169: 5 Tips for Mixed Groups in Speech Therapy
In this episode of the SLP Now podcast, Marisha dives into the power of working with mixed groups — and her top five tips to foster a supportive group learning environment.From the top, she stresses the importance of adjusting your mindset and embracing the positive aspects of mixed groups in speech therapy. She acknowledges the real challenges associated with mixed groups but also underscores the substantial benefits.While one-on-one therapy is sometimes the best option, there are situations where grouping students becomes a necessity. In Marisha's experience, working in schools with extensive caseloads required her to provide services to multiple students simultaneously. In such settings, there's simply not enough time in the day to accommodate one-on-one therapy for all students.For Marisha, this experience highlighted the value of focusing on the positive aspects of mixed groups, and she found herself incorporating them into her sessions more and more.Marisha highlights that mixed groups can serve as a platform for students to act as valuable role models, enhancing the generalization of skills. Students can scaffold and support each other, creating a dynamic and positive learning environment that's just not possible in one-on-one sessions.In the episode, Marisha covers:How to embrace and lean into the positive aspects of mixed groupsSetting up a strong data collection systemThe importance of preparing your visualsCreating a routine for your sessionsWhy planning ahead will prevent you from scramblingIf a lack of confidence is getting in the way of you making speech therapy magic happen with mixed groups, then this podcast episode is exactly what you need!We hope these tips will help you see the benefits of mixed groups and how they can foster a positive learning experience for your students — so that you can show up and do your best SLP work by working smarter, not harder.Make sure to check out the episode and full show notes — because that’s where you’ll find links to all the resources and tools mentioned. 👇SHOW NOTESFull show notes at slpnow.com/169