During MLK Week, I read a book about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to some of my students and incorporated it into our speech and language goals. As I was reading to one of my third-grade students who hates coming to speech and hopes every time I come to pick him up that I will forget, he suddenly stopped me and said, “Wow… he did all of that?” I smiled and said, “Yes, and he looked just like you.” We talked about how Dr. King gave powerful speeches and helped shape the world we live in today. I emphasized how hard he worked in school and how much he valued education. I also shared that Dr. King intentionally worked on his voice and communication. I explained that this is exactly why speech therapy matters, because I want to help him use his voice in a way that can have impact, just like Dr. King did. My journey into this field began with my son, who had a language delay when he was younger. Along the way, I encountered stigma and comments suggesting we should “wait it out” or that he would “grow out of it” like other children. Unfortunately, that is not everyone’s story. What we now know is that early intervention is key. Speech therapy changed my life. My son is now excelling both developmentally and academically, and I went on to earn my master’s degree in speech-language pathology. As a Black speech-language pathologist, I know how powerful it is for children to see someone who looks like them helping them find their voice. Representation matters. When Black students see Black professionals in supportive roles, it helps break down fear, stigma, and shame. So many amazing Black Americans did not start out with perfect communication skills. Dr. King trained his voice and pacing. Shaquille O’Neal had a childhood stutter. Kendrick Lamar has spoken about communication struggles growing up. James Earl Jones, the iconic voice of Mufasa from Disney's The Lion King, had a severe stutter. Even LeBron James has discussed speech anxiety early in his career. The common thread is support. Needing help is nothing to be embarrassed about. When students see themselves reflected in both history and the professionals guiding them, they learn that their voice matters and that it deserves to be heard. Courtney Stafford, M.S., CF-SLP
Holidays provide meaningful opportunities to engage students in therapy while making learning enjoyable. Valentine’s Day, in particular, offers many creative ways to target language, articulation, and social communication skills within a functional and motivating context. Language: Fostering Meaningful Communication Resources such as Canva, PowerPoint, and Pink Cat Games can be used to create slides depicting Valentine’s Day scenes. Having students describe aspects of the illustrations, such as flowers, chocolates, cards, and candy, is an effective way to encourage the functional use of adjectives and descriptive language. Valentine’s-themed items can also be used for compare-and-contrast activities (e.g., different kinds of candy or types of flowers) to build vocabulary, categorization skills, and expressive language. Articulation: Word Lists and Beyond One fun and adaptable way to incorporate Valentine’s Day into a therapy session is by playing a themed game of Would You Rather. Creating holiday-related questions opens opportunities for naturalistic discussion while allowing the clinician to listen closely for target sounds and carryover. Craft activities are another engaging way to take articulation drills to the next level. Creative pairings of speech sounds with Valentine’s crafts, such as making a Mad Libs page, creating a “love bug,” or completing a themed articulation dot-art page, help maintain motivation while supporting speech practice. Social Language: The Possibilities Are Endless Holidays are also ideal for addressing higher-level language and social skills. Realistic scenarios can be applied to students’ own experiences, such as discussing manners when receiving gifts or identifying kind and appropriate ways to show care for others. Practicing giving and receiving compliments through structured games allows students to share joy and kindness in ways that are meaningful and well-received by peers. These ideas demonstrate how imagination and clinical expertise can come together to make speech therapy enjoyable, functional, and full of care for our clients. Hannah Collie, M.S., CCC-SLP
As an SLP and a mom, when school is out, that does not mean it is a day off. It just means it is a day in. I have a kindergartner who is learning to read, and as we all know, repetition is the mother of skill. That does not mean we are doing drills all day every day. Instead, I focus on what truly matters: carryover. Carryover is helping children use skills they have learned in therapy and the classroom in real-life situations. Carryover can come from anywhere. It may show up in math class, reading instruction, or speech therapy. It allows children to take what they have learned and apply it across settings, people, and routines. As Patricia Marshalla explains in Carryover Techniques in Articulation and Phonology Therapy (2010): “Carryover is the ability for an individual to take a skill learned in therapy and apply it to different situations and contexts. Home practice and carryover help children maintain and build on the skills they need to thrive.” This philosophy guides how I approach learning at home, especially on days when school is closed. So, what did I do on the first snow day of the school year? I went straight to one of my favorite resources, Teachers Pay Teachers. Not a paid partnership, just the Golden Ticket straight into the chocolate factory of top‑tier materials. I searched for kindergarten-level short stories, and we completed a few together. The experience felt manageable, productive, and enjoyable. We spent about 45 minutes to an hour, and both walked away feeling accomplished. As a speech-language pathologist working in schools every day, I know how important it is for therapy goals to carry over into the home. That is why I have hand-selected free, parent-friendly resources that target a wide range of speech and language goals. This list is just a starting point and a simple way to begin building an at-home resource library that supports learning during snow days, holidays, and school breaks. Because when school is out, learning does not stop. It just looks a little more like real life. Speech Therapy Home Handouts Free Speech Sound Hand Cues PDF Early Language Ideas for Home Language Development Game for Toddlers: Fill the Farm Free Speech Therapy Scavenger Hunt for Vocabulary Homework and Distance Learning Free Social Cues Short Stories W/ Questions Worksheets Autism Therapy Speech SEL Caregiver Strategies Handout for Preschool-age Stuttering Sign Language Top 10 Signs Superhero: Behavior Management Tools Speech Therapy for Toddlers Cheat Sheet Social Scenarios and Problem Solving Yes and No Questions practice for Autism WH- Questions: home practice, parent handout Family Game Night for Language Development Parent Handout: Speech Practice On The Go Courtney Stafford, M.S., CF-SLP
