I've got something super cool to share with you guys today! Recently I was given the opportunity to try out some of Learning Resources‘ products and I am so excited to show you the first…Talk Bar!
Talk Bar is a 6 button, recordable device. Each button can hold up to 10 seconds of audio. It comes with 18 blank cards that easily slide in and out. The Talk Bar is super easy to use…there is a switch at the bottom to set to record, play, or off. It is also wall mountable, that wouldn't really serve my purposes, but it could for a different classroom. I don't know about you, but I can think of a 486 ways to use this! You can definitely utilize as for AAC but you can also use for other therapy activities….
On first glance, I knew I could use if for answering/asking questions so I put the WH (plus ‘how') question words on each of the buttons. I used with one group after we read a story, and they each recorded a sentence about it answering their question type.
Something else I did was attach velcro circles to the buttons. This works for me because I have tons of pictures for schedules/choice boards/etc with velcro already attached to the back, so now I can use them with this! I used the really thin velcro so that I can still slide the cards over it. You could just create new slide in cards for visuals, but I like the idea of being able to use things I already have.
For this example, I used a set of toy pictures from a board I made with Custom Boards and attached to the velcro. I recorded the name of each picture, then during my session, the student can make his activity choice. You can also choose to not use all of the buttons, if your students need less choices.
Here are some other ideas I had for ways to use the Talk Bar:
- Visual Schedule
- Requesting
- Vocabulary
- Sequencing
- Sentence Structure/Expansion
Overall, the Talk Bar is super easy to use and can be adapted for many different types of activities and students. It is available from Learning Resources for $59.99…but they also want to give one to a reader! Enter below to win via Rafflecopter!
Also, make sure you check out Learning Resources on Pinterest!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Learning Resources provided one free Talk Bar for me to review and one for the giveaway winner. No other compensation was provided. Opinions are all mine.
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I could certainly see this put to use as a story retelling device or perhaps using it in conjunction with the EET tool to create definitions….
Love the idea with EET
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I would love to use this for my kids with personal narrative goals! I could label each (e.g., Who? Where? When? Detail. Detail. Detail.) This would be a fantastic tool!
You could easily use it for recording pragmatic language skills and fluency skills.
I would use it with the EET- also for fluency students- demonstrating different techniques on it. So they can hear it when they need cues.
Need this! Would be so great for retelling or answering comprehension questions!
Would love to use it for sequencing
Would love this for its versatility in therapy!!!
I love the idea of using it for fluency. Endless possibilities!! -Lia Courtney
sequencing and story retell!
I would use this for ” wh” questions and sequencing.
This would be great for a variety of ages on my caseload! I would probably use it most for vocabulary development in my younger kids.
I would use it for increasing vocabulary skills for my lifeskill students. I would ask questions and they would select the correct item. Think it would be good to use for following directions. The student would be in charge of the instructions according to which one they select.
I would like to try it with my preschool apraxia students for choices, responses…you name it 😉
I would love to use this for so many different things in my speech room — vocabulary building, sequencing, story re-tell, visual schedule.. the list goes on and on!
Ditto for all the ideas posted. I would start with following directions in my therapy room.
I would use it to work on sequencing and category naming. I think the “wh” question idea was a great one!
This would be a great tool for therapy!
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I would lie to use this for sequencing, wh questions, and visual scheduling.
I would definitely use with Apraxia kids, story telling, AAC and as a visual schedule
I would use it for my life skills social group to make choices and for the repetitive lines in story books.
I would use this for vocabulary and sequencing
I am not a therapist, just a parent, but my son will be starting early childhood SPED in January and they use picture boards to show steps in an activity. These boards are really neat, and I think using one for how to wash hands, go potty, etc might be helpful for our family.
I have a cheap talk that functions in the same way. I bought for a student with AAC needs and she hasn’t used it in years. Why didn’t I think of using it as you describe? Pure genius.