My Best SLP Tips for Working with Older Kids!

While I absolutely love Early Intervention and my elementary age kiddos, your approach to intervention definitely changes when you enter the middle, junior high, and high school age students! 

 

I FEEL you friend! 

 

While it may seem daunting, here are a few of my tips for Language-Based Older Students: 

📝 Utilize Materials at Your Disposal: I mean, use the texts they are already reading! Ask them to bring the novels they are currently reading. This makes it easier to see where language is breaking down for them, and is a ready-made resource for you. You can target unknown words within a context, define those words, and make up new sentences with them once they are understood (hello grammar/syntax goals!)

😎 Show Them How Cool You Are: Middle schoolers are just like us! They love a good TikTok or YouTube video too. Even pulling relevant newspaper or blog articles that are appealing to them can grab their attention and increase engagement. Have a student working on sequencing who loves makeup? Throw a tutorial up and work on sequencing the steps in a written story map to bridge the comprehension!

📈 Elevate Your Current Materials: Make sure when you purchase resources that are multi-leveled! Most students are beyond word level in articulation, are not just focusing on one problem in grammar, and their language is higher level than resources that are only aimed at elementary students. Purchase wisely!

Working with an older age group can be so much fun once you find your stride and get them on board. Hopefully, these three tips help you get there a little faster. 

Tell me down below, what age group do you currently work with and which is your all time favorite? 💭

Happy speeching!