Custom Boards in Action

There are many ways to use Custom Boards in speech therapy sessions. Here are a few to get you started.

Emotions Christmas tree

I used the Christmas Tree template (in Activities & Games) and imported photos showing different emotions. I printed one master copy, which you can laminate or slip into a plastic sleeve, and printed a second copy to cut out the ornaments. Students pick an ornament, label the emotion and guess what the gift might have been. For example: excited (red), she got an iPad; upset (orange), she got a pair of used boots. It makes a fun brainstorming activity and can lead to a social skills lesson on what to say out loud and what to keep in your thinking bubble.

Blizzard board game

I used the Board Game (Simple) template to make a quick open-ended game for different goals, called Blizzard. Move with a coin (heads = 2, tails = 1) or a die. Land on the purple blizzard and you lose a turn; land on snow day and you take another turn. Landing on a red die is the open-ended part:

• Articulation: use articulation cards or an articulation app. If a student lands on a die showing 5, they say a word five times, say five words, or use the words in sentences. Play continues as long as time allows.
• Language: use the Label Set #3 template (in Signs & Labels) to add vocabulary words or pictures to the circles, or “snowballs.” Students draw one when they land on a red die, then define it, describe it for others to guess, or use it in a sentence.

Two-syllable matching cards

I used the Matching Cards template (in Activities & Games) to create two-syllable word cards, then cut them apart and laminated them. Color-coding helps students match the two halves.

• Students draw cards in a matching game.
• Tape one half of each word around the room and have students find the match.
• Lay the cards on the floor like hopscotch, and have students say each syllable as they hop. They love collecting as many pairs as they can.

These are just a few of the many ways to use Custom Boards. Explore the templates: the possibilities are endless!