Using themed activities is a great way to not only keep your clients engaged during telepractice sessions but also simplify your planning.
This blog post includes many FREE Thanksigiving Themed Telepractice Activities. If you’re looking to cut out your planning time completely, I’ve also added links to my No-Prep Themed Lesson Plans that are available for purchase at our Telepractice Tools’ online store on this website or at our TPT store. Over the past three years, I’ve created over 52 themed lesson plans that I use with preschoolers, and they have been a big hit! This year, I’ve expanded my themed lesson plan collection by adding K-5th grade elementary speech therapy lesson plans.
For sixth through twelfth grade, I like using grade-level activities and content as much as possible, which can get boring, in all honesty. It is fun to break from routine every now and then with some good old-fashioned games, word searches and crossword puzzles and of course…”Ad Libs!” I’ve been scouring the internet for Thanksgiving-themed telepractice activities to use with children of all ages. Yes, I will be using them with my own clients, but in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I’ve decided to share my curated list of activities with YOU.
While this is a telepractice blog, these materials can also be used for service providers who are working with children in person. I believe in quality over quantity and like to keep things simple. However, I know that some people like a lot of options. So I’ve included a variety of activities, but not too many that it becomes completely overwhelming. Please know that I do not endorse any of these sellers nor do I receive any commissions if you choose to use or subscribe to any of these sites (with the exception of Telepractice Tools). Please note that you may need to create an account to access some activities if you do not already have one (e.g., Epic and Boom).
Before we get to the list, here are a couple quick tips:
- If you need stimulus items to accompany any of the general reinforcers, I like to use www.homespeechhome.com or their mobile World Vault app.
- Use CTRL+F (Windows) or COMMAND+F (Mac) to quickly search for your desired grade level in this post. Enter your grade level or goal area, and all of the activities that match your search on this page will be highlighted. Enjoy!
Preschool and Kindergarten
Songs: These songs are great conversation starters when talking to young children about being thankful. You can name things at school or home that they are thankful for after viewing these videos for ideas.
Books: These books can be accessed with a free or paid account on Epic Books.
Interactive activity: This activity is great to work on making requests or expanding utterances. Preschool students can use their expressive language skills to ask you to decorate their custom turkey and can be found at Starfall.com.
All of our lesson plans follow a four-step format:
- Read a book
- Watch a video
- Activity to elicit language
- Parent/e-helper coaching
For more fall-themed speech therapy lesson plans for preschoolers, you may also want to check out my full bundle of 8 Fall Themed Lesson Plans. This bundle includes a Thanksgiving-themed lesson plan and Turkey-themed lesson plan that are great for November!
Elementary
If you work with children in Kindergarten through 5th grade, I have created a Thanksgiving Themed lesson plan resource that is separated into 3 levels. Level 1 is for Kindergarten and 1st grade, Level 2 is for 2nd and 3rd grade, and Level 3 is for 4th and 5th grade. These “levels” are general guidelines. You should always preview the lesson plans before your sessions to make sure that the content and materials are appropriate for the functional level of your child. You can get the Thanksgiving Themed Lesson Plans here:
Abcya: These activities can be used to target articulation, language, and fluency goals. For articulation and fluency, have your students read the clues for the crossword puzzle aloud. For language, have students define or use the words to form their own grammatically correct sentences.
ReadWorks.org: These reading passages can be used to address articulation, language, and fluency goals. To save time and simplify your planning, there are questions included with each passage.
ReadWorks.org
Super Teacher Worksheets: Your students can color the worksheet and write their own story, whether they are working on articulation, language or fluency.
Woo Jr Ad Libs: Students can create their own stories using target words to address articulation and fluency. For articulation, students can fill in the blanks with words that contain their target sounds. You can use the word lists from Home Speech Home if you need examples of stimulus words
Woojr.com
Middle School and High School
Abcya: These activities can be used to target articulation, language, and fluency goals. For articulation and fluency, have your students read the clues for the crossword puzzle aloud. For language, have students define or use the words to form their own grammatically correct sentences.
ABCYA.com
ReadWorks.org: These reading passages can be used to address articulation, language, and fluency goals. To save time and simplify your planning, there are questions included with each passage.
Following directions
Vocabulary
Conversation
General reinforcers
I hope this list helps you quickly plan your telepractice activities for the next couple weeks. If you have any suggestions for what you’ll be using for the rest of this month, I’d love to hear it in the comments below. If you haven’t already, please subscribe for updates and special offers coming soon!
