I picked up a police badge and holder at the dollar store and wasn’t sure what to do with it. Then one day I grabbed my flashlight and started doing “Speech Interrogations.” I only did this in individual sessions so I can’t speak to how well it would work in group settings. I also played Speech Cop which may work better in a group.
Speech Interrogations
Materials:
- Speech Cop Badge
- Flashlight
- Cat (optional)
How to play:
- Choose any deck of cards or worksheet.
- Have the student sit on the opposite side of the table.
- Tell your student that you are going to have a speech interrogation. Show them your speech badge to let them know that you’ve been “deputized.”
- Shine the light on their forehead as you ask or give them the stimulus question.
- Try to use your best “interrogator” voice.
Bonus Speech Cop Game. The correct term would probably be Speech Officer.
Materials:
- Speech Cop Badge
- List of Speech Laws
How to play:
- Tell your students that you’ve been deputized and that you are now a “speech cop.”
- Start by making a list of “speech laws.” I usually involve the students with this. For example, if we are working on vocabulary, “laws” may include not defining words using the vocabulary word or using the word “thing” in a definition. If I am working on articulation, it would probably be not producing their targeted speech sound correctly. I try for 3-5 laws.
- Separate the laws into misdemeanors and felonies. Let the students decide what would be a bigger infraction. What penalties or fines would law enforcement deem appropriate? For articulation, errors on single words might be a felony but it could be a misdemeanor when you said it wrong in a sentence because that is a harder task. See how you’ve snuck a few law enforcement terms into the session? I’m tricky like that.
- Once you have the laws and “consequences” separated you can start any activity. If the student breaks a “law,” use your best siren voice, I prefer “oooh-eeee-oooh-eee-ooh-eee” since it works on combining lip rounding and retracting. Flip open your badge and tell them that they have violated the Speech statute 1456 (or whatever number you have decided on)
- I usually let students judge me as well and they can give me fines. I can model getting “feedback/fines” and trying to change my behavior. Or sometimes I just pretend like I’m really frustrated with myself because it’s funny for my clients.
Speech cop is one of my favorite “sneaky” games for teaching self monitoring. Do you have any silly games that you play in your speech room? I’d love to hear about them below!
photo credit: Kaptain Kobold via photopin cc
