Articulation
Articulation: How we make speech sounds using our mouths, lips, and tongue. For example, we need to be able to say the “r” sound to say “rabbit” instead of “wabbit”. Voice is how we use our vocal folds and breath to make sounds.
Articulation: How we make speech sounds using our mouths, lips, and tongue. For example, we need to be able to say the “r” sound to say “rabbit” instead of “wabbit”. Voice is how we use our vocal folds and breath to make sounds.
Ideas to facilitate articulation development at home are as follows:
Ideas to facilitate articulation development at home are as follows:
All Ages:
- Look in a mirror! Practice moving your tongue, lips, and jaw. Make some funny faces, and then practice your target sound(s). Notice what all your “speech helpers” (tongue, lips, etc.) are doing to help you make the sound.
- Practice your speech sound(s) by themselves first, then try them in words, then sentences, and finally, in conversations! See how many good speech sounds you can use during a particular activity or amount of time.
Preschool Age:
- Identify items around your house that begin with a target sound. Go on a scavenger hunt to find each one. Name them as you find them.
- Make things with play dough that have a target sound. For example, to work on the /k/ sound, practice saying “kuh, kuh, kuh, kuh, kuh” as you cut the play dough.) Make a cupcake, cookies, candle, and cake.
- Roll a die and say a sound or a word with that sound that many times. Then jump, take baby steps, or giant steps the same number of times.
Elementary Age (K-4):
- Think of 9 words that start with the sound you will practice. Fill out a tic-tac-toe board on paper and practice saying your word and/or your word in a sentence with your partner while you play tic-tac-toe.
- Draw pictures of items, animals, etc. that start with your sound. Practice saying the words 5-10 times. Can you make sentences with your practice words, too?
- Listen to someone read a book that you like. Raise your hand every time you hear your sound!
Make up a silly sentence using your sound as many times as you possibly can. Can you tell a whole story about a silly snake who silently slithers? What about a rainbow-colored rabbit who runs around in green grass? (Fun fact: When words that are next to each other start with the same sound, that’s called alliteration!)
Middle School Age: (5-8):
- Read aloud from your favorite book and practice your sound production as you read using your best sounds.
- While talking or video chatting with a parent, friend, or teacher, see if you can concentrate on practicing your sound production throughout the whole conversation.
- Video or voice record yourself reading a paragraph of a book! Concentrate on your sound production and listen back for your sounds!
High School Age: (9-12):
- Highlight your target sound in a book or magazine and use your strategies while reading aloud.
- Teach your speech sound strategies to your family members!