Greeting Time in the Pre-K
SPED Classroom - and the
SLP
What is it and how do I use it for
speech/language therapy?
What is Greeting Time in the
High Scope Curriculum?
Opportunity for:
- Greeting each other
- Establishing the tone for the day
- Establishing expectations for the day
- Learning rhymes and songs
- Learning how to deal with stress
- Learning how to connect with others and
to be aware of others
Why would I provide therapy
during this time of the Pre-k day?
This is the time of day that allows direct
contact with the children on your caseload as
well as opportunity for collaboration with the
teacher
A great time to help low-language and nonverbal children with accommodations to help
them meet their annual goals and begin
introducing them to augmentative
communication tools and strategies
No child should leave Pre-k without a means
of communication
How long should Greeting
Time last?
Many teachers add phonological awareness
activities or shared reading activities during
this time.
There should be active and passive activities
throughout the Greeting Time.
Greeting Time generally lasts between 20-30
minutes with phonological awareness or
Shared Reading included
Determining how to provide
therapy at this time
First, realize that this is a teacherdirected, highly structured and routine
time.
- The teacher will established a set routine
- This will be a collaboration opportunity
- If you are not familiar with the routine, join
in and observe for the first 3-4 times before
offering suggestions.
Observations at Greeting
Time
The first 3-4 times, just relax and be a vigilant
observer.
– Learn the routine established by the teacher
– Watch the children on your caseload and note their
participation, speech and language skills, understanding,
opportunities to engage as typical children can
– Make lots of notes about your individual students and their
ability to understand and participate actively in the Greeting
Time activities;
– Think about the “tasks” children are expected to perform in
Greeting Time. Look at the Pre-K Assistive Technology
Implementation Plan with the teacher, if possible.
Using your observation notes to inform
therapy during Greeting Time
Determine which things observed are most
important their speech/language goals and
benchmarks
– Think about the activities at greeting time
– Identify accommodations that may allow your
children to participate or practice target goals
more
– Go to the Adaptation Station on the Pre-K website
for suggestions of accommodations
• AAC tools and strategies
• Positive Behavioral Supports
Using your observation notes to inform
therapy during Greeting Time
Determine which things observed are most
important their speech/language goals and
benchmarks
– Speak with the teacher about observations
and specific accommodations or
modifications you would like to make
– Be particularly aware of children who rarely
use language in the activities
What modifications or
accommodations should I suggest?
Anything you and the teacher can agree upon
to help the children
– Understand what they hear, see, touch
– Participate in each part of the activity actively- singing
a song, answering a question, offering a comment
– Express themselves clearly in the most sophisticated
way possible for them- using 1-2 word
utterances(verbally or with picture boards or speech
generating devices), using sentences (verbally or….),
using targeted phonemes with accuracy
– Practice skills efficiently
What is my role in Greeting
Circle Time?
This is your opportunity to foster a language
rich environment. This means;
– The children will find multiple opportunities and
means to initiate
– They will not simply be responders
– All children will have the methods or modes they
need to communicate **see note below
– All children will be encouraged to do more each
time
Why?
Research by ASHA’s NOMs Study indicates:
Language is best learned in a group of
peers and adults
http://www.asha.org/members/research/NOMS/default.htm
– Current language theory indicates that language develops
through interaction and relationships
– Brain research indicates that thinking skills, language growth
develops through interaction that allows for agreement and
disagreement. Use of protest is very important in everyday
activities.
– Brain research also suggests that gesturing and modeling of
skills within natural context allows children to learn skills
more readily - www.interdisciplines.org/mirror
(Susan Hurley)
What is possible during
Greeting Time?
A terrific time to address the goals and
benchmarks of children who are low-verbal
and non-verbal using assistive technology
A great time to address pragmatic language
skills **see note
A time for generalization for those children
targeted for dismissal from speech and/or
language therapy
What is not possible during
Greeting Time?
This is not a time to
– Teach awareness of targeted phonemes
– Teach initial use of new targeted
phonemes
You are going to have to work within the
structure of the Greeting Time. This offers
the opportunity to influence carryover and
generalization of skills in the classroom.
As the year goes on….
Consider being the lead during Greeting Time
once in a while
Make adjustments to modifications,
accommodations with the teacher
Make suggestions for songs or rhymes based
on language and speech goals and
benchmarks
Take a class in Conscious Discipline and
learn the tools - these are awesome
speech/language tools