Hall Pass

If you pick up/return kiddos to their classroom, it’s not unusual to feel as though you’re losing of your treatment time to travel.

“Fast feet,” I urge.  “We have fun things to do.”  But a child’s legs only go so fast….at least when they accompany a purposeful adult.  (Moms know this is in sharp contrast to how fast they move if you look away for one second in a crowded area)

Of course, I use some of this travel time for building rapport, chatting about current classroom happenings (ever on the lookout for reinforcement possibilities in either direction) or to work on carryover.

But this time can also be used in a more structured way.

For hallway articulation practice, I use a “hall pass”.  This is a “ticket” containing a sentence with multiple opportunities for their target.  I particularly like to do this on our return trip when we’ve already “warmed up” and I might want a challenge activity to see when/if breakdowns happen.

Some examples are:

Zoe the zebra ate zucchini with zeal at the zoo. (initial /z/)

The staircase downstairs was very narrow.  (medial /air/)

The chief elf has a rough laugh. (final /f/)

Tom tapped the top ten tacks. (initial /t/)

But maybe your client just isn’t at the sentence level and you feel even attempting it is more detrimental then it’s worth.  That’s ok–let’s tailor it.

Write a single word on their ticket with instructions to repeat it each time they pass a bathroom door, or window or water fountain–whatever works for your environment.

Ready for phrases?  Use the target word + room name for each door you point to (ex. red music, red office, red gym).  Just be sure to take into account the other word you add.  Don’t single out cafeteria or art room for an /r/ client and wonder why the whole thing fell apart!

It’s a little sneaky, but it really maximizes your therapy time.  And, if you have a flair for a little drama, carry a hole punch with you.  You can either punch one hole (to keep track of the number of days you used that pass) or, if they’ve mastered it, do a full “Polar Express” punching!

Have fun and if you like the idea, please tweet or pin it!

Hall Pass is a bonus activity offered in the Artic Attack workbook series authored by Kim Lewis and published by Say It Right.

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This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Ginny Marie

    What a great idea! As a mom, I know exactly what you mean. My seven year old walks slower than my four year old! What a fun way to get some extra learning in!

    1. admin

      Thanks, Ginny! Children can always surprise us, can’t they! Keeps us young and on our toes (at least that’s what I tell myself).

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The views expressed in this blog are my own and are intended to inspire other speech-language pathologists in their own practice. If you are a parent, teacher or other educator, these ideas are not intended to take the place of treatment by a certified clinician. Read full disclaimer here.