If you’ve been here a while, you know I’m all about helping busy SLPs cut down on prep time while still showing up with high-quality, meaningful materials. And this year, I’m trying something new to make that even easier for you.
If you’re anything like me, you want your therapy sessions to feel meaningful, research-aligned, and—let’s be honest—manageable. But between the paperwork, the scheduling, and the never-ending prep, it’s easy to feel like you’re barely staying ahead.
So this year, I’m trying something new to help lighten your load and bring more structure and ease into your therapy room…
✨ Introducing a Back to School Themed Series!
This 3-part therapy toolkit includes:
- 🧠 An evidence-based research breakdown – click HERE to go straight to the EBR Info!
- 💬 A language resource that puts that research into action – Click HERE to go straight to the Language Info!
- 🎲 An articulation activity to wrap up the month’s theme – Click HERE to go straight to the Articulation Tic Tac Toe
It’s structured, simple, and meant to give you three weeks of cohesive, ready-to-use materials — all connected by a common theme.
(Think: less scrambling, more confidence and calm planning 🙌)
So whether you’re here for the research, the ready-to-go materials, or the playful therapy themes… there’s something for you every single week. 💛
September’s theme: BACK TO SCHOOL! This week, grab a free, easy to read visual of the EBR we are covering. Want even more inspiration? Check out our Free Back to School Speech Therapy Activities roundup post or look through our 245 + Back to School Speech Therapy Resources!
🎲 Articulation Game – Back-to-School Tic-Tac-Toe!
🧠 Why It Works
Making consistent articulation gains in speech therapy requires repetition—and lots of it. This speech sound therapy activity uses simple, visual articulation drills to target the K and S phonemes at the word level, helping students get maximum practice with minimal prep.
This Back-to-School Tic-Tac-Toe freebie includes 8 printable boards:
- 🟡 1 board each for initial, medial, final, and mixed positions for both K and S sounds
- 🟡 Back-to-school visuals and word lists that are familiar and classroom-friendly
- 🟡 Organized by sound and position to match articulation targets and IEP goal
Need More Free K Articulation Resources? Click HERE.
Need More Free S Articulation Resources? Click HERE.
💡 How to Use It in Therapy
This resource was designed to make articulation practice feel like play—while giving you structured support across multiple use cases. Here are just a few ways to use it:
- ✅ Small group practice: Students take turns producing words as they play
- ✅ Warm-up activity: Use one board to kick off sessions with high-frequency trials
- ✅ Independent center: Laminate and reuse with markers for early finishers
- ✅ Articulation homework: Send it home with simple directions for carryover
- ✅ Mixed group pairing: Let one student lead while others target different goals
Each game board supports speech sound production, speech motor skills, and early-year speech clarity using a format students already know and love.
Raise your hand if you think all articulation practice should feel like play!✋Check out the best of the best articulation games at Speech Therapy Store Shop!
🛒 Articulation Tools That Pair Perfectly
Want to keep the speech sound momentum going? These resources from the shop are a perfect fit:
🎯 Articulation Tic-Tac-Toe Bundle
If your students love this week’s freebie, they’ll flip for the full set! This bundle includes printable boards for multiple speech sounds, organized by position, with engaging visuals that make practice feel like play. Great for centers, mixed groups, or on-the-go sessions.
🚌 Back-to-School Bundle
A September favorite! Includes activities for articulation, language, and social skills using school-themed visuals and tasks that support speech sound development and classroom readiness.
📚 10-Month Speech Therapy Homework Packets
Monthly, themed packets featuring articulation homework and language pages to support yearlong carryover. Editable, no-prep, and built for consistency.
🎁 This Week’s Free Articulation Resource:
Back-to-School Tic-Tac-Toe for /K/ and /S/
This no-prep articulation practice game includes:
✅ 8 printable tic-tac-toe boards targeting /K/ and /S/
✅ 1 board each for initial, medial, final, and mixed positions
✅ School-themed vocabulary to support speech sound production
✅ Built-in structure for repeated phoneme practice
✅ Flexible use for sessions, centers, or articulation homework
💛 You’ve Got This
You’ve just built a full therapy month: evidence-based support, targeted language development, and now, fun and functional articulation gains — all under one consistent, back-to-school theme.
👇 New Here or Catching Up?
Keep scrolling to revisit the language freebie and a Background Knowledge research breakdown — they’re waiting for you just below. 💬🧠
📚 Language Resource – Putting the Research Into Action
Last week, we explored the research behind how background knowledge helps students absorb and retain new vocabulary—especially when paired with explicit instruction and repeated exposure.
This week, I’m sharing a free language resource that brings that research to life in your speech therapy sessions.
🧠 Why It Works
According to the research we highlighted from Dickinson et al. (2019), students learn best when they have schema—also called prior knowledge—about a topic before they dive into new vocabulary instruction. This strategy supports stronger language development by activating both receptive and expressive language skills.
This resource is designed to help students make real-world connections, deepen semantic development, and prepare their brains to retain new academic language.
👉 Want to dive deeper into the research? Click here to jump to the article summary below.
💬 Why This Matters in Therapy
As SLPs, we know vocabulary doesn’t stick when it’s taught in isolation. But when students connect a new word to what they already know (or even wonder about!), it becomes meaningful and memorable.
This “Know & Wonder” activity gives you a simple, flexible way to build that foundation—whether you’re supporting Tier 2 vocabulary, targeting language goals, or helping students participate more fully in the classroom.
🛒 School-Themed Language Tools from the Shop
Looking for more language resources to support schema-building and Tier 2 vocabulary? These tools pair perfectly with this week’s freebie:
✏️ Back-to-School Language Bundle
WH questions, categories, compare/contrast, and Tier 2 vocabulary — all wrapped in a school-themed bow. No prep, no stress, just solid language therapy.
🖍️ School Supply Fun Bundle
Turn everyday school items into language-building fun! Great for mixed groups and early-year engagement.
🎁 This Week’s Free Language Resource:
Know & Wonder: September Freebie – Schema + Tier 2 Vocabulary Tool
This free language development resource is designed to help students activate their background knowledge and build meaningful connections to new Tier 2 vocabulary—just like the research says they need.
Using a “Know & Wonder” format, students will rate their understanding, write or discuss what they already know, and generate questions about each academic word. Each vocabulary word included has been carefully selected for its relevance to school routines, classroom conversations, and speech therapy vocabulary development. You’ll find school-themed Tier 2 words for every grade from Kindergarten through 8th grade, with language levels clearly labeled (Level A through Level 8).
This resource supports both expressive language and receptive language growth by encouraging semantic development, comprehension, and contextual word understanding—all while building schema through reflection and guided prompts.
Whether you’re targeting academic language, working on language goals, or just want a creative way to integrate vocabulary instruction into your week, this freebie is flexible, easy to use, and grounded in evidence-based practice.
It’s perfect for:
- Small groups, whole-class support, or 1:1 speech therapy sessions
- Vocabulary intervention for Tier 2 words
- Jump-starting discussions and pre-teaching academic vocabulary
- Strengthening SLP lesson plans with a structured, research-backed tool
- Promoting active engagement in your speech therapy activities
💛 You’ve Got This
You’re building powerful connections every day—and now you’ve got the research and the tools to back you up. 💪
🔍 New Here or Want the Full Toolkit?
Scroll down to revisit the evidence-based research summary on Background knowledge, and stay tuned — an amazing articulation freebie drops next week right here in this same post. Bookmark it so you don’t miss a thing!
🎯 Today’s Focus: Background Knowledge
We’re diving into the importance of background knowledge in speech therapy—a foundational skill that boosts comprehension, supports language development, and helps students learn and retain new vocabulary more effectively.
When students come to a lesson with relevant schema—that is, prior knowledge about a topic—they’re better equipped to understand and apply academic vocabulary. And when we, as SLPs, intentionally activate that background knowledge, our instruction becomes significantly more impactful.
While this month’s theme is background knowledge, the evidence-based research we’re highlighting also emphasizes the power of Tier 2 vocabulary—those versatile, academic words that show up across subjects. Supporting students with explicit instruction in these words helps bridge the gap for learners with language delays or limited prior exposure.
JUST FOR YOU! Stop googling “Is _____ a Tier 2 Word?” HERE is a complete list of Tier 2 Words for grades K – 12th!
🔬 Evidence-Based Research Spotlight
“Teaching for Breadth and Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge” – Dickinson et al., 2019
This month’s evidence-based article highlights the importance of supporting both vocabulary development and background knowledge in speech therapy through purposeful book reading and rich, contextual language experiences. In their study, Dickinson and colleagues explored how explicit instruction and implicit learning during storybook readings help students develop language comprehension and retain new words.
The findings support what many speech-language pathologists already know: children learn best when therapy is rooted in evidence-based practice that builds schema through repetition, interaction, and academic language exposure.
💛 Grab your free visual guide to this research below! 💛
🔑 Key Takeaways for SLPs
- Vocabulary Learning through Book Reading
Children acquire new words more effectively when SLPs use both explicit vocabulary instruction (e.g., defining and discussing words) and implicit exposure (e.g., encountering words in context). This strengthens their reading comprehension and prepares them for success with Tier 2 vocabulary. - Vocabulary Breadth and Depth
Developing a wide range of words (breadth) and the ability to define and use them across settings (depth) is critical for academic progress. These are essential goals in any SLP lesson plan targeting language goals and vocabulary intervention. - Prior Vocabulary Knowledge
The study reinforces the value of schema activation—children with stronger prior knowledge learn new words more efficiently. Those with weaker vocabulary benefit more from structured speech therapy ideas that scaffold learning. - Repeated Exposure
Multiple readings of the same story support long-term vocabulary development. Incorporating speech therapy vocabulary into familiar texts and routines allows for both reinforcement and language comprehension growth. - Supplemental Activities and Interactive Techniques
Engaging students through thematic games, open-ended WH questions, and visual supports like AAC core words, word walls, or context-based tasks creates meaningful SLP background knowledge activities. This layered approach supports both struggling and thriving learners alike.
🧠 Application in Therapy
Speech-language pathologists can apply these findings by designing SLP strategies that combine:
- Repeated book readings
- Pre-teaching Tier 2 vocabulary
- Guided discussions and open-ended prompts
- Rich contextual experiences like games, music, or thematic tasks
- Support materials like our Mini Games: Vocabulary & Comprehension Series, Tier 2 Vocabulary Worksheets, and Articles with Context Clues
These research-based speech therapy practices are not only effective—they’re efficient and fun for students, especially during the back-to-school season.
💛 Why This Matters
When we combine schema-building, Tier 2 vocabulary instruction, and structured therapy, we’re using evidence-based vocabulary strategies—proven to improve comprehension, academic language, and engagement. You can grab your free visual guide to this research below!
September SLP Favorites from the Shop❤️
📘 Tier 2 Vocabulary Curriculum (K–6)
Unlock academic vocabulary with this powerhouse of Tier 2 word work! With 2,000+ words, built-in data tracking, and kid-friendly visuals, it’s everything you need to make vocabulary stick (without starting from scratch). Speechy, smart, and totally done-for-you.
🚌 Back-to-School Bundle
Your all-in-one therapy starter pack! Get articulation, language, and social skills activities themed around school routines—with zero prep and lots of engagement. Ideal for mixed groups, new routines, and calming that September chaos.
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📄 Freebie This Week: Background Knowledge Research Summary + Therapy Tips (PDF)
Grab your free PDF, which includes:
- A plain-language summary of Dickinson et al. (2017)
- Key takeaways about schema-building, Tier 2 vocabulary, and academic language support
- Quick therapy ideas and home practice activities (all back-to-school themed!)
- Links to additional Tier 2 vocabulary tools
🧡 You’ve Got This
Caseloads are heavy, IEPs loom, but you’re not alone in making therapy meaningful and manageable. Each month, I’m bringing you research-backed, theme-rich, no-prep resources—one piece at a time to ease planning and amplify impact.
Let’s make this school year amazing—starting now. 💛
✅ What’s Next
- Download this week’s research + therapy tips PDF
- Stay tuned for next week! A free back-to-school language resource that helps students activate schema before learning new Tier 2 words is coming!
- Bookmark this post— we will add quick jump links to all three sections (research, language, articulation)
✨ Want More Monthly Therapy Support?
The Speech Therapy Store Membership gives you access to hundreds of themed, ready-to-use resources each month — including language tools, articulation games, data sheets, visuals, and so much more.
Whether you’re here for the research, the therapy materials, or the planning support, the membership takes what you see in the SLP Core Series… and expands it into a full-blown therapy toolkit you can count on.
👉 Click here to join the waitlist and be the first to know when doors open!
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