Silence is OK!

Speech therapy means talking. Right? Yes! All the time? NO! This is something that I’ve had to get better at since starting my career. Silence can take many forms.

It can mean extra processing time for a student.

It can mean you’re waiting to see if a student will initiate a conversation with another student.

It can mean that you’re giving a student a break.

It can mean that you’re letting all group members think before you call on someone to answer.

It can mean that you’re waiting to see if a student will make a better choice.

It can mean you’re waiting until everyone is quiet.

Lately, silence in my speech room has meant that I’m having students work with my No Prep Language Centers. 

I have set a timer and let them go to town (surprisingly all the students I’ve used them with have been all gung-ho for this). It actually gave me a few minutes to catch up on paperwork. Plus, it’s building their independence. We came together and discussed the sheets they had done. I also loved that I could tear them out and put in their working folders as work samples.

So try some silence out in your speech room!