10 Amazingly Simple Activities That Improve Everyday Speech Skills and Carry-Over

The goal of articulation therapy is for the child to carry-over, or generalize, their sounds to every day conversation, ultimately phasing out the support of the speech language-pathologist. When we talk about “Carry-Over Activities”, we are talking about specific practice done outside of therapy that promotes self awareness of speech errors vs. correct production so the child is able to monitor their own speech. Here are 10 ideas to try with your child in articulation therapy:

1.    Rhyming

Singing songs, nursery rhymes and tongue twisters work on rhyming and are sound loaded.

2.     Speech Sound Loaded Books

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault, and many Dr. Seuss books are loaded with repetitive speech sounds and rhymes. You can also ask your local librarian for suggestions of books based on a specific sound.

3.     Quick Drills

Keep a list of words in the Notes app on your phone. Sound off words for your child to practice. Do this while in the car or while waiting for a doctor’s appointment.

4.     Mystery Boxes

Make boxes with toys or pictures that have that sound in them. As your child pulls out the object, they have to say the word.

5.     Include Children in Language Rich Activities

These include cooking, cleaning and grocery shopping. You can have your child tell you want ingredient is next, or what’s on the list while monitoring their speech production.

6.     Talk at Meal Time

This is a naturalistic way to elicit speech in a conversational setting. Tell your child for 1 minute you are going to monitor their speech during dinner. Set a timer and provide plenty of praise for correct productions and effort. As the child improves, bump up the time.

7.     Child GPS

If your child knows the directions to where you are going, have them act as the GPS and tell you where to go while monitoring their speech.

8.     The Teacher Monitor

Maintain communication with your child’s teachers and ask if they can monitor speech skills in the classroom. Teachers can do this during class time and peer group work.

9.     Keep Notes of What Works and Doesn’t Work

Keep notes on your phone or keep a pad handy in your home about strategies you have tried. Share your findings with your child’s teachers and speech therapist. Ask for feedback and new suggestions.

10.     Learn the Cues

Ask your SLP what cues they are using to get your child to produce the sound correctly. Make sure you are using the same cues at home. You can use visual, verbal or tactile cues. This way you are not reinforcing incorrect sound production.
Kim McIntosh, M.A., CF-SLP