What is articulation?

Articulation is how we make speech sounds using the mouth, lips, and tongue. For example, we need to be able to say the “r” sound to say "rabbit" instead of "wabbit.” An articulation disorder is the atypical production of speech sounds characterized by substitutions, omissions, additions or distortions that may interfere with intelligibility. (Source)

Home practice activities:

• Board games: This is a classic way of drilling articulation. This can be easily implemented by parents at home, as most children own some type of board game (i.e. Ants in the Pants, Don’t Break the Ice, Candyland, Hi-Ho Cherry-O, etc.). The parents should also play the board game with the child so it is more motivating and special for the child. Have the child say 5-10 target words before taking a turn. The parent might want to say a word incorrectly on purpose once in a while so the child can catch him or her and correct the error - this teaches self-monitoring, and children love it when adults make mistakes and they can correct them. Word lists can be found here: Speech Word Lists or here Speech Word Lists. They could also be found by googling (i.e., “words that begin with “s”). (Source)

• Egg hunt: Parents can write targeted words on pieces of paper and put the pieces inside plastic eggs. The child is asked to find the hidden eggs. Upon opening an egg, the child reads (or repeats) the words inside the egg. (Source)

To get better guidance here are some speech sound videos to help your child with placement of the sound and practice making his or her sound. Click here for SPEECH SOUND VIDEOS . Enjoy :)

What is fluency (stuttering)?

Fluency is the rhythm of our speech. We sometimes repeat sounds or pause while talking but people who do this a lot may stutter. A fluency disorder is an interruption in the flow of speaking characterized by atypical rate, rhythm, and repetitions in sounds, syllables, words, and phrases. This may be accompanied by excessive tension, struggle behavior, and secondary mannerisms. (Source)

Home practice activities: You can use any reading or conversation and focus on these tips below.

Tips for parents:

• Provide a calm atmosphere in the home. Try to slow down the pace of family life.

• Allow talking to be fun and enjoyable. Don't require your child to speak precisely or correctly at all times.

• Avoid corrections or criticisms such as "slow down," "take your time," or "take a deep breath." These comments, however well-intentioned, will only make your child feel more self-conscious.

• Maintain eye contact with your child. Try not to look away or show signs of being upset or inpatient.

• Allow your child speak for himself or herself and to finish thoughts and sentences. Avoid interruptions and pause before responding to your child's questions or comments.

• Talk slowly and clearly to your child or others in his or her presence. This takes practice! Modeling a slow rate of speech will help with your child's fluency.

• Listen to the message your child is trying to communicate, not the stuttering. Encourage your child’s development of healthy communication skills by showing them that what they are saying is more important than how they are saying it.

• Convey that you accept your child as he/she is. The most powerful force will be your support of him/her, whether they stutter or not.

Info found: Kidshealth.org, Stutteringhelp.org, Westutter.org