will help you focus on your child and their listening and spoken language.

H-O-L-I-D-A-Y-S: Tips for Families 

People love holidays! Adults busily prepare for the festivities while children are abuzz with excitement. Traditions are passed down as family and friends gather. Below are suggestions so you can enjoy the HOLIDAYS and focus on your child and their listening skills and spoken language.

Holidays are about listening to joyous music, lively conversations and spending time with family and friends. Encourage your child to be the Holiday Host and greet visitors and take their coats. This will boost your child’s confidence while giving him a chance to talk face to face in a quiet setting. Role-play upcoming holiday situations and practice good listening strategies. Create a secret a signal so your child can notify you when he is having a difficult time hearing. Keep the holiday music off or at a low volume, as your child is likely not the only one bothered by clatter and background music.

Organize an email and send it your family and friends before you gather for the holidays. Write a quick update about your child’s listening and spoken language progress and his hearing technology. Dealing with this before the holidays will allow you to spend time celebrating rather than answering questions of well meaning friends and family. Provide some helpful strategies for being understood and your child’s favorite topics of conversation so they can all enjoy fruitful discussions.

Large family dinners are noisy so plan accordingly. One suggestion is ensuring your child knows the topic of the conversation. Consider using “conversation starter cards” around the table which are always fun. Also, have someone special seated next to your child who can repeat a joke or summarize a story if your child mishears.

Include your child in the holiday preparations and focus on vocabulary that is often specific to the season. What is mistletoe? A menorah? The Nutcracker? A manger? Spend time reading holiday stories, cooking traditional foods and learning the words to holiday songs. Your child can create decorations to hang around your home and tell guests about them when they visit.

Devices. Keep your child’s FM charged and ready to use. Role-play so your child is comfortable asking others to wear the FM and can explain how it helps him hear. At the dining table, place the FM mic in the middle or concealed in the centerpiece. If you attend a holiday performance or a faith-based service, contact the venue to request extra amplification such as a microphone, a hearing loop and captions. Another important device is your camera. Take photos to include in your child’s Listening and Spoken Language Experience Book.

Arrange seating with your child’s hearing in mind. Encourage your child to choose a good seat for hearing at dinner and for the gift exchange. Is there a seat away from the bustling kitchen, or the room where the teenagers are playing video games? When opening gifts, suggest sitting in a circle so your child can both listen and watch.

Your traditions are an important way to expand your child’s listening and spoken language skills. If gift giving is your tradition, choose presents that will provide hours of creative play and stimulate conversation. Most of your child’s memories will be about people, not presents.

Simplify. Ask your child what traditions he feels are most important. You may be surprised by his reply. Consider skipping old traditions that have lost appeal or that your family has outgrown. Time spent together rather than on activities will be most remembered. Keep a Joy Journal to jot down moments of triumphs, laughter, inspiration and the “hearing” miracles you enjoy over the holidays.

Listening, Language and Winter Holiday Fun!

Click here and checkout my Winter and Christmas Pinterest Therapy Boards

Pin some new therapy ideas!