We love visuals but do we know WHY we should use them in speech?

All students learn differently. Some need to hear, some need to see, and some even need to experience new concepts in order to make it part of their vocabulary/world. That is why as SLPs we need to be prepared to teach our students differently and break down new information so they can understand it.

Why use visuals?

• Visual cues for those that have weak auditory skills
• Helps with those with weaker memory skills
• Helps us make activities hands on so they can “experience it”
• Can help with word retrieval skills
• Can reduce the need for multiple auditory cues (which might even distract others)
• And more!

What goals can benefit from using visuals?

• Learning new vocabulary
• Sentence structures
• Syntax
• Articulation targets
• Sequencing
• Critical thinking/comprehension skills
• Behavior
• Social skills
• And more!

This is why MOST if not ALL of my TpT resources include visuals, sentence strips, and sorting pages to make activities visual so students know what to expect, they can prompt themselves, and you can reduce the need to prompt them. It makes for a great compensatory strategy too!

Some of my favorite visuals:

For main idea:

from my Teaching Main Ideas Worksheets and Activities

For inferencing:

from my Text Evidence Print and Go pack

 

For compare and contrast:

from my Comparing and Contrasting SpeechPad

For context clues:

from Wild Word Fun Context Clues

For sentence structure:

from my Producing Descriptive Sentences Printable Book

 

But don’t worry! You don’t need a TpT resource to make visuals. You can DIY them too! I love making quick visuals using index cards, sticky notes, dry erase boards, and sentence strips. I use anything! See some below!

Visuals really help and are essential in a speech room to help our students grasp those tricky skills they aren’t learning naturally in the academic classrooms. Don’t be afraid to share visuals that work with the classroom teachers so your students can carryover these skills!

Want my favorite visuals for free? Grab them below!

click here to grab the freebie!