Progress Monitoring Resources for Speech-Language Therapy

About a two months ago (hard to believe) I was considering some new goals for a middle school student. I was feeling at a loss in terms of what I could use to monitor present levels. I have some tools that are quite effective, (my freebies are here and here) but I wanted to progress monitor his word finding skills and what I created just didn't cut the muster. I also have some progress monitoring tools I purchased and truth be told, I'm not thrilled with them.  So what to use?

I remembered some books that I used to use ALL. THE. TIME. When new materials become available my tried and true resources get relegated to the back of the cabinet. How sad! As I considered what I had available, I pulled out these materials that are perfect for progress monitoring all manner of targets. Here are a few I will be using now: HELP: Handbook of Exercises for Language Processing, Language Remediation and Expansion: 100 Skill Building Reference Lists, and BESST: Book of Exercises for Successful Semantics Teaching.Why purchase something new, when I already have great resources? These books contain wonderful lists for many, many language goal areas.

There are other sources like these that I think would be extremely useful when progress monitoring including this from Academic Communication Associates, Word Retrieval Activities for Children and these beauties from Thinking Publications.  I haven't used these in years and actually had to retrieve the Warm-up and Working Out books from my attic (did you notice I inventory all my materials?). I believe I bought the Warm-up books when I was I member of the mail order Speech Pathology Book Club! Who remembers that one?

It occurred to me as I was searching for what I thought I needed, that I need search no further than my therapy cupboards. I don't need anything newfangled, I don't need to buy anything else. I need to actually use what I have, because you know what? It's good stuff!

How about you? What do you already have that you can breathe new life into? 

Data Collection Made Easier

I'm a "tally-er." I've always kept my student data using a given-correct model using tally marks. That's the way I was taught to do it in 1980 and that's the way I've done it up until this school year. New year, new strategy. I've noticed those, ahem, younger than me using a plus-minus data collection system. I can see the advantages, so I thought I would try it. Problem is, I've found myself having to count all the pluses, subtract the minuses, divide the correct by the given to get my percentage, and oh boy, it's no time saver. I also use mailing labels when working with groups. I've also seen people use sheets of paper with boxes for multiple trials and I thought that might be helpful, but again what about my label system?

EUREKA! Enter the Avery Product website. I decided to combine the check box method with my label method. Using the Design and Print feature on the website I was able to add 80 check boxes to the labels. It was fairly challenging to get them to line up (they really don't line up, but I don't care). All the formatting is done via the website and they print out beautifully. I can still use my labels, I can use the plus-minus system, and I can do less math. Sounds good to me. If you try this let me know if there is a way to line the boxes up more evenly.

The Frenzied SLPS: Data Collection (and a freebie)

Summer vacation is winding down! I refuse to even consider that summer is over, because it isn't! Technically, of course, summer isn't over until September 21st and I'm holding on tightly! However, it does appear that my restful vacation is coming to a close and I have to return to work on Tuesday. I am mindful of how fortunate I am to have this time of rest and recuperation, but I will miss it nonetheless.

As our minds shift from relaxation to school speech language therapy the Frenzied SLPs decided to share data collection techniques and freebies. My data collection is cut and dry: no bells and whistles, no clip art, data,  just data. I also prefer paper. Some tricks old dogs just can't learn. :)

When progress report time comes I simply collect the percentages corresponding to the trimester I'm reporting, find the median score, and report the data. I use a median score rather that an average in order to eliminate the outliers. To find the median score arrange the data in order from least to greatest. The number that is halfway into the set is the median. If there is an even number in the set, take the two middlemost numbers and average them for the median score. As I collect the percentages I mark each box with an X or check, color-coding by trimester so I don't report the same data twice! I take data for every session. It's just the way I am. I also write an anecdotal. It makes progress reporting, parent conferences, and staffings so much easier. I only write a line or two. When I print, it's double -sided.

Sample data collection

I have included my preferred form. It is in a PowerPoint platform so it can be edited to your hearts delight! You can grab your data collection freebie here.

Now I'm off to the porch with my coffee and book (Noooooo, I won't go back!).

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