Articulation Cards & Activities
Tips for parent intervention for unclear speech
- Reinforce child each time he is able to correctly make speech sounds he has difficulty imitating.
- Have child record the words he hears the teacher or other children using which have an identified sound.
- Explain to the child what sound he is making incorrectly, and what he is doing incorrectly when trying to make the sound.
- Model the correct sound for the child.
- Use pictures. (If the child says /sh/ for /ch/, use pictures of similar sounding words such as /ship/ and /chip/. As the adult says the words, the child points to the appropriate picture. The child then takes a turn saying the words as the adult points.
- Use a tape recorder for the child to listen to speech sounds and evaluate his own speech. Can he hear the error?
- Have child identify who he thinks is a good speaker and why. (other children, adults, celebrities) Do they speak clearly, use good eye contact, appropriate volume, etc.)
- Make a list of what attributes are likely to help a person become a good speaker.
- Play a game in which the child tries to imitate the sounds made by the adult or other children (Simon Says).
- Have child keep a notebook of difficult words he finds each day. The child can then practice saying the words.
- Have child keep a list of all the words he can think of which begin with sounds he experiences difficulty making. (or use a spelling list)
- Have child cut out pictures of items containing the sounds he has difficulty making and display them where he can practice the word each day.
- Have child make up sentences, using speech sounds he has difficulty imitating.
- During oral reading, underline difficult words and reinforce the child’s attempt at saying them correctly.
- TRY TO KEEP IT POSITIVE!!!! REINFORCE WHEN POSSIBLE! but POSITIVE POSITIVE POSITIVE!!!!
Phoneme Therapy Cards
The phoneme (sound) cards listed below in PDF form are proposed to be used for practice in conjunction in a playful manner, i.e., during your child's favorite game (chutes and ladders, candy land, etc.) The sounds are meant to be practiced, not drilled, while modeled by a clear speaking partner.
Articulation Sheets - word level
initial /b/ words
final /b/ words
initial /d/ words
medial /d/ words
final /d/ words
initial /p/ words
final /p/ words
initial /m/ words
final /m/ words
initial /f/ words
medial /f/ words
final /f/ words
initial /v/ words
medial /v/ words
final /v/ words
initial /h/ words
initial /k/ words
medial /k/ words
final /k/ words
initial /g/ words
medial /g/ words
final /g/ words
initial /l/ words
medial /l/ words
final /l/ words (two)
initial /l/ in sentences
medial /l/ in sentences
Final /l/ in sentences
initial /r/ words
Vocalic /r/ sounds
/air/ Free Game from "Say it Right"
/er/ or 'schwa' words (two)
initial /s/ words
medial /s/ words
final /s/ words
initial /z/ words
medial /z/ words
/s/ blend sounds
/str/ blend words
/sk/ initial blends in sentences
/sl/ blend words
/sp/ blend words
/sp/ initial blends in sentences
/st/ initial blends in sentences
/st/ initial blends in sentences
initial /ch/ words
medial /ch/ words
final /ch/ words
initial /ch/ in sentence
medial /ch/ in sentence
final /ch/ in sentence
initial /j/ words
medial /j/ words
final /j/ words
initial /sh/ words
medial /sh/ words
final /sh/ words
initial /t/ words
medial /t/ words
final /t/ words
initial /th/ words
initial /w/ words
- Board Games - You can use any board game the child likes. Finding out the childs' interest is key and utilizing their interest to keep them engaged is how to create the magic and get them to achieve the goals they wouldn't ordinarily want to do. The number they role is the number of words or phrases that the child has to articulate correctly. Or on each turn. Therapist should participate as well in order to model and demonstrate equality.
- Hide & Seek - Clinician hides the articulation cards around the therapy room. When the client finds them, he says the word on the card using good sounds.
- Memory - Place 3, 4, 5 cards in a row, have the client say the words, then close his/her eyes while you switch the order. He must put them back in order and say them again.
- Scrap Book - Continually add/cut out client's sounds in pictures of magazines, newspapers, etc to create a scrapbook. I tend to spend about 5 - 10 mins each session adding to their scrap book. While looking for their sounds they practice saying the words they find. This also helps with minimal pair difficulty,
- Bean Bag Toss - Place the cards in a row on the floor. Select a winning card. Have the client stand a few feet back and try to toss the bag on the winning card. The client must say the word on the card that the bag lands on.
- Go Fish! - Each player gets 5 cards. The goal is to make a match with each of the cards. Player 1 asks player 2 for a card they need to make a match. If player 2 has the card, he hands it over to player 1. If not, player 2 says “GO FISH” and player one chooses a card from the deck. Use articulation cards that the client needs to work on!
- Race For Candies - Turn articulation cards upside down in 1 row per player. The clients have to turn over a card, say the word correctly and move to the next card. If they misarticulate they have to stop and repeat the word until they get it right. At the end of the rows of cards is a prize, such as candy or a sticker.
- Fishing - Use a fishing pole with a magnet to pick up cards with paper clips attached, or use the pole to pick up fish with numbers on them. The number indicates how many words the clients have to say.
- Artic Bowling - Attach cards to bowling pins and have the client bowl over the pins. As he picks the pins up, he must correctly articulate each word attached to the pins.
- Guess What - Two teams take turns selecting a card from the deck and then drawing the picture. The other team must try to guess what the target word is and correctly articulate it.
- Balloon Bounce - Bounce a balloon and try to keep it in the air. Each time the client hits the balloon s/he has to articulate the target sound or word correctly.
- Word Searches/Crossword Puzzles