Articulation

Home Activity Ideas

Spending 5 minutes a day (or every other day) practicing your child’s sounds can be very effective! You can have your child say each word on their list 5 times each correctly, make up a simple or silly sentence for each word, or incorporate some of the following activities to make it more fun. Reach out to your SLP for questions about or to receive target sounds and word lists.

Speech Scavenger Hunt: Make a list of items with your target sound. Go on a scavenger hunt to find as many items as you can. Take a picture of your items!

Slime Sounds: Think of three words with your target sound and try to build them with slime! Take a picture of your slime creation!

Reading Practice: Pick your favorite book to read with a family member. Find as many words as you can with your target sound.

Roll Your Words: Roll a die and say a word with your word list that many times. Play with a partner and see who can get the most points!

Take a Walk: Take a walk in your neighborhood. Find 5 items with your target sound. Take a picture of your items!

When learning to speak, it is typical for children to make articulation errors. Each sound in the English language develops at a different age. It's common for children to substitute earlier sounds for later sounds while they are mastering the art of articulation. Fear not! Many children eventually learn all of their sounds. If you're wondering what sounds your child should have, reference the charts below. Remember, the charts serve as as guide. Each child is unique and may require less or more time when acquiring sounds.

I looked at the chart. My child isn't producing correct sounds given his/her age. What should I do now?

Model correct speech sounds at home rather than correct your child.
Ask your child to "say it another way" if he or she is not understood. Encourage your child to use gestures/point to help get his/her message across. Once you know the word he or she is trying to say, model the word correctly.
Praise your child when he or she says their tricky sound correctly.
When reading to your child, over-exaggerate their target sound. (Check below for a list of books!)
When your child is reading out loud, highlight 1-2 sounds for him or her to focus on while they read to you.

Book Lists for Common Sounds

L

I Know an Old Lady by Nadine Bernard Wescott

A Lion for Lewis by Rosemary Wells

The Little Duck by Judy Dunn

The Lady and the Spider by Faith McNulty

The Little Fur Family by Margaret Wise Brown

Lyle, Lyle Crocodile by Bernard Waber

R

Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins

Rotten Ralph by Jack Gantos

Hooway for Wodney Rabbit by Helen Lester

Little Red Riding Hood by the Brothers Grimm

TH

The Thank You Book by Mo Willems

The Little Engine That Could by Wally Piper

And To Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street by Dr. Seuss

Thump and Plunk by Janice May Udry

The Thinking Book by Sandol Stoddard

The Thinking Place by Barbara Joosse

Thidwick, The Big-Hearted Moose by Dr. Seuss

Three By The Sea by Edward Marshall

G

Go Dog Go by P.D. Eastman

Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann

The Three Pigs by David Wiesner

K

Counting on Calico by Phyllis Limbacher Tildes

Cows Can’t Fly by David Milgrim

From Head to Toe by Eric Carle

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

Five Little Ducks by Penny Ives

SH

Sheep in a Shop by Nancy Shaw

Sheep on a Ship by Nancy Shaw

I Love My Shadow by Hans Wilhlem

Splish, Splash! By Sarah Weeks

Shoo, Fly! By Joy Cowley

CH

Ah-Choo! By Margery Cuyler

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.

Say Cheese, Please by Leslie McGuirk

Itchy Itchy Chicken Pox by Grace MacCarone

S

Silly Sally by Audrey Wood

The Day the Goose Got Loose by Reeve Lindenbergh

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff

Town Mouse Country Mouse by Jan Brett

Z

Going to the Zoo by Tom Paxton

If I Ran the Zoo by Dr. Seuss

Zip, Whiz, Zoom! By Stephanie Clamenson

J

The Giant Jam Sandwich by John Vernon Lord

Jump, Frog, Jump by Robert Kalan

Making Plum Jam by John Warren Stewig and Karen O’Mallety

The Animal Hedge by Paul Fleischman

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