Cooking Up Good Speech....

with "SpeechSnacks" that Inspire Children to Speak Well and Eat Well!

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Meet the SLP

Welcome to my little piece of the world wide web! My name is Rose Ann Kesting. I am an ASHA certified, NJ licensed, speech-language pathologist, with 25 years of experience. I am a graduate of Loyola University in Maryland where I received my B.A. in Speech Pathology & Audiology, and then returned to my home state to attain my Master’s Degree at TCNJ (The College of New Jersey.) I have practiced in a variety of settings including public and private schools and clinics, with children ranging from pre-k to grade 12, however, the majority of my experience has been with the middle and high school-aged population. I’ve always enjoyed the challenges of this age group. It is rewarding to help guide them through these years and watch them grow into young adults. Currently, I work full-time in a private school for students, ages 8-18, with dyslexia and language-based learning disabilities. We are one of the only Orton-Gillingham accredited schools in the United States.

Cooking and baking have been an interest of mine for as long as I can remember. Since childhood, I have been preparing meals, experimenting with recipes, and exploring my culinary curiosities. As the oldest of four siblings, I often found myself in the kitchen helping to prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner–and creating lots of snacks and desserts! My parents and sisters were subjected to many of my original concoctions like my peanut butter-brown sugar apple dip, scalloped potatoes in a béchamel sauce, and pineapple upside-down cake. I also vividly remember entertaining my younger siblings after dinner with my Julia Child impersonation (her voice, her mannerisms, the whole thing—move over Dan Aykroyd!) I found Julia’s personality so amusing. She was incredibly knowledgable about the technical intricacies of cooking (especially regarding french cuisine) yet her personality was approachable and down to earth. And she had such a flair for explaining her way through any mistakes she made on live TV–she was truly a pioneer in the food tv business! As the oldest sibling, I also clearly remember needing to be the “teacher” when we played “school” at home, much to my sisters’ disliking. I am the bossiest oldest, after all, so it was only fair! In elementary school, two of my sisters needed speech therapy for remediation of the /r/ and /s/ sounds. When I met their speech therapist, I thought she was so amazing! I wanted to be like her. I loved looking through the speech homework they brought home and listening to them practice their sounds! I guess these early experiences left a lasting impression!

Here are some other fun facts about me:

  •  As you may have guessed from the theme of my blog, I love food!  Making it, writing about it, using it in therapy (when appropriate), and of course, eating it!  I have been blogging about speech, language, and food since 2011! In my next life, I think I will come back as a pastry chef and own a small patisserie in Paris!  For now, I will settle for sharing my passion with my family, friends, and students!   You can browse my site for lots of food-inspired activities and TpT products with a food theme!
  •  Practically my whole family is in the education business!   My husband is a school principal.  He used to teach middle school Spanish and started his career as an elementary school teacher.  My three sisters are middle and high school English and science teachers.  My brothers-in-law are music and physical education teachers.   We always joke about opening our own school someday.  I think we have all our bases covered!
  • I learned to play the guitar at a young age.  I was taught by a nun (no, not Maria Von Trapp! lol!)  I played at all the folk masses in my church and as a teenager studied classical/acoustic guitar with an amazing British guitar teacher.   When I became a parent,  I loved writing fun and silly songs for my baby boy.   Maybe one day I will get up the nerve to play for my older students—but I better learn something really cool so I can impress them!  I am a big advocate of using music in speech/language lessons when possible.  It’s such a great motivator!!
  • I played sports throughout my childhood and at the high school and college-level.  Sports can teach so many life lessons—hard work, persistence, dedication, success, and failure.   I became a fitness instructor as an adult and spent many hours working on my kickboxing, strength training, and step aerobic routines.  It’s a good thing I love exercising to balance out my love for food!!

******************************************************************

Back in January 2013, I participated in a “Chain Letter Link Up” with several other speech pathologists.   If you want to learn more about me and my blog you can check out the interview questions and answers:

1. Your name, email, and TpT store if you have one. If not, feel free to leave me your blog link.
Rose Ann Kesting
rokesting@verizon.net
http://www.speechsnacks.com
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Speechsnacks

2. When and why did you start blogging?
I started my blog in Sept 2011.  I had been following a couple of speech-language blogs and felt inspired to create one of my own. My passions are my profession and cooking. I wanted a place to be creative and collect my ideas. I have always been a “think outside the box” kind of person, and I think the uniqueness of my blog reflects that.  I love new challenges and considered starting a blog a true challenge, especially since I had absolutely no experience with creating a website. I originally figured out how to set it up without assistance, which was very frustrating and time-consuming at times, although, I have had updates made by web designers over the years. That being said, I am proud of what I have accomplished and I learn new things about blogging every day.

3. What is your favorite population to work with?
Our profession allows us to work with every age group– from pediatric to geriatric.  I have appreciated working with different populations at different times in my life.  When I entered the field 18 years ago I was an SLP in two middle schools and a high school. I worked mainly with self-contained students in the public school system. I worked with this population for almost 10 years.  When I had my son, I decided to stay home to raise a family for a few years, while seeing clients privately from home.  When I returned to work on a part-time basis, I decided to switch gears and work with preschoolers.   Most of my caseload consisted of articulation and mild language delays. I am now back to almost full time and am fortunate enough to work at two great jobs—with the preschoolers in a clinic and at a private school with 8-18-year-olds with language-based learning disabilities—a very unique and rewarding work environment!  I enjoy being in different settings with different age groups—-it keeps me on my toes—my job never gets monotonous!

4. How much time per week do you spend blogging and/or creating materials?
It all depends on how busy life is at the moment!  My blog is very unique in that I have incorporated my passion for healthy cooking with ways to reinforce speech and language development.  I usually base my
posts on the foods I prepare for my own family or themed to holidays and seasons.  My blog started off geared primarily toward parents/families with the goal of informing them of ways to enjoy spending time cooking nutritious foods while reinforcing speech sound production, learning how to sequence steps in a recipe, building vocabulary by categorizing and classifying foods and other kitchen related words, etc.  It became a bit more elaborate as time went on and I now include printable activities that tie in with the theme of the post so that SLP’s can also make use of my activities in the school setting.   I hope that parents, therapists, and children can all take away something useful, fun and informative from my information.

5. What’s your favorite topic to create materials for?
FOOD, of course!  I center each of my posts around a nutritious (and sometimes fun but not so healthy) recipe idea to make at home and, when possible, in the therapy setting.  I include detailed, colored photos of each step in the recipes so if it cannot be made at school, the photos can be printed and then used for sequencing and direction following.  My hope is that SLP’s will share these recipe ideas with their “speech parents “so that there will be follow-up in the home environment. My blog is versatile for many age groups—not only can you address various speech sounds with younger students, but older students who need to develop life skills and executive functioning skills can utilize the recipes for this purpose.  I can’t think of a better way to strengthen communication skills than through cooking with your kids.  And it’s a wonderful opportunity to spend some quality time connecting with them!

6. What’s the best thing about blogging?
It’s a great feeling to have an idea in your head and then see it materialize in writing and pictures.  My 10-year-old son thinks I am a pretty cool mom for having a website and he often helps me with my recipes and some of the instructional videos I have posted on my site.  His cousins and friends have also gotten in on the act! (You can check out my “Cooking Up Good Speech” video series on my site to see them in action!)  It’s rewarding to know that I have made a positive impact on their young lives and maybe inspired them in some way!   I hope I have helped my followers see cooking and healthy eating habits in a whole new light—a way to take what we do every day and turn it into a teachable moment!

7. Do you have any blogging tips?
1–If you don’t have a strong background in web development or setting up a blog, get some help–it will save you a lot of headaches and time in the long run!  2—Blog about what inspires you!  You will be motivated to continue blogging if you are passionate about what you write about!  3–Keep a pen and paper near your night table…I have had many ideas come to me as I settled down for the night (I guess my mind is always racing or maybe I’m just always hungry!)  You just might “dream up” some of your best ideas in the middle of the night.

8.  Have you attended any good workshops lately?
Yes! This October I attended a workshop presented by the amazing Sarah Ward on Executive Functioning Skills.  She shared many practical strategies that I have been able to utilize with my older students. It has helped me gain a better understanding of some of the weaknesses they experience in their daily life.  She addressed time management skills, thinking in an organized way, organization related to homework, classroom management, and basic living skills.  She had so much great information to share and was such a dynamic speaker!  Her workshop also helped me realize that my blog is a direct way of working on so many of the areas she discussed.  Cooking in the kitchen is a great way to address executive functioning skills—by practicing direction following in an organized, efficient fashion!  One more great reason to follow me at www.speechsnacks.com

 

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👋 Just stopping in to welcome some new follower 👋 Just stopping in to welcome some new followers and share a little bit about  my other account...The Kidz Kitchen @thekidzkitchenofnj , with you. 

The Kidz Kitchen is a unique, hands-on cooking program where kids come together to cook, create, communicate, and collaborate in every class. 🍎👩‍🍳✨

The Kidz Kitchen is more than just a place to learn how to make delicious recipes — it’s the heart and soul of my journey as both a speech-language pathologist and a passionate home cook and baker. 💬🥣 

For years, I created themed snack activities during my speech and language sessions to make learning fun and engaging. What began on my blog, Cooking Up Good Speech and Language (www.speechsnacks.com), has grown into a dynamic, in-person experience where those same ideas have come to life!

Each Kidz Kitchen class blends language development with culinary creativity. We focus on building essential communication skills — like following directions, using rich vocabulary, staying organized, and working as a team — all while making fun and tasty dishes together. It's learning that sticks… and tastes good too! 🌟
📢 We are loving how this SLP is using our Natio 📢 We are loving how this SLP is using our National Speech-Language-Hearing Month product! 💬🧠👂

Check out this creative display outside her speech room where students can cast their vote on whether statements are facts or opinions using our Fact/Opinion cards. 🎉 What an engaging and interactive way to boost awareness of speech, language, and hearing while also teaching a valuable critical thinking skill!

Looking for a fun and meaningful way to celebrate this month in your school? Head over to my TpT store to grab this resource—it’s packed with activities to promote National Speech-Language-Hearing Month in a way your students will love! 💙

Drop a 👍 and I'll share the link,  find it in the profile link.  or head to my TpT store: SpeechSnacks.

 https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/National-Speech-Language-Hearing-Month-Activity-Packet-1230808
If you follow my other account @thekidzkitchenofnj If you follow my other account @thekidzkitchenofnj, then you know I'm not just an SLP, I'm also "Chef Rose," owner of The Kidz Kitchen--Where Cooking and Communication Go Hand in Hand. My cooking classes for kids teach a blend of culinary skills and communication concepts.

Have you seen the viral AI-generated action figures #aidoll taking over your feed?? — Meet Chef Rose—Collector’s Edition! 👩‍🍳✨ 

We’re jumping on the bandwagon and having some fun by creating our very own AI doll--- complete with our logo apron and some fun cooking accessories!

The real Chef Rose will be in action in @thekidzkitchenofnj this weekend with her amazing Junior Chefs, whipping up a delicious springtime treat featuring flaky puff pastry, fluffy whipped cream, and fresh sliced berries. 🍓🥐🍦
Flashback to Day One in The Kidz Kitchen! It’s Flashback to Day One in The Kidz Kitchen!

It’s hard to believe that just a year ago, we opened our doors for the very first time, welcoming young chefs into our kitchen. In just two weeks, we’ll kick off YEAR TWO with our Spring session, and we couldn’t be more excited!

Swipe through these photos from our very first day—featuring Chef Rose (owner),
our amazing assistant chefs Marie and Allie, and our very first morning and afternoon classes of junior chefs! We’ve come so far since that day, learning, growing, and teaching countless kids the joy of cooking.

We’ve learned SO MUCH, grown as a team, and taught so many amazing kids the joy of cooking. From mastering kitchen skills to building confidence and friendships, this journey has been incredible.

We can’t wait to welcome back our returning junior chefs and meet a whole new group of future foodies. The countdown to March 15th is ON—let’s get ready to cook, create, communicate and collaborate!
Feeling incredibly honored to have written a piece Feeling incredibly honored to have written a piece for The ASHA Leader, the national magazine published by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association about my business, @thekidzkitchenofnj

As a speech pathologist with years of experience, bringing my passion for cooking and communication together through The Kidz Kitchen has been a dream come true. 🌟

I’m so proud to share my story in this publication and hope it inspires others to follow their dreams too.
👩‍🍳👨‍🍳👩‍🍳👨‍🍳👩‍🍳👨‍🍳

You can view the full article in the bio link.

#thekidzkitchenofnj #ashaigers  #KidsInTheKitchen #CookingAndCommunication #cookingskills #cookingwithkids #CommunicationSkills #CulinaryAdventure #kidscookingschool #childrensculinaryinstitute #kidscookingactivities #kidscancook#slpeeps #slpsoninstagram #slpsofinstagram #slps #slpsontpt  #executivefunctioning  #schoolslp #cookingwithkids #slpsontpt #speechlanguagepathologists #languagechefs #cookingupgoodspeech #cookingintheclassroom #slpbloggers #lifeskillsforkids #instaspeech #instaslps
✨DO YOU WANT TO BUILD A SNOWMAN?✨ (A marshmall ✨DO YOU WANT TO BUILD A SNOWMAN?✨ (A marshmallow one, of course!) ☃️❄️

Skip the store-bought hot chocolate and make the winter season extra special! Teach your students how to whip up super simple, homemade hot chocolate while exploring tons of language concepts along the way in my LANGUAGE-RICH RECIPE RESOURCE: LANGUAGE CHEF!👩‍🍳👨‍🍳

This activity is perfect for warming up your sessions after the holiday break and is a ⭐️FREE⭐️ resource in my TeachersPayTeachers store!

☕️ Fun. Engaging. Educational.
Want to check it out? ❄️ Link in my bio or drop a ☃️ below, and I’ll send you the link!

#HomemadeHotChocolate #slpeeps #slpsoninstagram #slpsofinstagram #slps #slpsontpt #executivefunctioning #schoolslp #ashaigers #middleschoolslp #cookingwithkids #speechlanguagepathology #teacherspayteachers #languagechefs #cookingupgoodspeech #cookingintheclassroom #slpbloggers #homemadetreats #kidapproved #nobaketreats #nobakedesserts #kidsnacks #speechsnacks #executivefunctioningskills #instaspeech #schoolslp #slpsoninstagram #slpsofinstagram #speechsnacks #cookingupgoodspeech #snowmansoup #speechlanguagepathology #sped #cookinginspeech
DO YOU WANT TO BUILD A SNOWFLAKE⁉️❄️❄️ DO YOU WANT TO BUILD A SNOWFLAKE⁉️❄️❄️❄️
.
We created a winter wonderland in tne speech room while working on DIRECTION FOLLOWING, SEQUENCING, AND VOCABULARY, (symmetrical, unique, secure, seasonal) , /s/ and /s/ blends.
.
This craft is called an ARIZONA SNOWFLAKE. Can you figure out why??? I asked my students to tell my why they think this is the name. Some struggled, so I gave them clues to help them reason through and connect the dots. 
.
For this project you will need 8 paper lunch bags. Secure them together with a bead of glue down the middle of each bag ( I chose to do this part by hot gluing them but a good glue stick will als do the job.) The students needed to make sure the bags were neatly layered directly on top of each other and all facing the same direction). Next they drew a pattern on one half of the bag and made a symmetrical design on the opposite side. They used scissors to cut through the layers of bags ( with assistance if needed). They opened and spread out the bags from each end.... and like magic.... our SNOWFLAKE came to life!! 
.
This low cost, low prep activity has been a hit with my older students. Have fun making snowflakes in speech this holiday season!!
.
.
#speechlanguagepathology #slpsoninstagram #slps #speechtherapy #schoolslp #ashaigers #slpsontpt #slpbloggers #instaslps #instaspeech #slpsoninstagram #slpsofinstagram #middleschoolslp #seasonalcrafts #snowflakecraft #craftsinspeech
🚨 HOLIDAY ALERT! 🚨 Are you "hungry" for fres 🚨 HOLIDAY ALERT! 🚨 Are you "hungry" for fresh ideas to add fun, functional communication to your therapy sessions or classroom?

🌟 LANGUAGE CHEF has you covered with simple, multisensory, language-rich recipes that will keep your students motivated and engaged this holiday season!

🎅 Here's what's on the menu:
✅ Rudolph Apple Slices
✅ Grinch Hearts
✅ Snowman Bagels
✅ Reindeer Sandwiches
✅ Snowy Popcorn
✅ Grinch Fruit Kabobs
✅ Veggie Bagel Ornaments
✅ Snowman Hot Chocolate
✅ Holiday Cookie Bites … and MORE!

Drop a 🎄 for the link to these recipes and all the language extension activities in the WINTER EDITION of LANGUAGE CHEF!

Let’s start cooking up good speech and language together this holiday season!

#slpeats #speechsnacks #instabaker #cookingwithkids #cookingupgoodspeech #bakersofinstagram #fallbaking #instaspeech #instaslps #slpsoninstagram #cookingwithkids #schoolslp #ashaigers #fallcookies #sped #lifeskillsforkids
WHAT A DILLEMA‼️I try to guestimate correctly, WHAT A DILLEMA‼️I try to guestimate correctly, but every year I seem to buy more candy than I need! So now what do I do with it all? 😕

A. Bring it to work for my students and coworkers?
B. Throw it out?
C. Bake up some 
CANDY BUCKET COOKIES❓️‼️🍫🪣🍪

If you guessed C, you are correct! Although A and B would probably be better for my health, the creative, sugar-addict side of me is winning this battle.

This recipe is a great way to support DIRECTION FOLLOWING, SEQUENCING SKILLS, EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING and SO MUCH LANGUAGE! 
.
Here's the recipe:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups leftover Halloween candy (chopped)
Beat butter and sugar until smooth....beat in vanilla and eggs...add flour, baking soda and salt...slowly stir in candy pieces...plane 2 tablespoon scoops of dough onto cookie sheet spaced 1 inch apart...press extra candy pieces on top of each scoop....bakes at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes until browned around edges....let cool 5 minutes....enjoy!!!!!🍪👨‍🍳🍪👩‍🍳
.
#slpeats #speechsnacks #instabaker #cookingwithkids #cookingupgoodspeech #bakersofinstagram #fallbaking #instaspeech #instaslps #slpsoninstagram #cookingwithkids #schoolslp #ashaigers #fallcookies #sped #lifeskillsforkids

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  • Learn a variety of spring-themed vocabulary while playing a mathematical game!  Sentence examples and graphic organizer included.
  • Your students will love these fun April Fool's practical joke scenarios! Predict what might happen next and and identify feelings with this fun product.
  • This fun language game contains a collection of "green things" that can be used in several different ways: for RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE: Give your student THREE clues or THREE adjectives describing an object and ask them to guess the object. (played similar
  • FREE!  I've created a craftivity (or cork-tivity!) for St. Patty's Day that can be used as a speech and language reinforcer--something for all ages/ability levels.
  • You've heard of Trip Advisor® , a tool that helps you plan your next vacation. Now you can work on language skills while taking a vacation to the Emerald Isle!  Great for middle/high school students!
  • Help your older students identify and define figurative language concepts with this fun St. Patty's Day activity
  • A snack fit for an Olympian! Easy to make with your speech students. Great for direction following and sequencing (plus a few comprehension questions included!)

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Cooking Up Good Speech

3 weeks ago

Cooking Up Good Speech
How cool is this?! An AI-generated podcast was created all about my business, The Kidz Kitchen of NJ, citing the article I recently authored in The ASHA Leader, and sharing how it all began with my blog, www.speechsnacks.com, and my digital language-based recipe resource, Language Chef. Give it a listen if you’re curious! notebooklm.google.com/notebook/3a2308fd-f423-4551-968a-e774106d95f3/audio ... See MoreSee Less

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Cooking Up Good Speech

3 weeks ago

Cooking Up Good Speech
📢 We are loving how this SLP is using our National Speech-Language-Hearing Month product! 💬🧠👂Check out this creative display outside her speech room where students can cast their vote on whether statements are facts or opinions using our Fact/Opinion cards. 🎉 What an engaging and interactive way to boost awareness of speech, language, and hearing while also teaching a valuable critical thinking skill!Looking for a fun and meaningful way to celebrate this month in your school? Head over to my TpT store to grab this resource—it’s packed with activities to promote National Speech-Language-Hearing Month in a way your students will love! 💙https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/National-Speech-Language-Hearing-Month-Activity-Packet-1230808 ... See MoreSee Less

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Cooking Up Good Speech

4 months ago

Cooking Up Good Speech

Cooking Up Communication in a Kitchen Classroom

leader.pubs.asha.org

An SLP uses culinary instruction to build children’s vocabulary, problem-solving, and language skills—while they connect socially.
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Cooking Up Good Speech "" updated their status.

4 months ago

Cooking Up Good Speech

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Cooking Up Good Speech

8 months ago

Cooking Up Good Speech
Did you know September 19th is "Talk Like A Pirate Day?" A pirate theme is fun any time of year, especially when September is often too warm to think about pumpkin spice! It's a great theme for Halloween and the summer months as well!Pirate Snack Mix is a step-by-step visual recipe (using full-color photos) for addressing communication skills with all ages and ability levels from my recipe resource ©LANGUAGE CHEF. This activity includes the following:•lesson plan page•full-color step-by-step recipe VISUALS (using real photos)•written directionsFollow-up language extension activities:•Rate the Recipe feedback sheet•Recalling & Sequencing the recipe steps (visual activity)•Recipe Summary Organizer (written activity)•Pirate Mix Memory Game•Talk the Plank! Walk the Plank! Vocabulary game for younger students•Pirate Language Loot Vocabulary game for older studentswww.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/LANGUAGE-CHEF-PIRATE-EDITION-Language-Skills-Cooking-Visual-R... ... See MoreSee Less

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