Speech and Language Kids Podcast

The Best Clinical Curriculums for School SLPs in 2026

What if your entire speech therapy caseload could be supported by one organized clinical curriculum instead of dozens of disconnected resources? In this episode, we're talking about what a clinical curriculum is, why school-based speech-language pathologists and SLPAs need one, and how using a structured system can make therapy more effective, consistent, and easier to plan. We'll review the most popular clinical curriculums and talk about which population each one is designed for. I'll give you the pros and cons of each of these. Then, I'll introduce the SLK Clinical Curriculum—a comprehensive system designed specifically for school-based SLPs and SLPAs. It supports your entire caseload, from articulation and language to fluency, AAC, social communication, literacy, motor speech, and more, with clear pathways from evaluation to dismissal. If you've ever wished you had one roadmap for your therapy instead of reinventing the wheel every week, this episode is for you.

The Carrie Clark Method for Doing Awesome Speech Therapy

You asked for it — so here it is. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on the full Carrie Clark Method and showing you exactly how all the pieces fit together into one simple, repeatable system. We're talking about how to run your sessions without burning out on prep, how to find and use teaching materials that actually move kids through goals, how to plan an entire month in about 15 minutes, and how to collect meaningful data without making it the center of your universe. This is the Summer Reset wrap-up you didn't know you needed — and I'm ending it with a big announcement about what's coming for the 2026-2027 school year. (Hint: it's designed specifically for school-based SLPs, and I want your input on what it becomes.) If you've ever felt like you're spinning your wheels in sessions, piecing together materials from a hundred different places, or dreading data week — this episode is your permission slip to simplify everything. Hit play, then come find me inside the Hub. Big things are coming.

The Summer Planning Hack that SLPs are Doing Right Now to Set Up their Whole Year for Success

Ever set up an amazing organization system…only to completely abandon it by October? In this episode, Carrie breaks down the summer planning hack that SLPs are using right now to set themselves up for a smoother, less chaotic school year — and it works even if you don't have a ton of planning time, your caseload is out of control, or your admin keeps moving the goalposts. The secret? A simple speech folder system that separates your teaching materials from your engagement activities — so your prep stays low while your sessions stay fresh. You'll learn: * How to set up a speech folder box (and the teletherapy-friendly version) * A one-skill-per-month planning approach that actually sticks * How to run sessions that alternate between practice and fun without burning yourself out on prep * Why Buttercup's Speech Quests might just become your new best friend Whether your brain works against you or your schedule does, this system is designed to flex around real life — so you can actually stay organized, not just get organized. Ready to set up your speech box? Let's go.

Meet Buttercup the Speech Gnome! (And Hear her Story)

This episode is a little different — it's one you can play directly for your clients! Today I'm introducing a new friend to the podcast: Buttercup the Speech Gnome. My sons James and Oliver join me as helpers, and together we read Buttercup's origin story out loud — the tale of how she traveled from the land of Gnomewood, where a creeping darkness called "the Silence" was swallowing every sound, to find humans brave enough to speak their "Words of Power" (aka their speech and language skills) and help push the Silence back for good. If you've never heard of Buttercup before, here's the quick version: inside the Speech and Language Kids Hub, Buttercup goes on daily speech quests with kids working on their communication goals. After practicing their target skill with their SLP, kids get to roll the Resonance Stone — a d20 that triggers something fun, silly, or magical depending on the number rolled, anything from a tiny chime to Buttercup literally crying happy tears. James and Oliver try it out live in this episode so you can hear exactly how it plays out. This episode works great as a fun listen for SLPs curious about the Speech Gnomie world, or as a read-aloud/play-along for clients who are just discovering Buttercup for the first time. After listening, visit http://Hub.SpeechAndLanguageKids.com [http://Hub.SpeechAndLanguageKids.com] to grab Buttercup's Welcome Kit — including a coloring page and an Official Speech Gnomie Membership Certificate — and join the Speech Gnomie Crew.

3 Ways to Use Themes in Speech/Language Therapy (Without Burning Yourself Out)

Themes are one of the best tools in an SLP's toolkit. They keep kids engaged, tap into what's happening in their world right now, and make sessions feel fresh and fun. But if you've ever spent a Sunday night frantically hunting for a "dinosaur-themed articulation activity" only to find... nothing useful... you know the burnout is real. In this episode, I'm breaking down three practical ways to bring themes into your therapy sessions without adding a ton of extra work to your plate. We're talking about using AI to generate themed materials on the fly, the magic of one themed activity that works for every kid on your caseload, and simple themed props that do the heavy lifting for you. I'll also be kicking off our Summer Reset series: 8 steps to help you finally become an Unstressed Speechie before the new school year sneaks up on you. Whether you want to overhaul your session notes, streamline your IEP process, or just stop dreading Monday mornings, this series is for you. Themes don't have to mean more work. Let me show you how.