Speech and Language Home Suggestions For Emergencies

** School is not in session… How can my child work on his/her speech & language skills?

If your child is working on SPEECH SOUNDS...

• (what we usually focus on in speech-language therapy is increasing awareness of the target sound in words, and getting a high number of correct productions)

1) First, check your child’s IEP or other paperwork to make sure you know which sounds or patterns your child is working on, and what position or level (ex: L in the beginning of words & short sentences, S at the end of words, or final consonants in words). Keep in mind that you will want to practice one sound or pattern at a time.

2) Second, Make (or search online) for a list of words with your child’s sound(s) in the right spot. Try to find a list of at least 10-20 words that are fairly common one- or two syllable words, and write them down. You can have your child draw a picture next to each one – you will use this list to practice later! (You can also use index cards to create your own flashcards.) Helpful websites for lists: https://www.home-speech-home.com/ speech-therapy-word-lists.html http://mommyspeechtherapy.com/?page_id=55

• 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 your 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!
• Pull out a board game (checkers, Sorry, etc.) or a puzzle, and have your child say a target word 5 times before taking a turn or adding a piece to the puzzle.
• Find some dice, and take turns saying a target word the number of times that comes up on the dice. Each person then receives that many ”points” – keep a tally and declare a winner at the end!
• Read a book together, and listen for words with your child’s target sounds. Practice the words on each page.

***You may need to remind your child how to make the sound; say, “Look at my mouth! See how I do X to make this sound? Let’s look in a mirror together. Now you try!”