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.

Going Green in Speech: Using Lamination Scraps

Like many of you, I find myself in a sea of excess laminating film that I just can't, in good conscience, pitch. It is my goal to reduce what I am throwing into landfills for perpetuity, so I have been both limiting what I laminate and squirreling away the excess for later use. I want to share only a couple possibilities.




First, rather than purchase page protectors and plastic sleeves, why not make your own? Here is a video of how to make your own. I use them as overlays for books when students are practicing articulation while reading. Using dry erase markers they highlight or underline any words with their target sounds. I also place worksheets in them and again, students use dry erase markers to complete the page. I can then send the same page as homework.

I've made them in varying sizes so I can put articulation or task cards in them for use with dry erase or as smash mats with play-dough. It keeps unlaminated cards clean and reduces waste. I made these for Texas Speech Mom's speech counters by folding a piece of laminating film and using washi tape to seal the two sides. I left the bottom a little higher than the top so I could easily insert and remove the cards.

Another fun and green idea is to save the cut off ends of laminated materials. They are perfect as makeshift whiteboards. I often cut them into strips and write words for practice or sentence formulation and expansion. I have a sentence frame and then have different morphological endings on each card that students can manipulate. Erase for a new sentence.

I don't have pictures of my scraps, but this is the general idea.

These scraps make targeting interrogative reversal a snap. I call it the "magic flip." Write a declarative sentence on the laminated scraps and then abracadabra, do the magic flip and formulate a question!

Do you have any handy laminating film hacks? I'd love to hear of the ways you use it. Please share!!

A Little "Extra" Storage Hack

I'm back! I took the forty days of Lent as a time of reflection and fasted from social media. Initially, it was a challenge and that surprised me. I didn't realize it was going to be difficult to not look into the lives of my friends, and I experienced just the slightest case of FOMO. When Easter arrived I had over 400 Facebook notifications and I don't know how many on Instagram, that I completely ignored! I am happy to report, the cycle is broken and I now barely look at Facebook and have limited interaction on Instagram.

My fast included blogging and while I missed it and wondered about whether anyone missed me, I stuck to my guns and didn't post. What I did do, was take pictures during the forty days and jot down blog ideas, so I have some material for a bit! As I look to the future, I will maintain my blog and post my ideas and activities on Instagram, but my Facebook activity will be infrequent, particularly in light of Facebook's current controversies.

On to my storage hack; one day I was chatting with a friend at work and she offered me a piece of gum, and as she did I heard a choir of angels singing, "AHHHHHHHHHHH!" A light bulb went on! The gum was in the best container ever! It is the absolute perfect size for articulation cards. I set out to find the cheapest price on Extra 35 stick packs of gum. So far the cheapest price has been at Walmart, $1.89, but I think that was a mistake because when I went to buy more, they were $1.98. The upside is my artic. cards smell like spearmint and wintergreen.

Doesn't everyone buy stuff to use the containers?

One stick left...OH BOY!!!

These containers are the perfect size for cards!

I do like to chew gum, however now I am eagerly trying to finish these packs, so I can put the containers to work. Now everyone who walks into my room is offered a piece. After seeing my joy, my friend Stacy, who turned me on to these packs, has been saving her empties for me, too. I am imagining how beautifully organized my printed artic. cards will look when they all have their own sweet smelling little containers. It's the simple things in an SLP's life!