Speech Therapy Crafts: Going Beyond the 10 Targets Given

I've read the feedback before on speech therapy crafts (and always fear for the feedback on my own crafts) that say something along the lines of, "I wish there were more than 10 targets" or "this craft takes too long for me to only get x amount of words." Well, in most cases (not all of course), if you had a true craft that had 50 targets, you'd most likely be working on it for multiple sessions. Plus, research states that working on fewer target words with more trials leads to higher therapy success. So let's talk about how to go about a session with a craft with 10 targets and how to take it beyond that. Take my spring flower crown craft for example. Let's go through the steps to make it (I'll use /l/ as an example.).:

1. Color flowers/band: Here's the easy part. They say what they are coloring right? Well how about if they say the word each time they color a petal?
2. Cut out flowers and bands: you'll most likely be doing this which can sometimes create a lull in the activity and practicing of sounds. Try these ideas next time:
   • What other words start with /l/?
   • Go back down to syllable level while cutting (lee, lay, lie, low, etc.)
   • What picture should I do next, 'lion' or 'lamp?'
   • Tell me if I'm saying the word correctly (discrimination/placement awareness).
   • Make silly sentences using the targeted word.
   • Tell me where our tongue is when we make our good /l/ sounds.
   • Let's create a funny story about a "lion."
3. Tape flowers onto crown: Here's another opportunity to practice those 10 targets again. Have your students say the targets as tape is applied and as you attach it to the crown.
4. Put on crown: I'm sure they will want to see themselves in the mirror, right? What pictures can they see in the mirror? (more targets! ;])
5. Send home for carryover practice!

Truth is, I actually get plenty of targets doing crafts, you just have to be creative with it! What I also love about crafts is that it works more on carryover than drill because the focus isn't entirely on the sounds themselves.

Let me know what other ways you target sounds while crafting in the comments below! If you'd like to check out other seasonal crafts I like to use, click here. Happy crafting!