Suggestions for Speech Work at Home:
- Remind your child to bring his/her speech folder home after each speech session and try to practice the work for a short time each day. Be sure to follow the directions given, such as “look in a mirror”, “keep your tongue inside” etc.
- When your child says a word with his/her target sound incorrectly, repeat the word correctly to model correct sound production. For example, “(W)ead me a book.” “Yes, I willrrrread you a book.”
- Read a story to your child and have him/her listen for words containing the target sound. If possible, have your child read a story to you and point out words that contain his/her sound.
- Find pictures in books or magazines with the target sound and talk about them. Talk about where the sound is in the word: beginning, middle or end. Make a scrapbook of pictures to use for speech practice.
- As you walk or ride in a car with your child, have him/her point out everything with the target sound and talk about it.
- Teach your child nursery rhymes, songs and jingles stressing words containing his/her sound.
- Choose some time during the day to be a “Good Speech Time”. For example: at dinner suggest that all members of the family use correct speech production or ask your child to tell you something or to speak for one-two minutes without making any speech errors. Errors made during this time should be corrected.
- Occasionally produce the target sound incorrectly yourself to see if your child can “catch” your error and correct you.
- When your child is playing games with you or other members of the family have him/her use good speech and say all words with the target sounds correctly. In using a commercial board game, all players may be required to say a word or sentence with the child’s sound before taking a turn. In lotto or card games, the players may be asked to say a sentence about each card as it is played. Almost any game can be a speech activity.
- Make up speech games such as:
Speech Tic-Tac-Toe: The child must correctly say a word containing his sound before taking a turn.
20 Questions: The child must use correct sound when asking the questions.
Guessing Games: Say “I am thinking of ___________” giving a clue from which the child is to guess the object using a sentence and correct sounds. Then let the child give clues so that others can guess.
Memory Games: Use set phrases such as “I took a trip and in my suitcase I packed ___________”; “I went to the store and bought ___________”; At the zoo I saw ____________” and so on. Each player repeats all items mentioned and adds one new one. This is also excellent for building categorization and memory skills.
**Remember to always praise good speech and attempts to use correct sound production.
**Target sound: The sound the child is currently working to correct in speech class and sounds already corrected but not used consistently by the child in conversation.