Mixed-Group Speech Therapy Activities: 6 Low-Prep Ideas

Every school-based SLP knows that scheduling is practically its own form of problem-solving therapy. Between lunch, specials, testing, and classroom schedules, getting students with different goals into one group can feel like a major accomplishment. Then comes the challenge of planning activities for every group on your schedule!

Here’s a time-saving strategy: Choose one activity and use it throughout the day! A short video, reading passage, or everyday scenario can target articulation in one group, inferencing in another, and functional language in the next. Simply adjust your prompts, cues, and expectations to match each student’s goals.

Here are six low-prep ideas you can use across upper elementary, middle, and high school groups.

6 Low-Prep Mixed-Group Speech Therapy Ideas

1. Short Videos or YouTube Shorts

Find an age-appropriate short video with an interesting event, unexpected ending, or problem to solve. Wordless videos are especially useful because students can interpret visual clues without relying on dialogue. Watch the video once, then replay selected scenes to target different goals.

Inferencing: What do you think the character was thinking? What visual clues support your answer?
Narrative Language: Retell the events in order. Explain the problem, actions, and outcome.
Complex Sentences: Combine two events using because, although, or while.
Articulation: Describe the scene or retell the events while practicing a target sound at the student’s current level.

Level Up: Pause before the ending and ask students to predict two possible outcomes. Have them explain which is more likely and why.

Try It: Explore Speech Therapy Video Companions on TPT for ready-to-use lessons, or pair your favorite video with these Free Making Inferences Activities.

2. Textbook Passages or Short Articles

Use a paragraph from a science or social studies textbook, a school assignment, or an age-appropriate article. Read a short section together, then assign different tasks based on individual goals. This is a great way to connect speech therapy with classroom learning while practicing academic language.

Main Idea: Identify the topic and explain the most important point in one sentence.
Summarizing: Select two or three essential details and create a brief summary.
Vocabulary: Explain an unfamiliar word using context clues, then use it in a new sentence.
Articulation: Identify relevant target words when available, then practice explaining the information aloud.

Level Up: Ask students to explain the same information to a younger student. What details or vocabulary would they change?

Try It: These Free Main Idea & Summarizing Activities include short informational passages and the TIPS Summarizing Strategy.

3. Restaurant Menus

Restaurant menus are excellent for functional language, especially with middle and high school students. Use an actual menu from a local restaurant or a simple sample menu.

Try this scenario: You have $15 to spend on lunch. A chicken bowl costs $12, a veggie wrap costs $10, and a sandwich costs $9. You also want a drink that costs $3. Prices do not include tax.

Problem-Solving: Which combinations fit your budget before tax? What would you need to consider before ordering?
Compare & Contrast: Compare two meals based on price, ingredients, and preferences.
Pragmatic Communication: Practice ordering, asking about ingredients, and requesting changes.
Complex Sentences: “Although I prefer the chicken bowl, I’ll order the sandwich because…”

Level Up: Your first choice is unavailable. Explain what you would order instead and why.

Students can take turns as the customer, server, and observer. The observer listens for clear requests, relevant questions, and appropriate responses.

4. Text Messages or School Announcements

Create a short fictional text exchange or use a school announcement to practice understanding and communicating important information.

Try this message:
“Hey! Practice moved to 4:30 today because the gym is being used. Meet outside the library instead. Bring your water bottle!”

Comprehension: What changed? Where should everyone meet? What should they bring?
Inferencing: What might happen if someone doesn’t read the message?
Summarizing: Explain the important information to someone who missed the message.
Pragmatic Communication: Write a reply asking for clarification or confirming the new plan.

Level Up: A friend says, “I’ll just go to the gym at the usual time.” Explain the misunderstanding and help them make a new plan.

This activity also works well with appointment reminders, work schedules, emails, and event notifications. Adjust the length and complexity to match your students’ abilities.

5. Flyers, Schedules, or Event Information

Use a school event flyer, movie schedule, club announcement, or community event listing. These materials encourage students to locate important information and apply it to everyday situations.

Try this scenario:
A school talent show is Friday at 6:00 p.m. Tickets cost $5, doors open at 5:30 p.m., and tickets must be purchased in advance.

Comprehension: When does the show begin? How much does it cost? Can you buy a ticket at the door?
Problem-Solving: You arrive at 5:45 without a ticket. What could you do?
Pragmatic Communication: Call a friend and explain when to arrive and what to bring.
Summarizing: Share the three most important details in a brief message.

Level Up: Compare this event with another school activity. Which would you recommend to a friend? Support your opinion with specific details.

6. Pictures or Everyday Scenes

Choose a photograph, advertisement, or busy visual scene. A picture of a crowded cafeteria, a messy classroom, or people waiting at a bus stop can lead to meaningful discussion without requiring worksheets.

Start with observation, then move toward more complex language.

Describing: Explain what you see using clear, specific details.
Inferencing: What might have happened before this picture was taken? What clues support your thinking?
Problem-Solving: Identify a possible problem and suggest two solutions.
Perspective Taking: How might two people in the scene feel differently about the same situation?
Articulation: Use relevant target words in descriptions, sentences, or connected speech.

Level Up: Have one student describe the picture without showing it to a partner. The partner draws or selects what was described and asks clarifying questions when needed.

Make One Material Work for Multiple Goals

The beauty of mixed-group therapy is that students don’t have to complete identical tasks to participate in the same activity. One student might practice articulation while describing a picture, another might make an inference, and a third might explain a solution using complex sentences.

Model the skill, provide guided practice, and adjust your cues and feedback for each student. Peers can stay involved by listening for clues, asking follow-up questions, or comparing responses.

You can also revisit familiar materials across sessions. A short video used for basic comprehension one week might support inferencing, summarizing, or articulation carryover the next. Choose activities that provide meaningful practice for each student’s individual goals rather than trying to address every possible skill in one session.

Keep Practicing!

Looking for more ready-to-use materials? Explore Free Speech & Language Therapy Activities for practice targeting inferencing, retelling, summarizing, problem-solving, articulation, and more.

For engaging lessons built around animated short films, browse my Speech Therapy Video Companions on TPT. Choose the activities that fit your students’ goals without creating everything from scratch.

The next time you’re planning for a mixed group, challenge yourself to find 10 ways to use one material. You may discover that some of your best therapy resources are already within reach!