Creative Speech Therapy Ideas: Using Stickers for Articulation, Apraxia and Language Goals
Discover creative speech and language therapy ideas using stickers! This blog post explores how to use stickers to target apraxia, enhance articulation trials, and create engaging sticker scenes. Perfect for achieving various goals in speech sessions, this low-prep, high-impact tool is a favorite among kids and therapists alike.
I want to shine a spotlight on an often underrated but inexpensive versatile resource for targeting goals in our speech therapy sessions. They are lightweight, require minimal prep, and the kids absolutely LOVE them! Yes, I’m talking about……
What is it about sticky pieces of paper that is so intriguing?
Recently, I’ve been using a Paw Patrol Puffy Sticker Book that I found at Marshalls (they also had a construction vehicle one!). It’s become a favorite among my kids, and I just had to share all the ways we can use stickers to target both speech and language goals.
Use stickers for……
Speech Sound Practice
Working with kids with Childhood Apraxia of Speech. When adding stickers to a page or background scenes model “power phrases” like “put on”, “take off” and “my turn” and use self advocacy phrases like “help me” and “it’s stuck”.
Sticker Charts: Create a chart with different articulation targets. Each time a child successfully practices a target sound, they get to place a sticker on the chart. This visual reinforcement can be very motivating (ok, so this one is overused and underwhelming, but I had to add it!)
Sticker Stories: Have the children create a story using stickers. Each sticker represents a word or sound they are working on. They can narrate their story, practicing their target sounds as they go.
Language Development
Sticker Sequences: Use stickers to create sequences or patterns. Have the child describe the sequence, focusing on using words like "first," "next," and "last."
Sticker Descriptions: Give each child a set of stickers and have them describe what they see. This can help with vocabulary building and descriptive language.
Sticker Scenes: Provide background scenes and let children create their own stories using stickers. Have them narrate their story, focusing on sentence structure and vocabulary.
STICKER SCENES
Add sticky magnets from a magnet tape roll to stickers to create magnetic stickers!
Social Skills
Sticker Conversations: Use stickers to prompt conversations. For example, place a sticker of a happy face and ask, "What makes you happy?" or use a sticker of a group of friends and discuss friendship and social scenarios.
Emotion Stickers: Use stickers depicting different emotions and discuss each one. This can help children identify and express their feelings.
Following Directions
Sticker Maps: Create a simple map or scene on paper and use stickers to give directions. For example, "Place the dog sticker next to the tree" or "Put the car sticker on the road."
Examples with Paw Patrol Puffy Sticker Book
To give you some concrete examples, here’s how I’ve been using the Paw Patrol Puffy Sticker Book in my sessions:
Prepositions: Receptive and expressive use. "Put Chase under the tree," "Where is Chickaletta?"
Expanding Utterance Length: Targeting 2+ word phrases. "Go Ryder," "Marshall wants a ride," "Bye ___." I model and repeat these phrases throughout the session.
Working with children with Apraxia: Power phrases like “put on”, “take off” and “my turn”. Self-advocacy phrases like “help me” and “it’s stuck”.
Gestalt Language Processors: Mixing and matching phrases. For example, if a child uses "Rubble on the double" and "I'm fired up," I model a combination like "Rubble is fired up."
Production of 2+ Syllable Words: We worked on "Mayor Humdinger" - a motivating 3-syllable word!
Verb Tense: Using background scenes with minis, we practiced past tense: "The car jumped over the sign," "He drove away."
Negatives: Using stickers on background scenes. "I don’t want it there," "Not in," "Not on my nose!"
PAINT STICKS WITH PACKING TAPE
Use paint sticks or tongue depressors and cover them with packing tape for repeated articulation trials.
Low Prep, Low Expense Ideas
Here are some additional low-prep, low-expense ideas to get plenty of repetitions with stickers:
Paint Sticks or Wooden Tongue Depressors: Add stickers for each target the child gets correct. I add packing tape to my paint sticks so kids can put on and take off stickers over and over for multiple trials!
Body Parts: Stick stickers on different body parts on you and the kids following each production, then have the kids take them off again while practicing their target sounds, words, or sentences.
Matching Games: Add matching stickers onto milk or juice lids, or cardboard circles or squares and play a matching game with them.
Stickers are a fantastic tool for making speech therapy sessions fun and engaging. I hope you find these ideas as helpful and enjoyable as I do. Happy sticking!
Targeting /s/ Clusters for Children who are Exhibiting /s/ Cluster Reduction
As speech language pathologists, we see many children in speech therapy with specific predictable patterns of errors or phonological processing disorders, with cluster reduction being a frequent challenge, and one that I love to work on because of the quick increase in intelligibility!
“Cluster reduction” involves the systematic omission or simplification of consonant sounds in clusters, significantly impacting speech intelligibility. Specifically, our focus lies on the complexity of producing /s/ blends – combinations of consonants like ST, SN, SM, SP, SW, SK, SL, where the initial consonant is an /s/.
As speech language pathologists, we see many children in speech therapy with specific predictable patterns of errors or phonological processing disorders, with /s/cluster reduction being a frequent challenge, and one that I love to work on because of the quick increase in intelligibility!
“Cluster reduction” involves the systematic omission or simplification of consonant sounds in clusters, significantly impacting speech intelligibility. Specifically, our focus lies on the complexity of producing /s/ blends – combinations of consonants like ST, SN, SM, SP, SW, SK, SL, where the initial consonant is an /s/. You might hear a phrase like “Let’s go play in the no” instead of “Let’s play in the snow”, “Top the car” instead of “stop the car” and “I pilled my juice” instead of “I spilled my juice”.
Cluster reduction featuring /s/ should ideally be eliminated by the age of five, but there are considerable individual differences among children. The American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) reports that the average developmental age of elimination for cluster reduction with /s/ is 5 years old and Shriberg and Kwiatkowski (1980) reported that 4-year-olds correctly produced 90% of consonant clusters in spontaneous speech. Understanding these age-appropriate expectations is important so we can get an idea when children should be producing the correct /s/ cluster, however, if a child can correctly produce both the sounds that are in the cluster separately, it is a good indication that they can produce the cluster with help.
I have found that addressing /s/ cluster reduction with children is often dependent on their receptive language skills; how well they can understand the hand cues, picture cues and movement from one sound to the next.
The Traditional Method involves working on one sound at a time, progressing gradually from isolation to conversation.
The Cycles Approach targets each different phonological process that the child is using for a specific amount of time and “cycles” through other phonological processes. This works well for children exhibiting many phonological processes. Hodson and Paden (1983, 1991).
Minimal pairs Approach, where words differ in only one phonological element, prove effective in honing in on the target sound with the meaning of the words being different. Think of the words “snow and no”, they only differ by the /s/ sound but they mean completely different things. I found that children really love the silliness of using the minimal pairs approach (i.e. “you want a nap?” oh you need to snap!”). When they can assign meaning to the words, they work to say the correct words.
How to help with /s/ cluster production:
Within the minimal pairs approach for /s/ cluster reduction I use speech sound picture cues to name the sounds, children have a visual cue for production paired with a hand cue. We call the /s/ sound the “snake sound” and use our hand and arm moving outward like a snake as a hand cue.
When the child is elongating the /s/or the “snake sound” and using their hand during the vocalization, they land on the next sound in the cluster (it will sound like “sssssssssst or ssssssssnnnnn”).
Movement is the key for the child to understand the elongation of the /s/ moving into the next sound. I often use a wipe board and draw a line from a snake while the child is vocalizing the /s/ then move the marker to the rest of the word- and I draw a picture of the minimal pair word (ie. ssssss–Knees for “sneeze”). Breaking down the /s/ blend into smaller parts, such as 'sss” 'm is the key. If you are looking for minimal pair words for /s/ clusters I have a Don’t Break the Ice for /s/ Cluster Reduction printable activity that the kids have been asking for over and over!
10 Games and Activities for /s/ Clusters
Any game with a spinner is great where kids have to say “my turn to “ssssspin” for each turn working on the /sp/ cluster.
“Spot it” Games where you have to find 2 of the same pictures on 2 cards. Encourage kids to day “I spot___” to work on /sp/ cluster.
“I spy” games and “Where’s Waldo” books work for working on /sp/ in the word “spy:
“Stop/Start” Motor Activity where children “stop and start” when the caller says the words,then the child becomes the caller.
Try Don’t Break the Ice /s/ cluster Minimal Pair Game with pictures of all those /s/ clusters and their errored pair.
Board games can target the /sp/ cluster (like Candy Land)- “Move one space”
Stepping Stones are fun to incorporate movement into the session while also working on the word “step”.
Digital activities like Phonological Processes Play Scenes and Brush Your Teeth for Articulation are no prep quick activities
Play open ended activities and incorporate a target /s/ cluster into play (ie. pirate play: skull, stick, scrape, swim) (ie. Vet play with stuffies: sleep, scale, skin, snout, swab, stray) (play house: school, sleep, snuggle, spoon, stairs).
10) Read books with /s/ clusters embedded in the story (ie. The Snowy Day, Sneezy the Snowman, Space,
The Very Busy Spider, That’s Not a Stick).
Teaching Production of the /k/ and /g/ Sounds in Speech Therapy
As young children are developing their speech sound skills when they begin talking, they make predictable error patterns (called phonological processes). As kids develop, these processes are expected to extinguish naturally. When children continue to exhibit fronting after age 3 ½, speech therapy may be required.
If a child is making errors on the /k/, /g/ and /sh/ sounds and producing sounds like /t/, /d/ and /s/ consistently instead, this is called fronting. Speech therapy can benefit children who are exhibiting the phonological process of fronting after age 3 ½. With children who are continuing to exhibit fronting, you might hear “o-tay” instead of “ok”, “I want the tea” instead of “I want the key”, “pet the dod” instead of “pet the dog” or “Let’s do” instead of “let’s go”.
As children are developing their speech sound skills when they begin talking, they make predictable errors patterns (called phonological processes). As kids develop, these processes are expected to extinguish naturally. When children continue to exhibit fronting after age 3 ½, intervention may be required (Bowen, Caroline, 2011. Elimination of Phonological Processes in Typical Development).
I love working on /k/ and /g/ because once children get these sounds, their intelligibility increases dramatically. That’s not to say working on these sounds isn’t tough at first, but the work is worth it!
HOW TO PRODUCE A /k/ sound:
The back of your tongue will touch your soft palate (velum), the tip of your tongue will stay down.( If your tongue tip goes up, you will end up saying the /t/). Then release a burst of air.
HOW TO PRODUCE A /g/ sound:
Same as the /k/ only you turn your voice on! (if your tongue tip goes up, you will end up saying the /d/)
I usually start with the /k/ sound and often, once kids get the /k/ sound, it gengeneralizes over to the /g/ sound and we don’t even have to work on it!
1) ELONGATE THE VELAR
Start with elongating the /k/ or /g/ sound (sounds a bit like you are clearing your throat). I call the /k/ sound the coughing sound and the /g/ sound is called the gulping sound in my speech sound cue cards resource. We are showing the child what a “back” or velar sound feels like as opposed to the sounds produced in the front of the mouth.
2) ADD A LOW VOWEL
Try to add a vowel to the /k/ or /g/ like the sound a crow makes “caw”. With the word “caw” the tongue doesn’t require much movement between /k/ and “aw” and the “aw” sound helps facilitate the child to keep their tongue tip down and mouth open.
If the /k/ or /g/ plus the vowel seems to be too difficult, try starting with the vowel and ending with the /k/ as in “aaak”. The positioning between the “aaaa” and the “k” is similar and again, both sounds require the tongue tip to be positioned down and the back of the tongue raised.
3) GET AS MANY REPETITIONS AS YOU CAN
Whichever combination of vowel-consonant (aaa-k) or consonant-vowel (k-aw) works with the child, try to get in as many repetitions as you can for that motor movement. Use activities with crows, and crafts to elicit “caw” as many times as the child will allow. There are many activities with food you can use and have the child say “aaak” for foods they think are yucky. Try my Velar Mini Books for practicing in speech therapy and at home!
4) ADD MORE VOWEL SOUNDS
After the child has these VC and CV combinations try using different vowel sounds in combination with the /k/ and /g/. The vowel sounds that work best for children who have difficulty with the velar sounds are “low front and back” vowel sounds (meaning the vowel is produced with the tongue at a level close to the bottom of the oral cavity and the jaw may also be lowered). This position of the tongue assists the facilitation of the /k/ sound that is paired with it. The vowels that I find work best are “aaa” (as in back), “aw”(as in bought) and “ai” (as in bike). After the child is able to use these vowels in combination with the /k/ sound, add different vowels like “uh” as in up and “E” was in “bet”.
5) USE REAL WORDS
When the child has some good /k/ sounds in combinations with vowels, try moving to real words using those “low” vowels again. Words like “bike”, “back”, “kite” and “caught”. These Velar Sound Mini Books work great for practicing real words including nouns and verbs!
6) USE MINIMAL PAIRS
I usually use a minimal pairs approach when working with children who are using front sounds /t/ and /d/ for back sounds /k/ and /g/. A minimal pairs approach takes two words that are similar but has a one sound (or phoneme) difference like “tape and cape”, “bite and bike”, “go and dough”, “bud and bug”. This technique helps children understand that speech sound errors they make change the meaning of the words they are trying to produce.
1) PROVIDE A TACTILE CUE:
Even with the above facilitating contexts, the child cannot produce the /k/ sound, we may need to assist them with keeping their tongue down. I use a spoon and have the child open their mouth and place the spoon on the front-middle of the tongue and ask them to say the /k/ sound. Sometimes the child really pushes up on their tongue trying to get that tongue tip up! I have also used a gloved finger, tongue depressor (but I myself am not a fan of the feel of a tongue depressor in my mouth), popsicles and lollipops to hold the tongue tip down which can work well for motivation. Visual Cues such as Speech Sound Cue cards work well for naming the sounds (the coughing sound or the gulping sound) and allow children to associate a hand cue and picture to the sound they are learning.
2) LET GRAVITY HELP
I have also had a child lie down flat on the floor face up and attempted production of the /k/ or /g/ sound. In this position, gravity will take the tongue to the back position, which can help in production.
3) KEEP THE TONGUE TIP DOWN
Can use cereal like Cheerios,or fruit loops and have the child hold the piece of cereal with their tongue tip against their front bottom teeth:
This will help kids keep their tongue tip down where it is supposed to be
Same thing with the /g/ just tell the student to turn on their voices
IF THE CHILD IS NOT READY
Sometimes I have put the production of velars on the back burner and worked on other sounds because the child was not ready for work on these back sounds.
Treatment of Childhood Apraxia of Speech
Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a speech disorder that affects a child's ability to plan and execute the precise movements required for clear speech. Treatment differs from other speech sound disorders in that the focus must be on the motor speech movement and not on individual sounds. Treatment should be multi-sensory and targets should be selected based on the child’s interests and needs.
About 15 years ago, I got my first case of Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) that was diagnosed by a developmental pediatrician as “verbal dyspraxia”. From that moment, I did some big digging into what CAS really is. Since then, I have had many children that I have worked with with CAS (most whom I diagnosed) and although complex, I really love working with kids with CAS because of the difference I can make! Kids with CAS are close to my heart and I want you to feel as comfortable as I do know with techniques for treatment. Understanding it better can help us make a significant impact on the lives of our young clients.
I recently took a refresher course by Alonna Bondar that I would highly recommend if you need more information on CAS, choosing targets and applying treatment techniques. There are also some videos on YouTube by Edyth Strand that provide some really practical therapy and treatment information!
1) What is Childhood Apraxia of Speech?
CAS is a speech disorder that affects a child's ability to plan and execute the precise movements required for clear speech. It's like the brain and mouth are not on the same page when it comes to talking. Unlike other speech sound disorders, CAS isn't caused by muscle weakness or muscle coordination problems but rather by neurological issues that disrupt the planning process.
2) How CAS Differs from Other Speech Sound Disorders
Unlike phonological disorders or articulation disorders, CAS is not about substituting one sound for another. It's about the brain struggling to coordinate all the movements required to produce the planning of speech sounds and combinations of sounds. CAS can sometimes be mistaken for other speech sound disorders like phonological disorders or articulation disorders. The key difference lies in the motor planning aspect. In CAS, the child knows what they want to say, but their brain has trouble coordinating the precise movements necessary for speech. This makes CAS unique and requires a different approach in therapy (see the earlier Blog Post: Principles of Motor Learning in CAS).
3) Early Signs of Apraxia of Speech
Limited babbling before 12 months
5 or less consonants between 17-24 months
Limited vocalizations
Simple syllable shapes (vowel or consonant-vowel only)
Late or difficult development of first words
Words that appear then disappear
(Bondar 2023, Bjorem Speech Informal Motor Speech Assessment 2020, Davis and Velleman 2000)
4)What characteristics distinguish Childhood apraxia of speech from other speech sound disorders?
Awkward transition from one sound and/or one syllable to another
Groping behavior while attempting word or sound production
Vowel Distortions
Errors with prosody (stress, loudness, intonation, pitch and rhythm
Inconsistent voicing errors
Inconsistency of word or phrase production over repeated trials
Struggling with longer and more complex words
Inconsistent errors when trying to repeat words
(ASHA 2007, Strand 2020, Bondar 2023)
5) How do we know a child is ready for CAS Treatment?
Does the child have an internet to communicate? Are they using some type of communication to make wants and needs known (i.e. pointing, grunting, pulling the hand of a caregiver)
Is the child able to focus on an activity (i.e focus on a favorite toy).
Can the child imitate motor movements (i.e opening their mouth, pursing their lips)
Is the child able to request items with gestures like pointing or reaching?
Will the child look at an object near your face?
6) Techniques for Children with CAS
Let’s get to the fun part! Treatment! When working with kids who have CAS, we've got to be creative and choose the approach and feedback that best fits the individual child. Whatever treatment approach is used the key is working on MOTOR MOVEMENT. Multisensory approaches work well for children with CAS. Here are a few techniques that have worked for me (and many others based on the research!) this is not ALL of the treatment procedures, I am highlighting some that proven to be successful for my students:
DTTC (Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing):
This is a dynamic approach that combines touch and sound cues. It helps kids improve speech motor planning by guiding them through the correct movements.
With DTTC, there is a specific hierarchy and cueing methodology to facilitate the acquisition and generalization of movement accuracy for speech. It is structured to slowly lengthen the amount of time between the clinician’s production of a motor movement and the child’s production of the word or motor movement. Initially the child says the word at the same time with the clinician, then the child voices the word while the clinician only produces the mouth shapes of the word and later is cued to say the word with no cues.
DTTC is designed for children with more severe CAS and is not intended for long-term use.
For more detailed information regarding the DTTC hierarchy please see the references below
(https://www.bjoremspeech.com/collections/free-resources/products/dttc-hierarchy-flow-chart-for-apraxia-therapy, American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, Strand, Edyth, Vol. 29, 30–48 • February 2020, Apraxia Course, Bondar, Alonna 2023)
Speech Sound Cue Cards:
Visual aids can be a game-changer! Using cue cards with pictures and written prompts can help children understand and produce specific sounds. You can find the speech sound cue cards that I developed for my students with CAS that provide visual (pictorial and hand cues), and auditory cues to aid in motor movement.
Using cue cards with pictures and written prompts can help children understand and produce specific sounds. Using a finger or pointer or marker on a wipe board to move from one sound cue card to another showing the child movement while elongating the sound (if possible) works well for a visual representation.
Promote Functional Communication:
Encourage children to communicate using signs, gestures, or alternative communication methods while working on speech goals. This helps reduce frustration and builds their communication skills.
7) Appropriate Target Selection
Choosing the right targets is key for the child to feel successful in the therapy program. Initially, if a child has very little verbal productions, begin with sounds and sound effects such as animal sounds (“baa, moo, neigh"), sounds like a car sound or “beep” and “uhoh” or” eeekk”. These sounds are fun to produce and promote the child’s engagement. It is important to reinforce the child’s attempts at vocalizations and imitate their vocalizations and assign some meaning to them.
Start with functional verbal words that are relevant to the child's daily life and communication needs if the child is at this level. As progress is made, gradually work your way towards more complex sounds and words. Words like “on, up, pop, bye, ma, poo” are great powerful words for kids to start with, but what is meaningful to the child is the best way to choose the targets. Use words that are meaningful to that child such as favorite toys, family names, friends names and favorite foods.
Using games that have lots of pieces to them can provide many trials and motivation for CV, VC and CVC words like “out, in, up, pop, push, my, me and see”.(Games like Pop-up Pirate, Banana Blast and Jumpin’Jack are great for this!).
Remember, progress may be slow, and that's okay. Every small victory is a step in the right direction. Celebrate those wins, no matter how tiny they may seem! CAS is a unique and challenging speech disorder that requires a specialized approach. By understanding the nature of CAS, spotting it early, and using appropriate techniques, we can make a world of difference in the lives of our young clients.
For more information: (https://www.bjoremspeech.com/collections/free-resources/products/dttc-hierarchy-flow-chart-for-apraxia-therapy, American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, Strand, Edyth, Vol. 29, 30–48 • February 2020, Apraxia Course, Bondar, Alonna 2023)
Principles of Motor Learning for Treatment of Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)
When learning about treatment for Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), we hear that we need to use the principles of motor learning (PML), so what does that mean? These principles or processes are how we all learn new motor skills or plans. Speech is a motor skill that can improve using these principles. Treatment may be designed differently depending on the child (with differences in severity, attention and motivation ), but applying the PML will provide a roadmap to support and treat children with CAS.
When learning about treatment for Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), we hear that we need to use the principles of motor learning (PML), so what does that mean? These principles or processes are how we all learn new motor skills or plans.
Speech is a motor skill that can improve using these principles.
Treatment may be designed differently depending on the child (with differences in severity, attention and motivation ), but applying the PML will provide a roadmap to support and treat children with CAS.
Following is a guide for using principles of motor learning that I use when I treat children with CAS (based on research):
1) PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE:
Imagine learning to swim. You didn't jump in the water and swim right away, you had to practice moving your body in different ways to float and stay afloat, then to move forward, all the while breathing at the same time. The same goes for children with CAS. Regular practice is the most important aspect for generalization of speech production.
It's all about getting enough practice trials per session to make the motor speech movements second nature and automatic. But remember, quality matters as much as quantity. Be attentive to the child's response, and adjust cues accordingly. As they progress, you can gradually fade those cues.
2) MASSED PRACTICE VS. DISTRIBUTED PRACTICE:
Think of this as the difference between cramming for an exam and studying consistently over time. For CAS, research suggests that frequent, shorter sessions spread out over time are more effective for progress and generalization.
Starting with massed practice (practicing all at once- think one session weekly for a longer time period) to build a strong foundation, then transitioning to distributed practice (therapy spread out across sessions- think 4, half hour sessions weekly). I know sometimes we don't have the luxury of changing a schedule like that in schools- but see principle number 3 for ways to change up practice within time constraints.
3) BLOCKED VS. RANDOM PRACTICE:
Blocked practice is practicing one target extensively before moving on, then later randomizing practice by mixing several targets together. An example is initially you might choose 5 words including bilabials plus vowels (like poo, ba, me, ma, and pee) and focus on those only. As the child improves, you can randomize the targets for example adding a vowel consonant productions in (i.e. “up, oop, um”)
The severity of CAS can be your guide here. For severe cases, more blocked practice might be necessary, but you can modify it by mixing targets within blocks. This variation allows you to get more repetitions of target movements within each blocked practice.
4) VARY CONTEXTS AND PROSODY
Facilitate practice in different contexts. Vary the types of consonants or vowels and the positions that they are in . For example, change the initial set, going from CV (consonant-vowel) to CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant). Increase complexity of movements as the child gains the accurate motor movement sequences.
Experiment with prosody, loudness, and emotional intonation. This variability engages different muscles, enhancing motor planning processing and efficiency – our ultimate goal.
5) FEEDBACK MUST BE EVER-CHANGING
Feedback is dynamic throughout a child’s therapy program. Feedback can be intrinsic (what the child perceives) or extrinsic (what we provide for the child). Extrinsic feedback can be knowledge of results (was that right or wrong) or knowledge of performance (specific guidance on what specifically needs improvement).
Initially, provide more feedback to guide the child, but gradually fade it as they become more accurate and independent in their speech movements. We don’t want too much support for too long otherwise the child could become dependent on the supports. We want to fade supports so children know how to produce the movements independently.
Often the type of feedback can change depending on the target and the accuracy of that target.
Using the Principles of Motor Learning:
Using the Principles of Motor Learning is like having roadmap in the world of CAS therapy. These principles guide speech therapy leading our children toward improved communication skills. So, practice often and adapt to the child's needs whether it be with feedback, type of practice or contexts.
Movement Activities in Speech-Language Sessions: Boosting Engagement and Language Skills
Why is it helpful to incorporate movement activities in speech-language sessions? Let’s explore why adding motor movement can be beneficial for children with communication impairments.
Get those bodies moving and minds buzzing with excitement in our speech-language sessions!
Why is it helpful to incorporate movement activities in speech-language sessions? Let’s explore why adding motor movement can be beneficial for children with communication impairments. Here we go…. jump right in!
Research-backed Reasons to Get Moving:
Increased Attention and Engagement: We all know how tricky it can be to hold a child's attention during therapy sessions. Integrating movement activities captures kid’s focus and boosts active participation. When children are physically engaged, they become more invested and motivated to learn and the activities become more functional!
A Calming Touch: Have you ever noticed how certain movements have a magical calming effect? It's like waving a wand of tranquility. Pairing learning tasks with motor movement helps children stay calm and relaxed. Those rhythmic motions, like rocking or bouncing, work wonders in reducing anxiety and promoting a sense of peace. This can work especially well for our autistic clients or children with sensory disorders.
Increased Cognitive Skills: Let's give those brilliant minds a workout! Movement activities stimulate various cognitive processes, from problem-solving to spatial awareness. By engaging the body and mind together, we can enhance overall cognitive development (including communication skills)and critical thinking skills.
Help Decrease Behavior Problems: Frustration and difficulty expressing themselves can lead children with communication impairments to act out. Movement activities offer a constructive outlet for releasing energy and emotions. This, in turn, reduces behavior problems and promotes self-regulation.
Boosting Memory: Ever wish there was a way to make those therapy sessions stick? Research suggests that movement helps facilitate memory formation and retention. By linking speech and language tasks with specific movements, children are more likely to remember and apply what they've learned.
10 Beneficial
Speech and Language Activities Paired with Movement:
Obstacle Courses: Create interactive obstacle courses that include language-based challenges. Children can identify objects, follow directions, and describe items along the way. Adding speech sound cards to the path provides motivation to get all those trials in!
Dance and Sing: Combine language-rich songs with dance movements to target vocabulary, sentence structure, and expressive language skills. Get those little feet tapping!
Yoga for Speech: Blend speech and language tasks with yoga routines to promote breath control, body awareness, and language expression.
Imitate Book Actions: Bring books to life by acting out characters' and objects movements, using gestures. Watch comprehension and expressive language soar! I have an engaging book companion to the book “TipTip Dig Dig”, “The Napping House” and “Dinosaurumpus” and kids can act out what items and people are doing in the story (i.e.” tip like a dump truck”).
Ball Toss Games: Spice up ball toss games by incorporating speech and language targets. Children can say words, answer questions, or use target sounds before throwing or catching the ball. Write or draw target words or sounds on those plastic beach balls with dry erase markers and wherever the child’s hand is they say that sound or word.
Puppet Play: Unleash the power of puppets! Engage children in conversations, role-playing scenarios, and narrative development.
Sensory Bins: Dive into sensory adventures by incorporating language-based tasks. Children can explore textures, categorize objects, describe items, and engage in meaningful conversations. I use sensory bins ALOT and have themes bins with book companions in my store.
Action Songs: Teach children catchy songs with accompanying movements that target specific speech and language goals, such as articulation, phonological awareness, or grammar. It's like a musical language extravaganza! Think 5 Little Monkeys Jumpin’ on the Bed, while kids jump off a mini trampoline acting like those monkeys.
Feed the Animal: Use target cards for kids to feed an animal, puppet or monster! Use cut out animals with holes for mouths that kids can drop cards into.
Ball poppers with targets: Attach articulation cards to binder clips to create a target to hit with a ball popper.
If you want children to choose activities like ball poppers or swatting cards with a fly swatter, I have a free choice visual that children can use for what to do with speech sound cards.
Customize these activities to suit the unique needs and goals of your little communication stars.
So, let's get those bodies moving and minds buzzing with excitement in our speech-language sessions! Embracing movement activities opens doors to dynamic and effective learning experiences, empowering our young heroes to communicate with confidence.
Tips for Making the /s/and /z/Sounds in Speech Therapy
Some tips that are used in speech therapy to elicit the /s/ and /z/ sounds with children. Teaching the /s/ and /z/ sound can be tricky, this post describes the how to produce these sounds and the best way to teach production.
As speech therapists, we encounter various challenges when helping children achieve correct articulation of specific sounds. The /s/ and /z/ sounds are particularly tricky, with errors ranging from lisps to phonological processes like stopping.
HOW DO YOU MAKE AN /S/ and /Z/?
As SLP’s we know this, but here’s a review and a simple way to explain it:
Understanding Correct Tongue, Lip, and Jaw Positioning:
The lateral sides of the tongue should be elevated and touching the sides of the upper top teeth, specifically the upper molars. This positioning creates a narrow passage for the airflow.
Funnel-like Tongue Shape: The middle of the tongue forms a slight groove or funnel, allowing the airflow to travel smoothly through the oral cavity. The tongue tip should lower just slightly to create a channel that facilitates the passage of the airflow.
Jaw and Lip Positioning: The jaw should be in a high position, but it may shift forward slightly during the production of the /s/ sound. This subtle movement contributes to the precise articulation of the sound. The lips should be slightly relaxed and parted, allowing a smooth airflow.
Forward Airflow: The airstream moves forward and out of the mouth during the production of the /s/ and /z/ sounds. The airflow should continue while the tongue remains in place, ensuring a clear and crisp sound.
COMMON ERRORS WITH /S/ and /Z/:
Frontal Lisp/Interdental Lisp: This occurs when the tongue protrudes between the front teeth, resulting in a "th" sound instead of the /s/ or /z/ sound. The “typical” lisp.
Lateral Lisp: Air escapes over the sides of the tongue, creating a "slushy" sound rather than the crisp /s/ or /z/ sound. I have found that this can be really tough to remediate, especially with younger children!
Stopping: The phonological process of stopping involves substituting the /s/ sound with a stop sound like /t/ or /d/, resulting in words like "sun" sounding like "tun." This is really where those picture and hand cues can be effective!
EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR ELICITING /S/ and /Z/ SOUNDS:
Tongue Placement Similarities: The initial tongue placement for the /t/ and /s/ sounds is the same! Encourage the child to produce a "long" /t/ sound, with the tongue lightly touching the alveolar ridge then elongate that sound (like the /ts/ the end of the word “cats”). Calling this a “new sound” can eliminate the child’s attempts to correct an errored sound.
Mirror Work: Incorporate the use of mirrors during therapy sessions. This enables children to visually observe their tongue placement and make necessary adjustments for correct /s/ and /z/ sounds.
Tactile Feedback: Utilize foods like popsicles or lollipops to provide tactile feedback. Instruct the child to touch the tip of their tongue to the alveolar ridge where the food is placed, reinforcing correct tongue positioning.
Forward Stream of Air: Particularly for lateral lisps, encourage the child to visualize using a "forward stream" of air (or making the air come out of the front of the mouth instead of the sides). Explain that this helps prevent air from escaping over the sides of the tongue. Using a straw on the middle lower lip and instructing the child to make the air come through the straw can help for more feedback.
Visual Cues and Gestures: Use visual cues (picture of a snake for /s/) and name the sound as the "snake sound" for /s/. Accompany the cue with a hand and arm movement resembling a snake, moving up and down. This adds a multi-sensory aspect to the therapy, aiding in sound production.
Helping children produce the /s/ and /z/ sounds correctly can be challenging but with the right strategies, patience, and practice, success can be achieved. Remember, each child's progress may vary, so adapting these strategies to suit individual needs is crucial for optimal results.
For activities to elicit the /s/ and /z/ sounds check out some of my resources below:
