May 10, 2020

Congrats, SLP graduates! What a proud moment for you. Please take a moment or two to revel in this utopia of completion! Welcome to this amazing field where you get to connect and help shape young minds. As the beloved Mr. Rogers said, “Anyone who does anything to help a child in his life is a hero.” Although this profession can sometimes seem autonomous, as you are the expert at your campus for speech and language, remember you are apart of your school’s team and are supported by this incredible community of SLPs.

Now, as you prepare for the upcoming school year, you may be wondering where to start, what materials to buy, and how much everything costs? Keep in mind that this must-have list can serve as a guide that you can prioritize, as sometimes it is best to wait and see what your school campus/district offers and to determine the needs/goals of your students. For example, your district might already provide a subscription for SLP Toolkit, or you may discover that more than half of your caseload has articulation goals, thus requiring specific articulation materials. One last thing to consider, your therapy style verses your students’ preferences. Some students may respond better to one app on the I-Pad over the app that you thought would be a hit.

In considering all this, keep this must-have list as a reference. Bookmark this page, take a screenshot, or save SLP Toolkit as your screensaver (joking but not really), because we’ve got you covered with a list of speech items that you may wish to purchase now, ask for as a gift, or add to your wait-and-see list.

Gift Cards:

• Super Duper

• Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT)

• Amazon

• iTunes

• Specifically from TpT: Finding and Starting your SLP CFY, Speechy Musings, Jenna Rayburn Kirk(Speech Room News), Whitneyslp, The Speech Bubble SLP, Texas Speech Mom, Speech Time Fun, The Dabbling Speechie

• Specifically from Super Duper: Webber’s Jumbo Articulation Drill Book, Articulation Fun Decks, Jumbo Mighty Mouth, Chipper Chat, Lids ‘n Lizards Game, and Granny’s Candies Game

Games:

• Pop the Pig

• Crocodile Dentist

• Pickles to Penguins

• Uno

• Apples to Apples

• Candy Land

• Jenga

• Matching/memory

• Spot it

• Connect 4

• Hedbanz

• Bubble Talk

• Large dice

Supplies:

General: iPad, Keurig Coffee Maker , laminator and laminating sheets, Velcro, cardstock, dry erase boards and markers, mirror, book rings, index cards, Throat Scope, stickers

Tactile and Motor/Toys: bubbles, building blocks, Melissa and Doug Sound Puzzles, Play-Doh , Mr. Potato Head, Wind up toys, Mini erasers, Popper toy

Therapy Tools:

• Expanding Expression Tool

• Bjorem Speech Sound Cues

Online Resources:

• SLP Toolkit

• Boom Cards

• SLP Now

• LessonPix

• Newsela

Apps:

• Articulation Station

• Articulation Test Center

• Word Vault Pro

• Lively Letters

• Notability

• Toca Boca

Therapy Books:

• School-Age Stuttering Therapy: A Practical Guide

• The Entire World of R

• SPARC

• The SLP’s IEP Companion

• Literacy-Based Speech and Language Therapy Activities: Successfully Use Storybooks to Reduce Planning Time, Easily Work in Groups, and Target Multiple Communication and Academic Goals

• Michelle Garcia Winner Books (We Thinkers!, Thinking about You Thinking about Me, and You are a Social Detective!)

Bringing Words to Life

Children’s Books

The list of children’s books we would recommend is exhaustive. If you have access to a school library then borrow books but if you want to start building a library here are some great recommendations:

• Selecting the best books for speech therapy by Sweet Southern Speech

• Top 10 Books for Speech Therapy by Crazy Speech World

• What Books Do You Need in Your Speech Library by The Speech Bubble

About the Author:

I joined SLP Toolkit at the start of 2020 as the director of content and community. I am truly grateful and proud to be apart of such a dedicated, hardworking team that knows how to have fun throughout their day! Before SLP Toolkit, I started as a school-based SLPA and received my Master of Science in Communication Disorders (MS) from Arizona State University. I then began my SLP career within the hospital setting serving the adult population. I currently work as needed in acute care, stay at home with my toddler, and continue to learn the ropes of the social media world for SLP Toolkit. Thank you for taking the time to read, as I know your time is valuable. https://www.slptoolkit.com/