My students need Speech Buddies to help obtain the correct placement so that they are able to produce their target speech sounds accurately and reach mastery more rapidly.
I consider myself to be the luckiest Speech Therapist on the coast! I get to help develop and facilitate the communication skills of my students.
My students are amazing, they fight to communicate daily.
Imagine not being able to tell someone you don't feel well, that you need to use the restroom, or that someone is not being nice to you because your words are not understood by your teacher, principal, or school nurse. You might not be able to tell your mom that you fell down and hurt yourself, or that you want a chocolate cake for your birthday. You struggle to participate during show and tell because your classmates can't understand what you are telling them about.
I am privileged to work with preschool (ages 3 and 4) children with developmental delays along with significant speech delays as well as with students in kindergarten through second grade who have articulation (speech sound) delays that can greatly impact their ability to communicate with everyone in their world.
My Project
Speech Buddies are a set of tools specifically designed to help the student achieve the correct placement of their tongue when producing certain speech sounds. There is a tool for 5 of the more difficult sounds that we (my students and myself) work on daily to facilitate clearer speech; helping my students be a more effective communicator in school, the home, and community.
These tools are AMAZING!
I have been able to borrow one of these tools for a first grade student recently. He was able to achieve correct placement of a sound that he struggled with immediately. We used the tool for approximately 2 weeks; now he is making the sounds on his own and we are progressing nicely toward reaching mastery of his target sounds. I have a long list of others that will directly benefit for these tools this year alone, not to mention in the years to come.
Typically children receive speech services for 2-3 years before reaching mastery, however, using Speech Buddies will help my students overcome the first hurdle with efficiency, helping them to feel successful. I truly feel that I have the best job in a school setting, helping children to speak more clearly! Communication is not something my students take for granted as they struggle to share their thoughts, ideas, and feelings.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Sara and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
