3 Fun (& FREE) Ways to Build Rapport in Speech Therapy

How to build rapport in speech and why it's important… When I was first starting as an SLP in the schools, I made the huge mistake of thinking I could just jump right into therapy. There are so many things I needed to do first, and I learned rather quickly how to set myself and my students up for success. Relationship building.

Once I start my therapy schedule, I did a lot of routine and relationship building activities. This is so that my students know the expectations when they come to my room. We review goals​, get their folders set up, and have conversations about classroom routines. It’s not a super structured therapy lesson, but it’s so important to build that rapport so that your kids know what’s happening every time they come to your speech room. Then I set about getting to know them. Yes, I need to get baseline data and all that, but I want my students to feel comfortable and safe when they walk through the speech room door. So I try to make it as fun as possible! Here are some activities that might help you do the same…

Beach balls are great therapy tools… You can write WH words, vocabulary, conversation starters, anything! At the beginning of the year, I like to use one with conversation starters. Then just make sure all your kids are sanitized and have them toss the ball to each other and answer the prompts! I do make this super structured so that the ball doesn't go flying all over…they have to toss it underhand, they must answer the question their right thumb is touching, and they can't leave anyone out.

Using conversation cards paired with an open ended game can be really fun too. I like to use simple games, something like a dot page and dice or bingo. You can always use them with this but it adds an extra element of engagement. I have two sets of free conversation starters in my shop! This one includes a green screen component if you're still doing teletherapy, but you can totally just use the cards. And then there is this deck which was one of my go-to materials!

A craft or art activity can be another interactive way to get your students talking! I'm sharing another freebie, this Favorites Flower! It actually has two options, one where you just color and one where you can cut the pieces out, color and glue on together. It totally depends on your students and what you have time for, but this can be a great way to find out what your kids are into! You can also do UNfavorites on the back and talk about the things they dislike the most for each category…my students always thought that was fun! Download it below: