speech therapy articulation activities for adults

100 Fun and Easy Articulation Activities Speech Therapy

My mission here at Speech Therapy Store is to make your life, as a Speech-Language Pathologist, easier one resource or material at a time! In the past, my speech therapy sessions were filled with articulation practice, so I thought what better way to serve you than by providing a complete list of the top 100 articulation activities for speech therapy! 

Why Articulation Practice Is Important

Articulation in speech therapy is important for several reasons, as it plays a crucial role in effective communication. Here are some key reasons why articulation is emphasized in speech therapy sessions:

• Articulation refers to the ability to produce speech sounds accurately and clearly. Clear articulation of specific sounds ensures that listeners can easily understand and interpret the intended message. When different sounds are produced accurately, communication is more effective, leading to better understanding and reduced chances of miscommunication.
• Clear articulation helps to increase our speech intelligibility and in turn will improve our social interactions. Individuals with articulation disorders may experience difficulties in social situations and misunderstandings. Improving articulation and language skills can help individuals feel more confident and comfortable in social settings.
• Speech sound disorders can impact academic performance. Addressing articulation issues early on can contribute to better academic outcomes.
• Individuals who struggle with articulation may experience frustration or a lack of confidence in their communication abilities. Speech therapy helps build confidence by providing strategies and exercises to improve articulation skills. Increased confidence in communication can positively impact various aspects of life.

Categories:

• Flash Cards
• Digital Materials
• Holiday (Valentines, St. Patricks, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Winter Holidays, New Years)

Articulation Boom Cards

Boom Cards are digital, interactive, and self-checking learning resources that can be used by a speech-language pathologist to practice a target sound or target word during articulation practice. They are a fun way to practice articulation skills in your therapy room!

• Articulation Boom Cards for Speech Therapy l K Sample by Anna Dee SLP is a highly rated boom card deck to practice the ‘K’ sound.
• Talk Like a Pirate /ar/ FREEBIE: Speech Therapy/Articulation + BOOM Cards by Panda Speech is a favorite game for speech students as they practice the AR sound and other r blends!
• Video Articulation Cards – Prevocalic R Sound Speech Therapy Boom Card FREEBIE by Speechie Things provides and easy way to model target words!
• Sensory Bin BOOM CARDS™ FREE SAMPLE for Speech Therapy: Articulation & Phonology by The Type B SLP is a set of boom cards for minimal pairs.
• Spring FREEBIE Multisyllabic Word Articulation | BOOM CARDS™️ | Speech Therapy by Upstate SLP is a fun articulation game for your students!
• Articulation Cards for Speech Therapy BOOM CARDS™ R Initial FREEBIE by Stacey Crouse is a great way to practice prevocalic r with your articulation students!
• Feed the Skeleton L & L Blends Articulation Boom Cards™ Halloween Speech Therapy by Pinwheel Speech Resources is a highly rated teachers pay teachers resource to practice the l blends! 
• Free Feed the Shark Medial K Sound Articulation Boom Cards | Speech Therapy by Goldie Talks Speech is a fun way to engage your students in articulation practice!
• S Blends Build a Bug Speech Therapy Articulation Activity BOOM CARDS by Pep Talk prompts your students to practice articulation at word level. This is a great resource for your early intervention students!
• FREE S-Blends Bowling Articulation Boom Cards for Speech Therapy by Sunflower SLP is an easy way to target S sound articulation with your students!

BONUS: Be sure to check out our entire list of over 115 Articulation Booms Cards here . The articulation boom cards list is subdivided into the following helpful lists: Articulation Screener , Multiple Sounds , P initial, medial, final , B initial, medial , F initial, medial, final , V initial , K initial, medial, final , G medial, medial, final , Z initial, medial, final , S initial, medial, final, S-Blends , TH initial, medial, final , SH initial, medial, final , R initial, medial, final, R-Blends , L initial, medial, final , J initial, medial, final , W Initial , N Final , and Articulation Reinforcers .

Articulation Flash Cards

Articulation flash cards are a common tool used in speech therapy to target the correct production of specific sounds in speech therapy sessions. Whether they are a digital version or a piece of paper, these cards typically feature images and words that emphasize a target sound, making them an effective tool in providing a visual aid to help individuals improve their articulation skills. We love using flash cards for articulation drills and for home practice to further our student’s language development.

• S-blends Articulation FlashCards Card Game and Find It Speech Therapy activity by A Gift of Speech is a great set of articulation cards that focus on S Blends. 
• Articulation Cards – Flashcards for Speech Therapy: /r/ +Vocalic /r/ +/r blends/ by Speeching of that is a highly rated set of prevocalic R flash cards including /er/, /ar/, /air/, /ire/, /ear/, /dr/, /br/ and /kr/.
• Interactive Articulation Flash Cards – FREEBIE! – Speech Therapy by Speech Room 121 – Lisa Syverson are highly rated interactive flash cards for the /m/ sound.
• /t/ and /d/ Articulation Cards and Worksheets – For Speech Therapy by Carrie Clark – Speech Therapy for Kids is a great set of flash cards and associated worksheets for the /t/ and /d/ sounds.
• Z Articulation Flashcards Distance Learning by Ms Lees Bees SLP and Reading Supplies is a highly rated set of 100 flashcards for the Z sound! These flashcards and clear and for initial, medial and final /z/.

BONUS: Make sure you visit our articulation lists posts so you can click on the individual sound you need and then enjoy the done for you interactive flash cards straight from your computer. No printing necessary! Here are a few examples to get you started: Initial R Flash Cards , Medial R Flash Cards , Final R Flash Cards , Initial ER Flash Cards , Medial ER Flash Cards , Final ER Flash Cards , Initial Z Flash Cards , Medial Z Flash Cards , Initial G Flash Cards and grab the rest here of our flash cards here.

Articulation Games

Articulation games are a fun and effective way to practice different sounds and grow language skills. Check out this list of resource types for easy articulation activities. These games are a simple way to help your students with articulation disorders have fun in your therapy room! We’ve found everything from a scavenger hunt to board games!

16 . I SPY /R/ Articulation by Speech Therapy Store is a fun and engaging set of I Spy Pages that focus on the /r/ sound. Scroll to the bottom of the blog post to enter your name and email and have this high quality pdf emailed right to you!

17. Dot to Dot Prevocalic R Game by Speech Therapy Store is a favorite game for elementary students as they practice their prevocalic R sound! Play one one one or in small groups! Scroll to the bottom of the blog post to enter your name and email and have this high quality pdf emailed right to you!

18. Articulation Fortune Tellers Oragami by Speech Therapy Store Shop is a $9 resource that has been a favorite for years! Have your students cut and fold the fortune tellers and have fun practicing their target sound. With over 20 sounds at initial, medial and final level, this resource has a fortune teller for everyone on your caseload. (also known as cootie catchers!) 

19. See it Say It Match It by Speech Therapy Store Shop is an $18 complete bundle of 57 playing cards for R & R-Blends, L & L-Blends, S & S-Blends, SH, CH, and TH sounds. This game has clear directions, engaging pictures, and has always been a favorite for our students! 

20. Articulation Tic Tac Toe by Speech Therapy Store Shop is an $8 bundle of Tic Tac Toe Boards for over 24 sounds at initial, medial and final level! This is a game you can laminate and play over and over with your students. It has clear directions and is so engaging. 

21. Go Fish by Speech Therapy Store Shop is a $12 complete bundle of all the sounds you need for your caseload! Each Go Fish Deck has 72 cards total, and helps students practice at initial, medial and final positions. This is another favorite that our students can’t get enough of.

22. Connect Four By Speech Therapy Store Shop is an $8 bundle that targets multiple sounds. This is a great game to play because it includes data tracking boards for the number of trials completed as the students play! 

23. Roll A Die by Speech Therapy Store Shop is an $8 bundle of a favorite game! With sounds for your whole caseload, students will roll a dice and practice the associated sound with the dice number. This is a great game to play in small groups or as individual practice!

24. Apple to Apple by Speech Therapy Store Shop is a $12 game that is played just like the original Apple to Apple game! Older elementary and middle school students love this game and this bundle has sounds for everyone in your caseload.

25. Coloring Decks by Speech Therapy Store Shop is a $14 bundle of over 20 sounds. Each sound has a playing card deck with 52 cards. Have your students color the cards and then bring back to your therapy room to play a multitude of fun card games! 

26. Bingo by Speech Therapy Store Shop is a $14 bundle of bingo cards with playing boards and sounds for everyone on your caseload. The pictures are engaging and the directions are clear. This is always a favorite in our therapy sessions!

27. FREE Speech Therapy Game – Articulation S Blends by The Elementary sLp – Kelly Workman is a great activity to play to practice S sound at word level and sentence level! 

28. K Articulation Cookie Game for Speech Therapy by Speechy Musings has an articulation target sound /k/ and is great for special education readers or non readers as well as speech therapy! 

29. FREE Search and Find Articulation Game for Speech Therapy | F Sound by Dean Trout’s Little Shop of SLP is a highly rated search and find game that can be printed in color or black and white!

30. SLP Articulation Dice Game for TH by SLP HELPS – Stephanie Tarrant Martin is a classic game to print and go for small groups or one on one practice! The printable picture is engaging and fun.

31. Speech Therapy Articulation Game for S blends | Rock Paper Scissors by Activity Tailor is a favorite for elementary aged students!

32. Frog and Pond Speech Therapy Game with Final G Articulation Cards by Speech Sprouts is an engaging and fun game to practice the final g sound with your students!

33. Freebie! R Sound Articulation Game: Hexagon Tile Connect for Speech Therapy by Harre SLP is a freebie to practice the /r/ sound in all positions!

34. HARRY POTTER ARTICULATION GAME FOR SPEECH THERAPY by Achieve Beyond is a favorite for middle school and high school students!

35. Would You Rather Winter Dice Game – Articulation Activity Speech Therapy FREEBIE by The Speechie Boat is a focus on /s/ and /z/ sounds in an engaging would you rather dice game.

BONUS! We have some great articulation game resources already compiled for you! Check out this post with some of our favorite articulation games! If you are looking specifically for board games then we have a post with the 29 Best Speeh Therapy Board Games . Here are some of the overall BEST Speech Therapy Games . Lastly, we have compiled some resources if you are looking for reinforcement games or teletherapy games!

SEE ALSO: Free Articulation Games for Speech Therapy

Articulation Digital Materials

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the availability of digital materials for articulation therapy activities. Speech therapists can use these materials as a great way to leverage technology to engage individuals and provide interactive learning experiences with target speech sounds. Below we have compiled a list of some online and free articulation games! 

36.  FREE Interactive PDF for Speech Therapy – All in One by Speech Therapy Store is a complete interactive pdf that focuses on articulation for R, L, S, Z, SH, CH, TH sounds as well as language and social skills goals.

37. Spring Flower Bug Easter Earth Guess the Word Open Ended Articulation Reinforcer by Seldom Speechless is an interactive and open ended reinforcement activity for articulation drills!

38. FREE Articulation Carryover /R, S, Z/ by Beverly Pass is an interactive resource for carrier phrases focusing on the /r/, /s/ and /z/ sounds.

39. FREE! Articulation Tic-Tac-Toe: Producing /s/ in word initial position by Mua SLP is an interactive Tic Tac Toe game that focuses on the /s/ sound.

40. Articulation Memory Games- Initial R by Dick and Jane Go Digital is a highly rated digital memory game that focuses on initial R!

41. The Mystery Door Game – Initial, Medial, and Final /g/ DIGITAL, NO-PREP by Kale Speech Materials is a fun way to practice the /g/ sound digitally.

42. *Free*-Distance Learning-Interactive Google Slides Artic Vowel ‘uh’ in isolation by Living a Speechie Life is an interactive whiteboard game to practice the ‘uh’ sound in isolation.

43. Open Ended Beach Adventure Game Board – BOOM CARDS by Speech Adventures SLP is a fun and interactive board game to practice any articulation sound.

44. Sound Listening Articulation Blends Sc Sk Free Product for Boom Cards by Chatter Box Charlie SLP Materials is a sound loaded game to practice SK articulation digitally.

45. Christmas Speech Therapy Digital 50 Trials for Articulation FREE by Ashley Rossi is digital game that uses a mini erasers to erase reindeer as a student goes through 50 trials. 

46. Winter Speech Therapy Activities Digital PDF Language Articulation FREE SAMPLE by Staci Crouse is a digital pdf with a fun winter theme to practice articulation goals with your students.

47. Free Dot Art for Articulation Speech Therapy: Tacos (Print and Digital) by Ausome speech is an interactive dot marker activity. There are many easy ways to practice articulation practice with no prep!

48. FREEBIE: Apple Picking Articulation Sort /K, G/- Digital Speech Therapy Activity by Sunflower SLP is an interactive activity that prompts students to sort the /k/ and /g/ sound as they pick apples.

49. Sensory Bin BOOM CARDS™ FREE SAMPLE for Speech Therapy: Articulation & Phonology by The Type B SLP is a fun and interactive sensory bin game that prompts students to sort sounds that pull out of the bins.

50. NO PREP R Blends Roll and Tell Articulation Worksheet for Speech Therapy by TheSecondarySpeechTherapist is an interactive Roll and Tell game!

JUST FOR YOU! Here is a great post filled with free therapy activities for digital distance learning! Also, don’t forget we have interactive word lists to practice at word level, phrase level and sentence level for all of our articulation posts!

SEE ALSO: 21 Best Reinforcement Games for Speech Therapy

Holiday Themed

Holiday-themed speech therapy activities can be a fun and festive way to engage individuals while targeting specific speech and language goals throughout the entire year. There are so many creative ways for articulation therapy fun when we include holiday themed resources! Here are some holiday-themed speech therapy activities for all ages including older students, middle school students and early intervention caseloads! 

51. FREE Valentine’s Day Articulation for Speech Therapy by Teach Speech 365 is a fun articulation activity that targets sounds for everyone in your case load. 

52. Valentine’s Day Speech Therapy, Articulation and Basic Concepts, NO Prep by Language Speech and Literacy is a great no prep option!

53. K Valentine’s Day Articulation Quilt FREEBIE – Speech Therapy- Craft Activity by Small Town SLP is a highly rated color by sound activity!

54. Valentine’s Day Articulation Open Ended Printable Worksheets for Speech Therapy by Sarah C the SLP is a great activity for older students to practice open ended questions and articulation!

Bonus: Be sure to check out our complete Valentine’s Day themed activities for articulation and so much more!

St. Patrick’s Day

55. FREE St. Patrick’s Day Articulation Gold Coin Game Speech Therapy March by Sparkly Speechie is a fun game with a Golden coin theme to practice articulation of multiple sounds!

56. Free Saint Patrick’s Day Articulation Coloring Trials for Speech Therapy by Jennie’s Speech Room is a fun and interactive color by sound worksheet that younger students love!

57. St. Patrick’s Day Articulation Pack /S,R,L/- Speech Therapy by Shelley SLP is an engaging activity that targets /s/, /r/, and /l/ articulation.

58. St. Patrick’s Day Articulation Pack SH, CH, TH – Speech Therapy by Shamrock Speech is a freebie that includes 72 trials of /sh/, /ch/, and /th/ sounds. 

Bonus: You won’t want to miss our complete St.Patrick’s Day resource list including articulation and many other skills.

4th of July

59. Fourth of July Articulation Activities for Speech Therapy: T & D Sounds by The Speech Spot creation is a highly rated articulation activity for the /t/ and /d/ sounds.

60. FREE Fourth of July Articulation Activity Worksheet Speech Therapy: Vocalic OR by The Speech Spot Creations is a print and go worksheet with an independence day theme.

61. 4th of July Thumbprint ART freebie + articulation sample pages by Panda Speech is a favorite for early elementary students! Make thumbprint designs as they practice articulation sounds.

62. FREEBIE! QUICK PRINT CUT & PASTE 4TH OF JULY ARTICULATION – /S/ Blends by Twin Speech Language and Literacy is a fun cut and paste activity to practice S blends. 

63. Halloween Speech Therapy Pop Up Craft: Articulation and Language by Texas Speech Mom is an engaging craft for elementary aged students!

64. Halloween Fortunes for Speech Therapy by Speech Therapy by Courtney Gragg is a highly rated origami freebie for elementary aged students. This freebie targets vocalic /r/ with 8 Halloween themed origami print outs – instructions on how to fold included! 

65. Halloween Vocalic R What’s Wrong Picture Scene by Two Sisters Therapy – Nicole Absher is a highly rated, no print, no prep Halloween scene that is interactively used on smart devices! Students love this Halloween themed articulation practice. 66. Halloween Articulation Word Searches – R and S Sounds by Communication Window is a set of engaging, Halloween themed word searches that are ready to print and go!

Bonus: Be sure to check out our complete Halloween themed activities for articulation and so much more!

Thanksgiving

67. FREE Thanksgiving – Fall – Autumn Articulation – S/Z/R Speech Therapy by Communication Window is a great way to practice /s/z/r articulation with a fall theme. 

68. Thanksgiving Speech Therapy FREEBIE – Cut and Say Articulation – D Sound by Red Rose Speechies is an engaging cut and paste activity. 

69. Thanksgiving Turkey Articulation Worksheets Freebie by Ms. Toni’s Speech Tools is a print and go bundle of worksheets to color for articulation practice.  

70. FREE Thanksgiving Themed No Print Uncover a Win Articulation Speech Game by Simply Speaking SLT is an interactive whiteboard game for articulation practice!

Bonus: Want even more Thanksgiving articulation and more resources? Be sure to check out our list of over 141 Thanksgiving freebies!

71. FREE Christmas Articulation Speech Therapy No Prep Activities by Two Sisters Therapy – Nicole Absher is a great set of activities and worksheets with a fun christmas theme!

72. Christmas Tree Decorating Speech Therapy /f, v/ | Articulation Therapy by The Giggle SLP is an engaging craft that prompts students to decorate a tree as they practice their /f/ and /v/ sounds.

73. NO PREP FREEBIE: Christmas “SH” Articulation Stocking Craft for Speech Therapy by Speech by Madison is a highly rated christmas activity to practice articulation in your speech room!

74. Christmas/Holiday Speech Dots – Articulation Craftivity for Speech Therapy by Miss V’s Speech World is a great activity that uses dot markers or pom poms as your student decorate a gingerbread man! 

Bonus: You won’t want to miss our complete Winter resource list including articulation and many other skills.

75. FREE New Year Speech Therapy Craft | language and articulation activity by Speech Dreams is a great print and go craft for articulation with a new years theme!

76. New Year’s Articulation Freebie! By Speech is Sweet is a great printable for articulation practice. Students color and practice target words.

77. FREE LEAP YEAR (FROG) ARTICULATION SMASH MATS, SPEECH THERAPY by SLP Britt is a smash mat for new years and a leap year!

78. CH & J Articulation Boom Cards™ – Chinese New Year is an interactive set of boom cards for the Chinese New Year!

PRO TIP! Our students have always loved incorporating holiday themes into our lessons. This trick boosts engagement and makes therapy sessions so much more fun. So, just for you, here are some compiled lists of some of our favorite speech therapy activities for Halloween , Thanksgiving, New Years , Valentines Day and St. Patricks Day ! Enjoy!

SEE ALSO: 279+ Free Speech Therapy Digital Materials

Themed 

My articulation students always love themed speech therapy activities. They are such a fun way to practice articulation words and can be especially engaging for both older students or early intervention students. 

79. Summer-Themed Speech Therapy FREEBIE: Articulation Lists, Open-ended Sheets by Twin Speech Language and Literacy is a great freebie with a summer theme to practice articulation.

80. Food Themed Language and Articulation Workbook for Speech Therapy NO PREP by Speechie Studio is a food themed workbook to work on articulation practice with your students.

81. Articulation Speech Therapy Theme Lesson Plan-Monster FREE-EASY DIY Instructions by SparklySpeechie is a fun monster themed activity to practice articulation. 

82. FREE Speech Therapy Activities for Articulation and Language | Pasta Theme by Fun in Speech is a set of activities with a pasta theme!

FOR YOU! We also love themed resources! Here are some compiled lists of our favorite activities for your speech therapy sessions! Back To School Activities , Fall Activities , Winter Activities , Spring Activities , End of the Year Activities , Weather Themed Activities and Ocean Themed Activities .  

Articulation Worksheets

Using articulation worksheets is a common practice in speech therapy to help individuals practice and reinforce specific speech sounds. They are often easy prep or no prep activities and are a fun way to target articulation practice in an easy and fun way. We have compiled a list of some of the best articulation worksheets for you to use at a moment’s notice! 

83. One Page S Articulation Worksheet for Speech Therapy by Anna D SLP is a clear and fun worksheet to practice the S sound.

84. Freebie SH Articulation Worksheets for Speech Therapy by Talking with Rebecca is a clear and engaging worksheet that focuses on the SH sound.

85. FREE F Sound Articulation Worksheets for Speech Therapy by PlayingSpeech is a highly rated worksheet for the F sound!

86. Ocean Dot Paint Worksheets for Speech Therapy FREEBIE – Articulation & Language by GreenTea Speech Room is a dot marker worksheet with an ocean theme!

87. K Articulation No Prep Worksheet for Speech Therapy by Anna D SLP is a no prep worksheet for the /k/ sound.

88. FREE One Page Articulation Worksheets For Speech Therapy P SOUND by PlayingSpeech is a print and go worksheet for the P sound.

89. FREE Fall Articulation Practice Worksheet for Speech Therapy: TH Sound by The Speech Spot SLP is a colorful and engaging worksheet with a fall theme.

90. Back to School Articulation Worksheets Freebie | Speech Therapy Homework by Ms. Toni’s Speech Tools is a great worksheet for back to school!

Articulation Books

There are several articulation books specifically designed for targeting particular sounds in speech therapy. They can be very helpful for speech therapists when helping improve a child’s speech. These books often include activities, exercises, and stories that target specific speech sounds. Here are some great game companions to go with the books you use in your speech therapy sessions! 

91. Articulation Reading Passages and Conversation by Speech Therapy Store Shop is a $24 bundle with over 240 pages of reading and conversational level passages with both student and teacher versions. There are 6 stories per sound with 2 stories at the initial level, 2 stories at the medial level, and 2 stories at the final level.

92. Sound Loaded Book List for Articulation Speech Therapy by SpeechSprouts is a sound loaded book for articulation practice!

93. FREEBIE! Articulation flip book- ‘sn’ blend for speech and language therapy by Katrina Bevan is a book to make with your students to practice the sn sound.

94. THE PRESCHOOL SLP: /n/ Articulation Coloring Flip Book w/ Speech Sound Cues by The Preschool SLP is a coloring flip book for younger students!

95. Articulation Mini Book: S Blends (Freebie) by MRSTslp is a great freebie book for students to practice multiple targets of s blends.

96. Articulation Activities for R and L Speech Sounds Easy Print for Parents by Ashley Egger is a comic book for students to color and load with r and l sounds.

BONUS! We have found interactive books to be so fun in our therapy sessions! Here is a list of the best interactive books to use in your speech therapy session!

Articulation Homework

Homework assignments are a simple way to help your articulation students meet their articulation goals. Assigning articulation homework helps reinforce newly learned skills and encourages consistent practice in order to grow effective communication.

97. Complete Homework Bundle by Speech Therapy Store Shop is a $25 complete interactive bundle with 600 pages of articulation homework! With sounds for your whole caseload, have students practice their articulation weekly at the word, sentence and conversation level.

98. Summer Homework Bundle – by Speech Therapy Store Shop is a $14 homework bundle that includes calendars for daily articulation practice, weekly language worksheets and weekly social skills practice for the months June-August. 

99. Speech Therapy Homework Worksheets FREE SAMPLE Articulation Language Pragmatics by Stacey Crouse is a preview of homework samples for articulation practice for older students. 

100. R Articulation Cards for Speech Therapy Activities & Drill Sheets – FREE! By Ashley Rossi is a set of cards for students to practice and drill with at home! 

We hope this list helps you find some great articulation materials for your therapy room! 

If you’re working on creating articulation goals for any of your students be sure to check out our complete articulation goal bank !

Want Even More Articulation Therapy Ideas?

• 21 Best Reinforcement Games for Speech Therapy
• 261+ Free Ideas for Digital Therapy
• 917+ Best Free Boom Cards for Speech Therapy
• 11 Free Articulation Games for Speech Therapy
• Best Free Interactive PDF for Speech Therapy All-in-One

Want the Best of the Bests?

Be sure to check out our most popular posts below!

• 21 Best Reinforcement Games for Speech Therapy / Teletherapy
• Best IEP Resources
• 71+ Free Social Problem-Solving Scenarios
• 430+ Free Multisyllabic Words List Activity Bundle
• 432+ Free Measurable IEP Goals and Objectives Bank
• 279+ Free Speech Therapy Digital Materials
• 179+ Free Speech Therapy Wh-Questions Printable

• Free Worksheets

I created these free speech and language worksheets so you can easily download and print them out to use as part of your speech therapy program.  Just scroll down the page to view the worksheets by topic.  You will find free speech therapy worksheets for articulation, vocabulary , grammar, holiday articulation and language games…and lots of other miscellaneous speech therapy creations that I love!  If you would like more information on what articulation therapy is you might like to read a post I have written called  Teaching Speech Sounds: The Process of Traditional Articulation Therapy

Parents:  If you are a mommy or a daddy (or grandma or grandpa) who wants to work with your child at home, you can use these speech therapy activity pages for extra practice.  Just choose the sound position to work on (initial, medial, or final) and click on the corresponding link to view and print the worksheets.  To help make practice more fun, you can print out two of the same page so you have pairs, cut them out, and use them to play a game of memory or go fish. You can also use them as flashcards.  You will find free speech therapy worksheets by sound and at a variety of levels; word level, phrase level and sentence levels!

Articulation Worksheets

Speech Sounds in Syllable Wheel

/th/ Sound Voiceless

/th/ Sound Voiced

Grammar Worksheets

Regular past tense.

Irregular Past Tense

Third Person Singular

Vocabulary Worksheets – Holiday and Seasonal Themed 

Fall & autumn memory game, christmas vocabulary 1, christmas vocabulary 2, summer vocabulary, summer vocabulary companion, grammar bingo games – holiday and seasonal themed, grammar bingo games.

Vocabulary BINGO Games – Holiday and Seasonal Themed

Vocabulary bingo - winter, concepts bingo - christmas, conceptual vocabulary bingo - back-to-school, conceptual vocabulary bingo - fall, conceptual vocabulary bingo - spring & easter, lemonade stand bingo - summer, 4th of july vocabulary bingo - summer.

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6 Engaging (and Simple) Articulation Games for Speech Therapy

If you are a speech-language pathologist looking for the best articulation games for speech therapy, check out this helpful blog post! There are activities and games that speech therapists can use to target a variety of articulation skills. Additionally, articulation word lists are included, as well as suggestions for apps and websites that may be engaging for therapy. Articulation practice is very important, but it can get repetitive. That’s why speech and language therapists are often looking for fun activities and fun games to keep students motivated during articulation therapy. Switch things up and don’t get bored! These ideas will make your speech therapy sessions engaging and fun!

This post contains affiliate links, which means we could receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended.

Articulation Cards for Sensory Bins

Need a good set of  articulation cards  that could be used in a sensory bin?

Or maybe you want to place these articulation cards in  a fun container ,  or feed them to a  puppet ?

These articulation flash cards are in the shape of mouths, so your younger students will have the perfect visual reminder for the correct production of speech sounds!

These articulation picture cards can also double as  speech room decor , which is a huge bonus! You can attach them to binder rings for easy storage. Then, hang them on the wall of your speech room.

Cluster Reduction Phonology Games

If you have phonology students on your caseload, you might enjoy these magical-themed  cluster reduction games and activity sheets . 

They target r blends, l blends. and s blends.

There is a fun “magical” theme. This means that your students will encounter wizards, dragons, fairies, knights, princesses, and gnomes while practicing target words!

There are printable game boards, spinners, smash mats, and dice games.

You won’t run out of things to do while practicing saying both sounds in a consonant cluster! 

Send extra copies of these games and activities home so that family members can practice the articulation targets in fun and engaging ways with your student as well!

​By the way, speech-language pathologists might also wish to check out these  consonant cluster reduction activities  and this  list of the different phonological processes .

• Articulation Drill Game Companion

Are you a speech-language pathologist on the hunt for a fun speech-therapy activity that involves easy prep?

Your articulation students will choose this  articulation drill game companion  over and over again!

​It’s simple to use.

Just print out the page that works best with your target sound. For example, your student might be targeting  prevocalic r . 

I like to laminate the pages or place them in a sheet protector, but that’s up to you!

Here’s how it works.

Your student will choose a card from the card deck. 

They will match the color or symbol (i.e. “draw 2”) to the target word on their piece of paper.

Then, they will practice saying that target word. 

So, if your student draws a red card, he might just have to practice the word “four” on the vocalic or final page! 

The Pedi Speechie is in no way associated with the well-known card game, which is trademarked. You will, however, need that card game in order to use this resource.

Articulation Games for Speech Therapy (Older Students)

Here are two articulation activities that could be used with upper elementary and even middle school students who are working on speech and language skills.

​Articulation Challenge Worksheets

Older students will love trying out these articulation challenge worksheets during speech therapy sessions!

They provide a great way to turn articulation drill into a competitive game. 

This is not a digital activity. It is meant to be hands-on and interactive, so you’ll print out the desired page.

Students “type” their articulation words onto the keyboard image on the paper. After that, they practice saying their target words.

Want to make it competitive? The first student to finish typing and saying target words correctly is the winner! 

For example, if your student is practicing the “sh” sound, he will have to first type out the word “eyelash” and then say it correctly. 

Many different sounds are targeted, including sh, ch, voiced th, voiceless th, r, l, s and z. 

Articulation Playing Card Companion

Have a deck of cards on hand?

Perfect! Here’s a fun way to use them in speech and language therapy.

You can pair these  articulation sheets  with your deck of cards. 

Play any card game you want, but just check off the cards you draw while practicing target words.

​Your students could also use the target words to practice at the sentence level by generating their own sentences.

One open-ended page is provided. This will allow you to practice any articulation target words of your choice during your speech therapy session.

Board Games for Articulation Trials

Looking for a simple game that allows for a quick break while practicing articulation drills? 

You can’t go wrong with  Spot It .  

I simply have my students say their target words, then we take a quick turn at the game with a simple flip of our cards.

It’s a lot of fun seeing who can spot the matching pictures first!

Likewise, your students might also enjoy  Pizza Party Dice Game . This one is a great game for motivating students!

Your student can say target sounds, then roll the dice. The dice contain pictures of pizza toppings, and you need to match the toppings to the exact ones pictured on your pizza slice.

Who can cover their pizza the fastest? This game will be a hit in individual or group speech therapy sessions!

​Best Speech Therapy Board Games

Need more board game ideas?

​Check out the  15 best speech therapy games for younger students , or look into the  best speech therapy games for elementary school students .

Articulation Word Lists

It is beneficial for speech-language pathologists to have word lists on hand in order to target a variety of sounds in different word positions.

These lists contain the target sound at the word level.

Most are provided in the initial, medial, and final positions. 

The multi-syllabic word lists contain 1-syllable, 2-syllable, 3-syllable, 4-syllable, and 5-syllable words for practice.

• S Word Lists
• L Word Lists
• F Word Lists
• K Word Lists
• TH Word Lists
• R Words for Speech Therapy
• Z Word Lists
• V Words for Speech Therapy
• G Words for Speech Therapy
• SH Words for Speech Therapy
• CH Words for Speech Therapy
• S Blends (Cluster Words)
• Multisyllabic Words for Speech Therapy 

Free Online Speech Therapy Activities

Are you searching for  free online speech therapy activities ? There are many free tools, websites, and games available online that speech-language pathologists might use in speech therapy. 

The linked blog post provides links to games and simple reinforcers that may be useful in your therapy room. Free articulation games are recommended in this article, as well as other links that may be useful for language development.

Apps for Speech Therapy

Looking to head to the app store for a fun articulation game?

There’s no doubt that using an ipad app can be motivating for some of your students.

Check out the  20 best speech therapy apps for preschool . There are also recommended apps in this article that elementary students may enjoy as well.

8 Easy Ideas for Articulation Games for Speech Therapy

Sometimes, a simple game is the best way to practice articulation skills!

Here are some quick and easy engaging ways to practice particular sounds:

• Why not tape an articulation card to a  plastic bowling pin ? Your student can easily practice a target word after taking a turn during articulation bowling.
• Do you have a toy car on hand? One simple way to practice is by creating a “road” out of articulation cards, and driving over them! 
• Make an extra copy of your favorite articulation cards and play a memory game with them.
• Older students might enjoy grabbing  a map  (or the  globe ) and finding place names with their specific sounds in them.
• Create a simple spinner using a paper clip and a pencil. Your student can flick the paperclip around, and it will land on a target word.
• Perhaps your student has favorite characters that motivate him. How about using Canva to  create your own Bingo Board ? You can design it and add your target words to it. 
• Grab a  beach ball  and write target words on it! Toss it around for some fun articulation practice.
• What’s better than tic-tac-toe? Your students will love these  printable articulation tic-tac-toe sheets . Best of all, they pair with a magnetic wand and chips. 

Speech therapists are often looking for creative ways to work on articulation with students.

As this article mentioned, there are many engaging articulation activities and games that could be used during speech therapy sessions. 

Different games may be engaging for  preschool students  and  elementary students .

SLPs might also use easy ways or simple activities to practice articulation. 

Some examples might include bowling, tossing a beach ball, playing a memory game, or creating a Bingo board for articulation practice. 

​Speech-language pathologists might also try placing speech sound cards in a sensory bin. Younger students can search for the cards and then practice saying the target words.

Here are 6 activities and articulation games for speech therapy that speech-language pathologists may wish to try with their students:

• Speech Sound Mouth Articulation Cards
• Cluster Reduction Games and Activities
• “Challenge” Articulation Worksheets for Older Students
• Deck of Cards Companion Sheets for Articulation
• Articulation Tic Tac Toe Worksheets

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Speak Clearly: 15 Fun and Effective Articulation Activities for All Ages

Hrideep barot.

• Communication , Public Speaking

Discovering the art of clear and confident speech involves diving into articulation activities, those nifty exercises designed to spruce up how we talk. These activities focus on getting speech sounds just right, covering everything from repeating single sounds to playful games and even reminiscing sessions. Why bother? Well, t hey’re a game-changer for folks dealing with speech quirks, offering a path to better communication, less social jitters, and a confidence boost.

Now, let’s talk about X fun activities for all ages. Kids can enjoy games like Articulation Bingo and Sound Scavenger Hunt. For the middle-aged crew, Word Puzzles and Conversation Cards add a fun twist. Senior citizens can relish Reminiscence Therapy and cozy reading aloud sessions. Each activity isn’t just about talking; it’s a mix of fun, socializing, and honing speech skills.

But the speech journey doesn’t stop there. Tips for speaking clearly and confidently roll in, from regular practice to focusing on pronunciation and even recording yourself. It’s a gradual process, but hey, progress is progress. If you’re serious about levelling up your speech game the following will help.

• What Are Articulation Activities?
• 15 Fun And Effective Articulation Activities For All Ages

Games That Can Elevate One’s Communication Skills.

Why should one practice articulation activities, what are articulation activities .

Articulation activities are exercises or tasks designed to help individuals improve their speech and pronunciation , particularly in terms of producing specific speech sounds accurately. These activities are often used in speech therapy, language development programs, or by educators to address difficulties with articulation, phonological disorders, or speech sound disorders.

Articulation activities may involve various techniques and tools to target specific speech sounds or patterns. Here are some common types of articulation activities:

Isolation Exercises:

These activities involve focusing on a single speech sound in isolation, without combining it with other sounds . This allows individuals to concentrate on the specific movement of the articulators (e.g., lips, tongue) required for accurate production. For example, saying the target sound (/r/, /s/, etc.) repeatedly in isolation.

Syllable and Word Repetition:

This step involves practicing the target sound within syllables and words. This helps individuals integrate the correct sound into different linguistic contexts. For instance, repeating syllables like “ba,” “be,” “bi,” or words like “cat,” “dog,” “ball” containing the target sound.

Minimal Pairs:

Minimal pairs are pairs of words that differ by only one sound (e.g., “bat” vs. “pat”) . Practicing minimal pairs helps individuals distinguish between similar sounds and develop the ability to produce the correct one through auditory discrimination.

Sentence and Phrase Practice:

Extending the practice to sentences and phrases helps individuals use the target sound more naturally and communicatively. This can involve constructing sentences or responding to prompts that incorporate the target sound .

Reading Aloud:

Reading aloud provides a contextualized approach to articulation practice . Individuals read passages, stories, or sentences that contain the target sounds. This helps bridge the gap between isolated practice and using the sounds in real-life situations.

Articulation Games: Making learning enjoyable, games can include board games, card games, or online activities that encourage the repetition of target sounds in a playful manner. This fosters engagement and motivation, especially in younger individuals.

Use of Visual Aids:

Visual aids, such as mouth diagrams or videos, offer a visual representation of correct articulatory movements . This visual feedback enhances understanding and awareness, aiding individuals in mimicking the correct mouth and tongue positions.

Mirror Exercises:

Observing one’s articulatory movements in a mirror provides immediate visual feedback . This self-monitoring approach helps individuals become more aware of their articulation and assists in self-correction.

Role-Playing:

Engaging in role-playing scenarios involves using the target sounds in real-life, communicative situations . This activity not only targets articulation but also integrates social and pragmatic aspects of speech.

Articulation activities are often tailored to an individual’s specific needs and may vary based on the severity and nature of the articulation difficulty. Regular practice and consistent feedback from speech-language professionals or educators are crucial components of successful articulation therapy.

15 Fun And Effective Articulation Activities For All Ages 

Some of the most fun and effective articulation activities are divided into groups based on age ranges – children , middle-aged people, and senior citizens:

For Children:

1. articulation bingo:.

Create Bingo cards with colorful images representing words with the target sound.

Use a variety of words to keep it engaging and diverse.

Encourage children to say the word aloud when marking it on their cards, reinforcing articulation.

2. Sound Scavenger Hunt:

Provide a list of target words, and children can check them off as they find corresponding objects.

Include a mix of common and challenging words to maintain interest.

Make it a collaborative activity, fostering teamwork and social interaction.

3. Story Cubes:

Use story cubes with a variety of images to spark creativity.

Discuss the story together, emphasizing the articulation of words containing the target sound.

Rotate roles, allowing each child to contribute to the story.

4. Silly Sentences:

Encourage creativity by having children come up with their silly sentences.

Provide a mix of words with the target sound and other sounds to create a balanced challenge.

This activity can be turned into a game with points for the silliest sentences.

5. Articulation Charades:

Include a mix of easy and challenging words in the charades game.

This game promotes movement, making it an active and enjoyable way to practice articulation.

Rotate roles so that everyone has a chance to act out and guess.

Check this out for more information and this video to know some fun strategies for children- 

For Middle-Aged People:

6. word puzzles:.

Tailor puzzles to the interests of the group (e.g., themed puzzles related to hobbies or current events).

Provide hints or clues related to the target sounds to make the activity more engaging.

Collaborative puzzle-solving can foster a sense of community.

7. Conversation Cards:

Create cards with open-ended questions that naturally incorporate the target sounds.

Encourage participants to share personal stories, ensuring the use of the target sound in context.

Use a variety of topics to keep conversations interesting and diverse.

8. Tongue Twisters:

Start with simpler tongue twisters and gradually progress to more challenging ones.

Practice each tongue twister multiple times, gradually increasing speed.

This activity enhances articulatory agility and control.

9. Role-Playing Scenarios:

Tailor scenarios to situations commonly encountered in daily life.

Use role-playing as an opportunity to practice articulation in realistic, everyday conversations.

Provide constructive feedback to reinforce correct articulation.

10.Memory Game:

Include images along with words on the memory cards to make it more visually engaging.

As individuals turn over cards, encourage them to say the words aloud and emphasize the target sounds.

Adjust the difficulty level by increasing the number of pairs or using more challenging words.

For Senior Citizens:

11. reminiscence therapy:.

Incorporate prompts related to different life stages to facilitate reminiscence.

Encourage individuals to articulate memories with clarity while engaging in a meaningful and nostalgic activity.

Create a relaxed and supportive environment for open sharing.

12. Reading Aloud:

Choose reading materials that align with the interests and preferences of the group.

Allow individuals to take turns reading paragraphs or pages.

Discuss the content, promoting articulation in a context that fosters comprehension.

13. Sing-Alongs:

Select familiar songs with clear lyrics and melodies.

Singing together provides a social and enjoyable way to practice articulation.

Consider incorporating hand movements or gestures to enhance engagement.

14. Poetry Recitation:

Choose poems with rhythmic patterns and rhymes.

Break down longer poems into smaller sections for easier recitation.

Discuss the meaning of the poems, adding depth to the articulation practice.

15. Articulation Meditation:

Integrate relaxation techniques with articulation practice.

Guide participants through deep breathing exercises while enunciating words with the target sound.

Emphasize the calming and therapeutic aspects of combining mindfulness with speech practice.

Remember, the activities can be adapted based on individual preferences, needs, and the severity of articulation challenges. It’s always beneficial to consult with speech-language professionals for personalized guidance.

1. Among Us:

Among Us, a popular online multiplayer game, requires players to work together on a spaceship while identifying impostors among them. Effective communication, persuasion, and critical thinking are crucial as players discuss suspicions and observations to deduce the impostors.

2. Codenames:

Codenames, a captivating word-based party game, challenges players to connect words using clues provided by their team’s spymaster. The game encourages strategic thinking and improves verbal communication by requiring players to convey information while avoiding confusion.

3. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes:

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is a unique cooperative game simulating bomb defusal. Effective communication is essential for conveying complex information quickly and accurately, promoting teamwork, time management, and clear information sharing.

4. Pictionary:

Pictionary, a classic drawing and guessing game, relies on non-verbal communication and creativity. It encourages players to express ideas visually and interpret visual cues, making it a fun and interactive way to improve both artistic and communicative skills.

5. Escape Room Games:

Escape room games, in board or digital form, provide an immersive experience requiring teamwork, problem-solving, and effective communication. Players must share information and ideas to uncover hidden clues, fostering collaboration within a team.

Practicing articulation activities is important for several reasons, particularly for individuals with speech sound disorders or difficulties . Here are some key reasons why one should engage in articulation activities:

Communication Skills Improvement :

Articulation activities aim to enhance an individual’s ability to produce speech sounds accurately. Clear and precise articulation is crucial for effective communication , as it ensures that spoken words are easily understood by others.

Enhanced Speech Intelligibility:

Correct articulation contributes to improved speech intelligibility. When individuals can articulate sounds properly, it minimizes the risk of miscommunication and allows listeners to comprehend spoken language more easily.

Building Confidence :

Regular practice of articulation activities, especially when combined with positive reinforcement and support, can boost an individual’s confidence in their speech abilities. Increased confidence can lead to more willingness to engage in communication.

Reduced Social Anxiety :

Individuals with speech sound disorders may experience social anxiety due to concerns about being understood or judged. Articulation activities help address these concerns by improving speech clarity, thus reducing anxiety in social interactions.

Academic Success :

Clear and effective communication is essential for academic success. Articulation activities can benefit students by improving their speech skills, leading to better participation in class, understanding of instructional materials, and overall academic achievement.

Prevention of Academic and Social Challenges :

Articulation difficulties can sometimes lead to academic and social challenges. Addressing these challenges early through articulation activities can prevent potential issues and help individuals thrive academically and socially.

Enhanced Self-Expression:

Clear articulation allows individuals to express themselves more accurately. This is crucial in various aspects of life, including personal relationships, work environments, and social interactions.

Speech Development:

For children, engaging in articulation activities is a fundamental aspect of speech development. The correct production of speech sounds during early years lays the foundation for effective communication and language skills.

Improved Overall Communication Competence:

Articulation activities contribute to the overall development of communication competence. Individuals who practice articulation exercises are likely to develop better phonological awareness, auditory discrimination, and overall communication skills.

It’s important to note that the effectiveness of articulation activities often depends on the individual’s specific needs, the severity of their speech sound disorder, and the consistency of practice. Speech-language pathologists and educators may tailor articulation activities to address the unique requirements of each individual.

In summing up our exploration, getting the hang of clear and confident speech involves diving into the world of articulation activities, understanding their importance, and enjoying the perks of regular practice. These activities, ranging from tongue twisters and syllable repetition to engaging games like Articulation Bingo and Memory Games, form the foundation for getting the pronunciation right and building a base for effective communication. The fun and effective articulation activities we’ve explored aren’t just limited to kids; they cater to individuals of all ages , ensuring that the journey toward clear speech is both personalized and enjoyable.

Digging into the ‘why’ behind articulation activities reveals a host of benefits, from improved communication skills and enhanced speech clarity to boosted confidence and reduced social anxiety. The positive effects stretch to academic and professional success, making articulation exercises a handy tool for individuals aiming to excel in various aspects of life. To speak with clarity and confidence, individuals are encouraged to embrace a holistic approach, including regular recording, mindful pacing, and the artful use of pauses. The journey towards articulate and confident speech is unique for each person, marked by dedication, positivity, and the celebration of milestones . Seeking guidance from speech-language professionals can provide invaluable support along this fulfilling and ongoing journey toward improved communication skills.

Dive into this link for an abundance of information that will leave you enlightened and intrigued. Click now for a journey into the world of knowledge!

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Quick and Easy Articulation Activities for Speech Therapists

Hey busy SLP! Ever find yourself in a therapy rut or in need of some articulation activities ASAP? I’ve got you covered! This post is full of 12 quick and easy articulation activities to help you achieve as many target trials as possible, without resorting to the ever-tedious drill, drill, drill!

Articulation Activities

If you find yourself in a therapy rut brainstorming ways to keep articulation therapy fun for your clients, I see you! It can be such a pain to keep things engaging and exciting all while getting in 100 trails during your session. Not only is therapy lesson planning time-consuming, but now you need to recommend practical and affordable home practice ideas for your families as well. Goodness! Talk about to-do overload! To make therapy and at-home practice a breeze, try to stick to articulation activities that use everyday toys and games or even regular household items. This post is packed with articulation activity ideas that are low cost, low stress, and make drills fun for everyone!

Limited Time Special on Articulation Activities Kit Here >>>

Printable Articulation Cards

First up, make sure you have some awesome articulation cards on hand. Don’t have a full set to meet all your clients’ needs? Lucky for you, I’ve created some awesome printable articulation cards that are available as a PDF download in my store!  You can also purchase these as part of the Special Offer Kit linked above. These cards are super easy to prepare and come with both full color and black line options. They cover all 24 speech sounds in initial, medial, and final word positions, so you’ll never have to search for another set of cards again!

No-Prep Articulation Activities

Let’s jump into some no-prep articulation activities! Aside from pulling out games and toys from your therapy arsenal, these are all ready to go whenever you are!

1. Articulation Treasure Hunt

Many of my young clients are extremely motivated by small trinkets or “treasures” as a reward for correct productions. These don’t need to be items to keep, just something fun to find. An articulation treasure hunt is a fun way to get target productions! Gather some treasures and hide them under any small containers (plastic party cups and bowls work perfectly for this activity.) Place an articulation card on top of each and let your students get to work. When they’ve said the target word correctly, they can lift the cup and check underneath. If you do want to give a prize to keep, then mini erasers are perfect and come in so many cute designs!

2. Sensory Bin

Sensory bin activities are a fun way to hide articulation drills in play! I often use dried split peas in my bin, but you can use any dry, non-sticky material such as beans, rice, or even sand (if you don’t mind the mess of course!) Keep little hands busy and have them dig for their targets. It makes the work fun AND functional!

3. Articulation Construction

We’ve all got building blocks of some sort lying around. Legos work great but the stacking blocks are fun too. Have your students take turns practicing their sounds while stacking or fitting the pieces together. If your kids are anything like mine, it might be hard to get them to stop, so prepare yourself for lots of fun!

4. Mr. Potato Head

Mr. Potato Head is always greeted with a smile in my speech room! Help your spud buddy get dressed while practicing target sounds. For each correct production they get a piece to fit onto his body.

Articulation cards are the perfect size to fit inside too! So, if you want to squeeze in some extra productions, hide a few in there to be found at the end as a surprise!

5. Give Me 5!

It’s important to keep your students engaged and having fun with therapy. But if you find the activity is too slow paced for you to fit in enough trials inside a short session or practice, here’s a fun way to squeeze in those extra ones:

Every so often in between play (especially if we hit on a card I want to get more repetition on), I will ask my student to “give me 5″. I hold up my closed fist and we do a quick drill of 5 words, and I raise a finger for each correct production until I get to the high 5 (or virtual high 5!) position.

“Give me 5” is quick and easy with no extra prep, and the kids get used to getting it done quickly so we can go back to play. It’s great practice that they hardly notice at all!

Oh, and a cool bonus? This simple technique works great for telehealth sessions too!

6. Feed the Monkey

Next up, is a favorite in my therapy room: Feed the Monkey. This articulation activity is available for purchase from my store. CLICK HERE to pick up your own copy today!

During the game, students give the monkey a “treat” each time they repeat their target words correctly.

The kids really “go ape” for this little guy!

Jenga is an easy game to play while drilling articulation. Once the child makes a correct production, they get a turn in the game. Talk about easy prep for you, busy SLP!

8. Snappy Shark

Snappy Shark (or Crocodile Dentist) are extremely fun and motivating games to play in therapy. For every correct production, your client gets to take a turn pushing down the teeth for a fun surprise!

9. Car Mat Articulation Activity

Have a client who LOVES cars? Have them drive their cars around a mat or table to different articulation cards! Then have them say their target a few times before driving to the next stop.

10. Kerplunk

Always a winner in my therapy room, Kerplunk is an easy game where your kids can pull out a stick after each correct trial.

11. Pop the Pirate

Pop the Pirate is easily one of the most popular games in my therapy sessions. The concept is simple: for every correct production, your client gets to push a sword into the pirate to get him to pop!

12. Monkey Business

Last up is a quick and easy game for therapy. After each correct target, your kid gets to hang monkeys from a tree. First one to hang all their monkeys on the tree wins!

Easy Articulation Activities

So, there you have it! Twelve awesome ideas to add to your therapy arsenal. Here’s hoping you now have some useful (and easy!) articulation activities to brighten up your sessions. I always have a wide range of instant download, printable and digital articulation activities in my online store and currently you can grab your own set of the articulation cards shown in these activities as part of the Articulation Activities Kit Special Offer. 

For more fun speech therapy ideas, games, and tips, join me in the T eaching Talking Facebook Group . I’d love to welcome you in and share more great ideas!

Easy and Effective Articulation Therapy Activities

Articulation therapy activities for speech therapy don’t have to be boring drill tasks! Read more to see how to make articulation therapy sessions fun, engaging, AND effective.

Scroll down for the articulation therapy activities!

What is articulation therapy.

Individuals with articulation delays or disorders ( sometimes called speech sound delays or disorders ) have difficulty producing speech sounds correctly. For example, they may use the /b/ sound instead of the /f/ sound, making the word “fun” sound like “bun.” Individuals with articulation disorders have difficulty with the motor aspect of speech sound production.

*It is important to note that children develop speech sounds gradually ; a 2-year-old is not expected to be able to say all sounds correctly but a 6-year-old is likely able to say almost all sounds correctly all the time. Simply put, a 2-year-old’s motor and language skills are not as developed as a 6-year-old’s. For more information on articulation and speech sound disorders, read our full article !

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) work with individuals with articulation delays or disorders to help them produce speech sounds correctly. There are a variety of approache s (read below) for working with individuals but the main goal is typically the same: help the individual be more easily understood by others !

Note: Many individuals with articulation disorders also demonstrate phonological pattern errors as well. In this article, we will reference purely articulation disorders though we acknowledge that phonological errors are very common!

Considerations for Individuals Who Speak Two or More Languages

Not all languages across the world have the same speech sounds. For example, the Spanish language doesn’t use the /th/ sound. Additionally, some languages have sounds that are not present in the English language. Individuals who are exposed to and/or speak more than one language may have difficulty producing specific speech sounds for this reason. It is crucial that the SLP working with the individual is aware of their language background before working with them on articulation skills. They may have an articulation difference, not a delay or disorder. Clinically speaking, it is not appropriate for an SLP to treat an articulation difference as a disorder.

Articulation Therapy Approaches

There are many different types of articulation treatment approaches.

Note: A target sound (as mentioned below) is referred to as the specific sound or sounds that the individual is working on to improve in therapy.

Some of the treatment approaches include:

• Developmental Approach : Target sounds are chosen based on the typical age of acquisition according to speech sound development. Read more about speech sound development and see the average age of acquisition here .
• Complexity Approach : A more difficult sound is targeted before an easier sound. Typically, “difficulty” is based on the typical age of acquisition of speech sounds . For example, if an individual has difficulty with the sounds /sh/ and /th/, they may work on /th/ before /sh/ when utilizing the complexity approach.
• Context Utilization Approaches : A sound is targeted in a context that is easier for the individual at first before moving on to a more difficult context. For example, if the target sound is /f/ this may mean an individual works on saying “fa” before “fee” because “fa” is easier for them to produce.
• Core Vocabulary Approach : Target sounds and words are chosen based on words that are important and used a lot by the individual. Read more about core words here . This may include their name, a favorite activity, or another high frequency word for them.
• Distinctive Features : This may also be referred to as minimal pairs and is often used when an individual consistently substitutes one sound for another that is similar to it in regards to place (where their tongue/lips are), manner (the airflow needed for saying a sound), and voicing (whether your vocal folds vibrate or not). For example, the sounds /s/ and /sh/ differ in place but are the same in manner and voicing.
• Naturalistic Speech Intelligibility Intervention : In this approach, individuals are often engaging in a preferred activity (e.g., playing with toys). If they say a sound incorrectly, the SLP will repeat the word, phrase, or sentence they said but say the sound correctly. For example, if the individual says, “The tat is happy!” the SLP may say, “Yes, the cat is happy!”

Articulation Therapy Notes

There is more to articulation therapy than just producing a target sound correctly; being able to discriminate one sound from another and being able to tell if they are producing the sound well on their own can be key! This can definitely vary depending on the individual but if you are looking for goals outside of just producing a sound correctly, check out our goal creator resource !

Typically, it is easier for an individual to produce a target sound at the beginning of the word first, then the end of the word, then finally, the middle of the word. This is not the case all the time but it is usually how I begin intervention!

In articulation therapy, more practice is usually better! I try to help my clients get as many “reps” in as possible. This varies from client to client; if a client is working on generalizing the sound at the sentence/conversational level, they may not get as many “reps” in as someone who is working on the sound at the single-word level.

Additionally, I sometimes have clients who are resistant to working on speech sounds. I do my best to model correct production and encourage them to say a word with a target sound correctly but I do not push them if I think they begin to appear frustrated or upset. Sometimes, this can take time, and I make sure I communicate this to the individual’s caregiver/educators as well.

Articulation Therapy Activities for Speech Therapy

There are many simple (but effective) ways to target articulation in speech therapy sessions! We are all about low and no prep activities and these fit the bill. Additionally, these can be customized based on the target sound and complexity level. They are also great for working with groups of individuals who may have different target sounds or goals.

1. Card and Board Games

Games are my number one activity for articulation clients. They are usually quite motivating (especially if the individual chooses the game) and are conducive to many reps. I usually structure it so that between each turn the client I’m working with produces the sound that is being targeted.  My favorite games are:

• Regular playing cards : great for playing War, Go Fish, Crazy Eights, and Old Maid
• Pop the Pig

Using toys to target articulation is great for the naturalistic speech intelligibility intervention approach but it can also be used with any other approach as well! Dramatic play activities, play sets (e.g., farms , dollhouses ), puzzles , blocks , and more can be fun and engaging. If this is the route I am going to take for my session, I try to think of a few words or phrases with target sounds I am going to have my client work on throughout the time. For example, if I think we are going to play with a farm set for most of the session, and our target sounds are /k/ and /g/, I will try to make the cow, goat, and pig animals front and center and use them throughout the session!

Use picture cards (or just pieces of paper) with target words/sounds on them and play a game of memory! Make two copies of each word/sound and you can make the game as small or large as you would like.

4. Arts & Crafts

Drawing or creating something with target words and sounds is a fun, hands-on way to work on articulation skills. If your client is working on the /s/ sound, you can have them draw a house, a sun, a swing set, a snail, and more!

5. Books and Articles

Reading books and/or articles (typically for older individuals) are great ways to work on speech sound production for high frequency words like “ the ” or “ so. ” I try to find books and articles that contain the individual’s target sounds many times so they have plenty of opportunities to hear the sound and say the sound well.

6. Would You Rather…? Questions

Would You Rather…? Questions are especially great for /r/ and /th/ as I have most of my clients start each response with “I would rather…” but you can also customize them based on target sounds! For example, if an individual is working on the /l/ sound, I may say, “Would you rather eat a whole lemon slice or drink a whole gallon of lemonade ?” This guarantees their response will contain the /l/ sound a few times!

The beauty of I Spy is that it can be used in many different ways! It can be used while taking a walk through the halls, playing outside, reading a book, watching a video, or just looking around a room! I will usually pick I Spy items that have the target sound in them to ensure opportunities for practice!

8. Songs and Videos

Animated songs (e.g., Super Simple Songs ) and videos ( Nat Geo Kids is a favorite) are great easy activities for finding high frequency words with target sounds! Before a session, I will go through the song or video and write down (or make a mental note of) words with target sounds that I want to emphasize and review with my clients.

Want more easy and effective therapy ideas and materials?

• 5 Simple (but effective) Receptive Language Activities
• 5 Simple (but effective) Expressive Language Activities
• 5 Stuttering Therapy Activities
• Easy, No-Prep Activities for Speech Therapy

Articulation, Phonology, and Apraxia Resources and Goal Creator

Your one-stop shop for the treatment of speech sound disorders (articulation, phonological, & apraxia) - a goal bank + resource packet COMBO ! Create over THOUSANDS of unique goals in this evidence-based, easy-to-use speech therapy packet.

This post contains some affiliate links and we are (slightly) compensated if you use them, but all opinions are our own. We appreciate the support!

ASHA. (n.d.). Articulation and Phonology. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Retrieved from https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/articulation-and-phonology/

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Articulation therapy for dysarthria: Part 1

Articulation therapy for dysarthria focuses on improving the speech mechanism itself. We can administer articulation therapy alongside teaching compensatory speaking strategies, AAC, partner strategies, and modifying the environment. Wonder why a gift is the featured image? Read on!

Free DIRECT downloads: Articulation therapy: Part 1 and 20+ speech tasks (cheat sheets). ( Email subscribers  get free access to all the resources in the  Free Subscription Library .)

• Go beyond compensatory strategies .
• Talking “a lot” is not sufficient for recovery .
• Therapy tip .
• Drill, drill, drill !
• Practice more than once a day .
• Begin by explicitly teaching the strategies .
• Informally assess carryover frequently .
• Repetition to start, then variable practice .
• Example therapy sequence for a mod-severe dysarthria .
• Why we should make the task unpredictable .
• How we can make the next trial unpredictable .
• 20+ speech tasks, from simple to hard .
• Be sensitive to your patient’s frustration level .
• Related Eat, Speak, & Think posts .
• More coming up in Part 2 .
• References .

Go beyond compensatory strategies

We should include articulation therapy in our care plan unless our patient is unable to participate. Joseph Duffy, PhD, BC-ANCDS, F-ASHA , wrote that most clinicians focus on compensatory strategies, which may be a disservice to our patients. He went on to say:

Focus on compensation may actually limit activity-dependent neural reorganization that is necessary to the reduction of specific impairment. Duffy, J. R. (2005). Motor speech disorders: Substrates, differential diagnosis, and management . St. Louis, Mo: Elsevier Mosby, page 442.

Not only can we directly reduce the specific impairment, we can also begin teaching our patient to be independent with their speech work from day one. This is especially important when insurance or other factors don’t allow a patient to stay on caseload very long.

return to top

Practice what you want to improve

Specificity is a key principle of motor learning. If someone wants to improve talking, then they have to talk (a lot).

…recovery of speech in people with MSDs, at least when they have a nonprogressive disease, requires speaking, and probably lots of it. Duffy, J. R. (2005). Motor speech disorders: Substrates, differential diagnosis, and management . St. Louis, Mo: Elsevier Mosby, page 446.

One exception is if our patient doesn’t have any ability to produce speech, in which case we can work on non-speech movements or eliciting sounds that can be shaped into speech sounds.

Another exception is if we have to focus on the foundations of speech, such as posture, breath support, and laryngeal strength, before our patient is able to produce speech.

So skip the non-speech exercises, unless you have a good rationale for doing them with that particular patient.

Talking “a lot” is not sufficient for recovery

Most people do not improve simply by talking. Duffy, J. R. (2005). Motor speech disorders: Substrates, differential diagnosis, and management . St. Louis, Mo: Elsevier Mosby, page 450.

Just talking a lot is not sufficient for most people to recover speech function. That’s where skilled intervention comes in, determining the what, when, and how of speech work, following the principles of motor learning.

Choose the level of speech that matches the goal

Most of our patients likely want speech therapy to improve their ability to communicate natural-sounding, comprehensible messages to others.

Joseph Duffy says that we shouldn’t practice skills that are less advanced than what our patients demonstrate in assessment. And we shouldn’t work on improving skills beyond what is necessary to achieve the goals of treatment. (Duffy, 451)

And Maas et al (2008) points out that motor learning is better when we practice the whole movement sequence rather than repeatedly practicing individual movement elements.

Therapy tip

Since we generally communicate in multi-word units, we should progress to phrases and sentences as quickly as possible. If we want to maximize motor learning, it would be a mistake to target speech sounds in the traditional hierarchy, mastering one level before progressing to the next.

In most cases, spending time on word lists is not functional. At least put each word in a phrase, even if it’s a carrier phrase!

Drill, drill, drill!

Maximize outcomes by getting in as many trials as you can in each session. Although you may repeat each target many times in a row in the beginning of a session (constant practice), move into variable practice as soon as you can during the same session.

Example of constant practice for /k/: Repeating the word “car” over and over.

Example of variable practice for /k/: Repeating words with /k/ in different places. “Car, take, parking, skirt”.

Practice more than once a day

Distributed practice is better than massed practice for overall outcomes. It’s the same concept we know from our own learning experiences. If we practice a skill for 15 minutes every day, we’re much more likely to master it than if we only practice for 90 minutes on Saturdays.

Ideally, we’d distribute articulation practice in smaller sessions over the course of the day. So on days with speech therapy, our patient may practice for a short period of time later in the day. And on days without speech therapy, they may do two practice sessions on their own.

Begin by explicitly teaching the strategies

In the beginning, we should deliberately teach and demonstrate what we want our patients to do. People generally have better outcomes when they understand their problem and why we want them to follow our instructions.

We shouldn’t assume that our patient will connect the dots on their own.

Actively engaging our patient, we can ask them to tell us in their own words what strategy they’re using and why. Or we can ask them to tell a family member who wasn’t present during the session. This allows us to gauge how well they understand.

Informally assess carryover frequently

Although our patients are likely to improve their speech during structured speech therapy, it doesn’t mean they’ll be able to carryover those new skills.

We can probe spontaneous performance at the beginning and end of each session to get a sense of how well our patient is retaining what we’re teaching.

Be a little patient though. Following the principles of motor learning means that immediate performance will be less accurate in the early stages, but if therapy is successful, our patient will have better recovery.

Repetition to start, then variable practice

Repeating the same movement over and over is constant practice. You may find this useful at the start of the session, to help your patient achieve success. Constant practice can be done at any level of speech. You can repeat any sound, word, phrase, or sentence over and over.

While a person will be more likely to have higher accuracy with constant practice, this is a short-term effect. So once your patient achieves a reasonable level of success, it’s time to switch to variable practice.

Reasonably successful can be defined as >50% accurate or close approximation on 3-5 trials.

With variable practice, we change up the movement patterns. This can be done in many ways, and we can change things in more than one way at the same time. For instance, we can:

• Use different words with the same target sound in different positions.
• Increase the length of utterance.
• Change the speech task difficulty , for instance from repetition to sentence completion.
• Increase the cognitive load, for instance by randomly inserting a working memory task.

The literature from motor learning indicates that we see better outcomes from varying the tasks we practice during a session. We’re likely to see less accurate performance during the session, but long-term motor learning is better.

Move up and down the articulation hierarchy

Start at the highest level you think the person will be successful. Move from one level to the next as soon as the patient can produce the target reasonably well. Drop down a level if a person has too much difficulty.

• Single sound: “k”.
• Initial: Car, coat, cup.
• Final: Back, neck, take.
• Medial: Bacon, hockey, making.
• Increasing syllable length, no consonant blends.
• Initial: Clean, crumb, quit.
• Final: Milk, dark, box.
• Medial: Likely, secret, parking.
• Increasing syllable length, with consonant blends.
• Phrases: Come here. Can you? Find coat.
• Short sentences: Come here now. Can I eat? I like cake.
• Longer sentences: Can you come here now? Can you find my coat? I like to eat birthday cake.

Work at the level the person is reasonably successful, and occasionally probe the next higher level in the hierarchy. We can move up and down the hierarchy many times over the course of a single session.

It’s ok to skip a level. Our focus is on helping our patient to produce the longest utterances they can, not to make sure we hit every level in the hierarchy.

Example therapy sequence for a mod-severe dysarthria

Here’s an example order of stimuli used when working with someone who has a moderate to severe dysarthria. We practiced each level a couple of times before moving to the next, until we reached a level that was too hard.

• Establish /k/ sound: “k”.
• Put it at start of one-syllable word: Come.
• Add a word: Come here.
• Add another word: Come here now.
• Make a longer sentence: Can you come here now?
• Oops, too hard. Drop back down: Come here now.
• Now do the other part: Can you?
• Now add a word back in: Can you come?
• Finally, repeat the longer sentence: Can you come here now?

This is an example of a patient who needed a lot of cueing to even make the /k/ sound, but after several minutes was able to say “Can you come here now?” reasonably well.

Not only is this following the principles of motor learning, but imagine how the patient felt at successfully saying a complete sentence with the difficult sound!

Make the task unpredictable

Why we should make the task unpredictable.

If the next trial is predictable, then our patient may already have the motor plan activated. It’s a mental short-cut. They’re more likely to be accurate during the session, but it doesn’t reflect normal conversation which requires activating each motor plan as we use it.

Instead, we should make our patient start from scratch for each trial. This will probably decrease accuracy during the session, because they’ll be more likely to make an error. However, over the long run, they’ll likely have better recovery.

This is such an important principle, and one that we may not remember to follow, that I highlighted the concept of surprise with my featured image.

How we can make the next trial unpredictable

To maximize outcomes, we can mix two or more therapy targets together. We have a lot of flexibility for what counts as a therapy target. For instance:

• Targeting the impaired sound in different word positions.
• Treating multiple impaired sounds.
• Moving between different levels on the articulation hierarcy.
• Switching between speech strategies (for example, speaking slowly vs loudly).
• Changing the emotion we convey (pretend to be happy, angry, surprised, etc…).
• Varying the speaking context (talk to a different person, move to a different area, imagine different scenario).
• Changing the difficulty of the speech task.
• Non-articulation therapy goal (for example, memory or word-finding).

20+ speech tasks, from simple to hard

This hierarchy of task difficulty is not fixed. It changes according to the abilities of your patient and other factors of the speech work you’re doing. But this list may give you some ideas for how to adjust the difficulty of the speech task to be appropriate for your patient at that moment.

• Choral speech (speaking in unison).
• Automatic speech (example, counting to 10).
• Imitate (repeat).
• Recite familiar material (example, a poem).
• Cloze sentence completion. (example, “Roses are red, violets are ____.”)
• Open-ended sentence completion.
• Convergent naming.
• Confrontation naming.
• Divergent naming.
• Name by function or attribute.
• Generate synonyms, antonyms, or homonyms.
• Create a sentence around a given word.
• Picture description.
• Answer wh-questions.
• Ask wh-questions about picture or using a given word.
• Describe steps to complete a task.
• Personal narrative.
• Answer problem-solving questions.
• Working memory tasks.
• Provide opinions.
• Read passage aloud, then restate in own words.
• Watch short video and recall key points.
• Listen to passage and recall key points.
• Do something while talking (walk, move objects from one bin to another, sort cards by suit, etc).

Be sensitive to your patient’s frustration level

Always bear in mind the frustration level of your patient. If we make it clear to them WHY we’re practicing the way we are, they are more likely to persist with the difficult exercise. But we all have our limits for tackling difficult work.

If you sense frustration, try one of these:

• Drop down the articulation hierarchy.
• Make the speech task easier.
• Pick a different therapy target.
• Honestly praise the good aspects you noticed.
• Make a recording and compare to one from evaluation day.
• Take a break.

Try to begin and end each session with success.

Related Eat, Speak, & Think posts

• Motor learning for articulation: Focus and feedback .
• Tips for dynamic speech assessment .
• Free multimedia resources for the SLP .

More coming up in Part 2

I’m continuing this post in Part 2 , which will include two very important topics: focus of attention and the role of feedback. It will include the cueing hierarchy, and how to use dynamic cueing during articulation therapy with specific examples.

• Duffy, J. R. (2005). Motor speech disorders: Substrates, differential diagnosis, and management . St. Louis, Mo: Elsevier Mosby.
• Maas, E., Robin, D.A., Austermann Hula, S.N., Freedman, S.E., Wulf, G., Ballard, K.J., & Schmidt, R.A. (2008). Principles of Motor Learning in Treatment of Motor Speech Disorders. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 17, 277-298. [ PubMed ]

Lisa A Young M.A. CCC-SLP

Lisa earned her M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Maryland, College Park and her M.A. in Linguistics from the University of California, San Diego.

She participated in research studies with the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) and the University of Maryland in the areas of aphasia, Parkinson’s Disease, epilepsy, and fluency disorders.

Lisa has been working as a medical speech-language pathologist since 2008. She has a strong passion for evidence-based assessment and therapy, having earned five ASHA Awards for Professional Participation in Continuing Education.

She launched EatSpeakThink.com in June 2018 to help other clinicians be more successful working in home health, as well as to provide strategies and resources to people living with problems eating, speaking, or thinking.

• Home health SLP survey results may surprise you
• An easy way to write participation-level speech therapy goals
• Learn how Goal Attainment Scaling makes SMART goals better
• Quick guide to self-management training in Parkinson's

I had a stroke Dec. 2018 I have dysarthia and dysphagia.. I attended inhouse Rehab for 4 months and out patient speech therapy for over a year. My speech is still not normal. I have found more information on this site that will help me regain my normal speech than over 18 months of therapy

Thank you for letting me know! I’m happy I’ve given some helpful information.

Here’s another site you might want to check out, written by another speech-language therapist: Tactus Therapy ( https://tactustherapy.com/ ).

[…] Articulation therapy for dysarthria: Part 1. […]

I was diagnosed with ataxia and dysarthria three years ago. I’ve been fortunate to have regular speech therapy sessions. This article has helped me understand more clearly the strategies my therapist uses. Additionally this article has given me a new ways to look at my personal practice. I will first split my time up, and instead of practicing for 30 minutes a day, commit to 15 minutes twice a day. Next rather than just drilling stumble words, I like the idea of using them in novel ways, or even combining them with other stumble words. My therapy today was reading this article aloud, thinking about volume and support and mastering stumble words in context.

Ascot, thank you for your feedback on the article. I’m happy it helped you understand the therapy approach better, and that it’s given you ideas on how to maximize your practice! Good luck with your practice!

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27 Free Online Games for Speech Therapy You Need to Know About

Online games that are quick to play are perfect for speech teletherapy.

Like many SLPs right now, I’m a newly minted teletherapist due to school closures during the COVID 19 pandemic. After three months of diving into speech therapy telepractice this spring, I quickly realized that I need more tricks up my sleeve to keep my students engaged with me online! Thirty minutes of pure drill time wasn’t cutting it. It wasn’t long before they started looking at me with eyes that said “What else have you got?”

And…like a bunch of you, I’ll be headed back to school seeing my students online, at least for now. So it’s time to gather up some great resources to keep participation and interest high!

It’s important to mix it up with a variety of activities to keep students engaged during online speech therapy sessions.

Especially the youngest ones. Gee- in that respect it’s not unlike in-person sessions, is it?

I may have 2-3 different activities during a session. including books, real games (I take their “turn” for them in front of the camera), puppets, toys for the younger crowd, riddles, and worksheets we could draw or write on with annotation tools. I also love Boom Cards  and digital resources like interactive pdfs. I like to get my kiddos up and moving sometimes too. We all need that!

Online games are a favorite activity for my speech therapy students.

No prep for you, fun for them. If you are using a platform like Zoom where you can give your students control, any of these games are great. If you can’t give students control, look at the online board games that automatically advance. You can click the dice for your students.

I keep a document of links on my desktop so I can head over to a great online game quickly during a session. Ready for a list to make your teletherapy planning easier? Here you go!

Here are some of my favorite sites for engaging, quick-play online games.

I’ve played a lot of games y’all, and I’ve listed games from these sites that load easily, are quick to play, motivating, and won’t take away too much therapy time! You may want to look through the main sites and see if there are more games you love.

Pink Cat Studio   3 fun games that you can use open-ended or for words, rhyme, and more

Fun Brain   Tons of engaging, quick-play games kids will love

Toy Theatre    Fun games, and lots of extras like dice and spinners

For little ones, you’ll also want to check out:

ABCya   Lots of “Make-a” games and holiday games for little ones…Some games require Flash Player. PBS Kids   Simple games with characters kids like such as Clifford, Sesame Street, or Arthur.

Happy Clicks   I love this site of super-easy activities for very young learners

Easiest online games for early learners:

Make an Icecream  build your Ice cream

Fruit Fall  Help the farmer catch the fruit in his basket.

Helipopper  The monster is flying with a helicopter hat. Pop the balloons that match the color of his hat. Requires paying attention to changing hat color.

Open-ended online games for all grades

Desert Dive:  Big Blue and his friend are on a see-saw, drag Big Blue up, and drop him to make his friend splash into the pool.

Spaceship Maze  Guide your spaceship through the maze. Starts easy and each maze becomes a bit more challenging.

Turtle Wax  Raise and lower the slide, then let the turtle slide down. Can you make him hit the target?

Play Tic Tac Toe   play the computer or another player

Online board games:

These games automatically play when you click the dice. fast and easy.

Snakes and Ladders  Roll the Dice and your game piece automatically moves. Play with 1-2 players, or establish teams in a group.

The Goose Game: Roll the dice to advance. Some spaces are luck, some are not! Up to 6 players

These games require you to move the pieces. Some are strategy games best for older kids.

Checkers  for 1-2 players or teams

BackGammon strategy game for older kids

Reversi Another strategy game for older kids. 1-2 players.

Games that are a bit more challenging:

Treasure Dive: The diver must avoid the sea creatures as he collects the gold from the treasure chest.

Word Turtle Create your own word search. Two levels of difficulty. Greate for articulation generating synonyms, antonyms, or category members Visual Memory Puzzle Study the colored circles on the grid before they disappear. Can you re-create the pattern? Becomes progressively harder.

Poki Cut the Rope Feed the monster strategy game

Online dice and spinners for any game

Toy theater is great for these. These can be a game in themselves. Who will rack up the most points? Throw the dice or spin a spinner.

Dice:  Colorful online dice in many shapes and sizes

Spinners; Choose spinners for either colors or numbers. You can choose how many spaces on the spinner too!

Online games are great to use in in-person therapy too.

Play them on a  tablet, computer or project them on a whiteboard for instant engagement. Huge bonus- you don’t have to lug these around as you travel from school to school or setting!

Don’t forget to pin this post to save it for later when you need a fresh, motivating activity for your kiddos.

Are you still needing to provide send-home materials, either printed or virtually?

I hope you’ve found some games you and your students love. Please leave a comment if you’ve found any more terrific open-ended games we should know about!

Stay well, my friends,

• Read more about: Teletherapy

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7 no-prep articulation activities for speech therapy.

In my speech therapy sessions for kids, I love to use a mix of games, toys books, songs, fine motor activities, and gross motor activities to target speech sounds!

If you’re anything like me, you have a love for play, but sometimes just need some quality no-prep speech therapy activities . I have complied a list of my go-to articulation resources that can be used to t arget a variety of speech goals - without taking a tonne of time to prep!

Each of these articulation activities is print and go - meaning you can use them the same day to to treat your preschoolers, kindergarten students, and early elementary students with articulation disorders.

One Page Articulation Sheets : These no-prep one-page articulation activity sheets are perfect for teletherapy, in-person therapy, and to send for homework! They are suitable for preschoolers, kindergarteners and early elementary students.

They include a hands-on activity, a speech sound tally, cues, an I Spy activity, a self-rating scale, and a list of functional target words. These articulation worksheets are comprehensive enough to use for an entire therapy session and detailed enough to send home.

Want to try it out? Grab the FREE s sample!

Play Based Articulation: Find, Feed, and Move: These TWENTY sound-loaded BOOM card activities feature the trifecta of preschool therapy: finding things, feeding animals, and moving! These activities are play-based, which means your student's target words that will occur naturally throughout the activity. Your students will love the finding food for the animals to eat, feeding the animal (and hearing them munch with embedded sound ), and moving like the hiding animal friend. Each sound includes a cheat sheet to make therapy SO EASY!

Want to try it out? Grab the FREE H sample!

Speech Theory Game + Toy Companions: Use this no-prep speech therapy resource with your preschool and school aged students to target articulation, phonology, expressive language, and receptive language.

Pair these speech therapy game companions with your favourite games and toys to get a tonne of trials in your speech language therapy sessions. Over 60 goals and 25 games/toys included! Use in mixed groups, individual sessions, home session, or send for homework.

This ALL-IN-ONE Speech Sound Activity binder is perfect for the busy SLP who wants to spend doing things they LOVE - not prepping! This MEGA Resource includes thirty print and go activities that are perfect for preschoolers, kindergarteners, and early elementary students. There is a HUGE variety of activities, including fine motor activities, mini eraser activities, cutting activities, gross motor activities, games, and, bingo dauber worksheets, and play activities. There is something for everyone on your caseload! Each handout focuses on a different verb that you can do with your words.

Speech Sound Play Dough Mats + Scenes: Use this no-prep articulation resource to target speech sounds in your speech therapy sessions with your preschool and elementary students. Pair this speech therapy activity with manipulatives, such as mini erasers, bingo daubers, dry erase markers, and play dough for a hands-on activity that promotes fine motor development. This a print and go activity that can be used in mixed groups, one on one sessions , and sent for easy speech therapy homework!

Try a sample by signing up for my email list (down below)!

Play Based Articulation: Sound Loaded Game: This no-prep, no-print articulation game includes TWENTY-ONE BOOM Card Games! Each game is designed to be loaded with your student's target speech sound - which means the sound will naturally throughout the activity. Your students will love hiding and finding the objects in each game and practicing their speech words. You will love the easy to use cheat sheet of target words and elicitation ideas! The best part is that you can play these games over and over, as you have control to hide the pieces in a different place each time! Use this game year-round with your entire caseload.

Want to try it out? Grab the Free K Sample!

Sound Loaded Play Scenes: These no-prep pictures scenes for speech therapy are a perfect addition to any articulation therapy session. This no-prep, no-print resource includes TWENTY BOOM Card Scenes! Each scene is designed to be loaded with your student's target speech sound - which means the sound will naturally throughout the activity.

Your students will love creating scenes and different play scenarios in each scene and practicing their speech words.

Let me know if you snag any of them!

Interested in more play based therapy ideas, access to freebies (like the ones below) and special offers?

Make sure to get on my email list (link below!)!

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Best CH Articulation Games For Sound-Loaded Practice

May 15, 2024 | 0 comments

“Are we going to play a game today?” Words that many (if not most) pediatric SLPs hear at least one time a week. Games are a fun, low prep way to keep students engaged while working on their target sounds. For many school based SLPs, this is also a great way to work on several sounds in groups. I’ve compiled a list of CH articulation games to share with you! Keep in mind, you can make many of these games work for other sounds, too!

This blog post contains Amazon affiliate links for your convenience. I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. 

CH Articulation Games for Preschool & Early Elementary

Here are some fun ch speech therapy games that will help you get high trials…

• Hi Ho! Cherry-O is a classic game in which children spin the wheel, collect cherries for their bucket OR put cherries back. Students can practice the word “ cherry ” and practice the word in phrases and sentences, too. For example, they might practice “Two cherries” or “I have two cherries.” Students can also give you or other students directions like “Put two cherries back” or “Get three cherries.” There is a speech therapy cheat sheet for this game in the toy companion resource in my TPT store . 
• In What Do You Meme? Toe Cheese Chase , students will flip cards and move across the board to outrun Toe Cheese. Students can practice “Get away Toe Cheese!” and “You can’t catch me!” Practice words such as cheese, chase, catch, touch and reach . A fun, simple game that will keep students engaged while practicing their ch sound!

More CH Speech Therapy Games For Younger Students

• Play Reel Big Catch with your students! They’ll catch fish and check how long the fish are. Which student caught the biggest fish? Students can practice “I want to catch a fish!” or “Let’s check how big the fish is.”
• Chase is on the case for ch practice! Save Chase in Paw Patrol Don’t Drop Chase Game , which has similar rules to “Don’t Break the Ice.” Students can practice Chase in different sentences like “Don’t drop Chase ” or “ Chase is safe!” They can also “ chip” away at all the ice. Ice is chilly so we don’t want Chase to fall! Which ice will they choose to hammer?
• Chugga Choo is puzzle game in which children flip cards and match the trains based on color. Before flipping over a piece, your student(s) can practice “ chugga chugga choo choo!” then practice “ match the trains! ” when they find the matching color. A simple but fun way to practice the ch sound while also working on other developmental skills.

SH and CH Speech Therapy Activities

If you need more sound-loaded ch activities check out the SH, CH, and J articulation flipbooks and the SH, CH and J articulation carryover activities. They are designed to make sure you get LOTS of high trials in your speech sound sessions!

CH Sound Speech Therapy Games for Older Students

• Chompin’ Charlie is an exciting game in which students roll the dice and feed Charlie (the chipmunk ) a matching colored acorn. Watch out for when he pops because the acorns will scatter from Charlie’s tree because you’ll want to reach and catch them to add to your secret stash! Students can practice these bolded words to practice their ch sounds in words and sentences.
• Another classic, Go Fish , is also a fun way for children of all ages to practice the ch sound. Change the name of the game to “ Get a catch .” Instead of saying “Go fish,” students can say “ Choose a card.” You can also practice “ I found a match!” Use these free Go Fish visual rules to help your students when playing!
• Catch the Fox is a silly game in which children put chickens in the fox’s pockets and press down on his head. Suddenly, the fox will lose his panda which sends the chickens flying. The kids have to catch the chickens and return them to their chicken coops. When students roll the die, they can practice saying “ chicken,” expand to phrases “two chickens,” or make a sentence with “I need to get two chickens.” Between turns, students can remind each other to “ Watch out!” After they catch chickens, they can share how many chickens are in their coops.
• Play What’s in Ned’s Head? And use items that have CH in them! For example, find figurines or mini objects  for cheese, cherries, wrench, ostrich, sandwich, statue, peaches, ketchup, cheeseburger, chipmunk, chair, bench, nachos . Come up with describing words like moldy cheese, rotten cherries, sour peaches, etc or have sound-loaded phrases such as I touched ____ I reached for the ____, I chose the ______.

CH Articulation Games Online

• For some online fun, complete the Baby chick maze ! The chick hatches then needs to search for it’s mom. Students will have to “ Watch out!” for logs and worms. This can be a challenge to reach  the mom. 
• Play Online checkers with your students. Practice the word checkers when explaining the directions, “In checkers…” and pieces must reach the other side. Which checker will you choose to move? Which direction will your checker move? You can also buy Checkers for hands on play!
• While ABCYa’s Make a Treehouse doesn’t have a CH sound built into it’s name. It has some opportunities for CH practice like “I choose this piece” or “ Which do you choose?” The activity also requires choosing furniture . ABCYa has many other activities that involve making choices , too!

Sh and Ch Games for Articulation Therapy

There are so many fun and engaging CH articulation games that you can use with your students. Like I said before, we get asked “what game are we playing” so often, it’s nice to have plenty of options to choose from! What CH articulation games do you play with your students? Leave a comment or share with us on social media! If you have students working on SH, we have a list for the best SH sound-loaded games too .

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Literacy Speaks!® Early Developing Sounds

Incorporate orthographic instruction into your therapy sessions to remediate speech errors while supporting literacy and language skill development. Order includes stimulus cards, printables, and supportive activities to target the early developing sounds of /m, n, p, b, t, d, w, h, c/k, g, f, v/.... more+

Literacy Speaks!® Later Developing Sounds

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Vocal Therapy & More — Let’s Talk About LSVT

Improving Speech & Movement Through Lee Silverman Voice Treatment Programs for Parkinson’s Disease

The Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT LOUD ® ) was first developed as a speech therapy modality to help people with PD combat these issues. It aims to recalibrate the perception of loudness that a person with PD has of their voice, prompting participants to speak at a more normal volume.

More recently, the LSVT BIG ® program was developed, applying similar principles to the size of movements that people with PD make. As PD progresses, movements tend to become smaller and smaller. LSVT BIG aims to recalibrate a person’s perception of the size of their movements so that participants begin to move in larger, more intentional ways.

As a result of her research, Dr. Cynthia Fox helped develop an effective approach to speech therapy treatments for Parkinson’s disease

Dr. Cynthia Fox is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at LSVT Global, which oversees the LSVT LOUD and LSVT BIG programs. The mission of LSVT Global is to continue to develop and advance these programs, as well as to train speech, physical and occupational therapists around the world in these techniques so that they can positively impact the lives of their patients. Dr. Fox began her work with LSVT more than twenty years ago, conducting efficacy research on the voice techniques for PD. She subsequently worked closely on the development of the LSVT BIG program. She has numerous publications in these areas of research and has presented extensively around the world. Dr. Fox continues to serve as faculty for LSVT LOUD and LSVT BIG training and certification courses.

I had the privilege of talking with Dr. Fox about LSVT LOUD and LSVT BIG.

Q: Who should consider undergoing LSVT LOUD?

A: We at LSVT, strongly feel that nearly every person with PD could benefit from LSVT LOUD. We know that up to 90% of people with PD will experience reduced vocal loudness, monotone voice and imprecise articulation which can negatively impact communication and quality of life.  We like to say, “the earlier the better, but it is never too late.” Early treatment may help people with PD regain any lost voice or speech function, reduce vocal fatigue, and increase confidence all while learning healthy, life-long vocal habits and practice. Even those who thought they didn’t need speech therapy “yet” report their voice is stronger after LSVT, they are less fatigued when talking and have more confidence with communication.

For those with more impaired speech, LSVT LOUD can help them to regain vocal loudness and speech clarity. It can restore not only their ability to communicate, but also their sense of engagement that can be lost when a person is ignored or overlooked for not being heard or understood. Although people with advanced speech impairment may need reminders to “use their loud voice”, LSVT LOUD can improve the physical capacity of their speech motor system and help them communicate more effectively.

Q: Can you give an overview of how an LSVT LOUD session is conducted?

A: LSVT LOUD is an intensive, one-on-one treatment delivered over one month’s time, with four one-hour sessions per week for four weeks in a row, and with daily homework and carryover exercises.:

The first 30 minutes of a session focuses on voice exercises, which are the foundation for improving (or normalizing) vocal loudness and effort. The second 30 minutes of the session are spent on transferring this vocal loudness into functional speaking activities. LSVT LOUD keeps people highly engaged, not only with frequent treatment sessions but also daily assignments for practicing newly learned skills at home and in their communities. Further, LSVT LOUD individualizes treatment exercises to each person’s interests and personal goals for improving communication.

As needed, we add progressive challenges with speaking activities, such as dual motor tasks or a cognitive challenge. For example, we can work on typing and talking on the phone for someone who frequently does this at work. For others it might be keeping a loud voice while playing/shuffling cards. Whatever is a specific, meaningful goal and communication activity for a given person, we can work on it in therapy.

Finally, an absolute essential concept to successful LSVT LOUD therapy is the process of “recalibrating” sensory feedback so people recognize their new, louder voices are within normal limits.  Very often, people with PD feel like they are shouting when, in fact, they are speaking at a normal volume.  When we address this sensory mismatch in treatment, it increases the likelihood that people with PD will feel comfortable with and use their louder voice at home, work, and play.

There is extensive research on the effectiveness of LSVT LOUD, including four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) considered ‘the gold standard’ of treatment research. This research has documented that for at least two years after treatment people with PD continue to show improvements in loudness and more variation in pitch while speaking. Secondary improvements may include better articulation, changes in swallowing, improved facial expressions while talking and even speech-related brain changes.

Q: You were involved in the development of LSVT BIG. Why and how was that program developed?

A: The development of LSVT BIG evolved from a collaboration with physical therapists and our LSVT team. We were intrigued to see if the same concepts that we discovered to be the keys in successfully improving speech in people with PD could be applied to movement. These concepts include: 1) increasing amplitude of motor output to address soft voice (or small slow movements in the body), 2) retraining sensory perception of normal loudness (or movement), and 3) training in a mode consistent with neuroplasticity-driven principles of intensity, complexity, saliency, and task specificity. The results of the initial work were promising and in 2010, Dr. Georg Ebersbach and his colleagues in Germany (who were trained by us) published the first randomized controlled trial showing LSVT BIG had a positive impact on motor function in people with PD as compared to two alternative approaches (Nordic walking and home exercises).

Q: What does an LSVT BIG session consist of?

A: LSVT BIG treatment sessions completely mirror LSVT LOUD sessions as described above. The only difference is the focus of the LSVT BIG exercises involve the whole-body across both daily exercises and functional movement activities. Goals and functional activities are personalized for each person, but all built around “Think BIG!” as a guiding principle. LSVT BIG retrains people with PD on how normal movement should feel.

Q: Who should consider LSVT BIG?

A: We believe that nearly every person with PD could benefit from LSVT BIG. Research shows that LSVT BIG treatment can lead to faster walking with bigger steps and arm swings, better balance, and more ability to twist at the waist. Clinicians also report that LSVT BIG often helps people with buttoning their clothes, writing and other smaller-movement (“small motor”) tasks, as well large (“large motor”) movements like getting up from a seat and getting into bed. It is also complementary with other community-based activities and exercises that many people with PD enjoy, such as dancing, boxing, cycling, tai chi, etc.

Q: Telehealth has expanded recently, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even before the pandemic, telehealth held the promise of allowing people access to therapists who were not located within travel distance. How has LSVT responded to this new phenomenon of telehealth?

A: Telehealth and LSVT LOUD have had a long relationship that started well before COVID-19. Much of the initial research into LSVT LOUD and telepractice began with our colleagues at the University of Queensland in Australia. These studies have documented that the outcomes of LVST LOUD delivered by telehealth are equivalent to treatment completed in-person. With COVID-19 there was a measurable increase in the number of speech therapists interested in telehealth options world-wide. We created multiple training webinars and information presentations to assist our LSVT LOUD clinicians with the transition to a telehealth world. We have also helped advocate for the expanded Medicare coverage of telehealth services that have been temporarily allowed for speech, physical and occupational therapies during the public health emergency. Telehealth and LSVT LOUD are very well suited! Patients can find “eLOUD SLPs” (speech language pathologists) who are trained to provide LSVT LOUD via telehealth in our clinician directory .

The delivery of LSVT BIG (and physical/occupational therapy in general) via telehealth was not as advanced at the time of COVID. Therapists were quick to engage in this potential for solution for continued care of patients receiving LSVT BIG treatments. It has been exciting to see the innovation and we look forward to more systematic research and guidelines for offering LSVT BIG via telehealth in the future.

Another virtual advance secondary to COVID has been our virtual LSVT for LIFE™ classes. These include both LOUD for LIFE ® and BIG for LIFE ® maintenance exercise classes that were previously held in-person prior to the pandemic. We realized so many people around the world were suddenly without their weekly LSVT exercise classes and the powerful personal connection these maintenance classes provided. Offering LSVT graduates a way to continue the connection and exercises in a virtual world has been a life-saver for some. And what we could not have done in-person we could do online, and that is to have classes with participants from the US, UK, Africa, and more. Even when the public health crisis ends, we will maintain our virtual maintenance classes.

Q: Can you tell us about the “virtual speech therapist” under development?

A: The virtual speech therapist is an extension of our current LSVT Companion ® technology. The LSVT Companion is an FDA-cleared medical device that assists in the delivery of LSVT LOUD sessions. The virtual therapist adds a more humanistic avatar to the existing platform to further engage clients during vocal practice.

Q: I read with interest a recent study in which you compared LSVT outcomes in people speaking different languages. Can you summarize your results? What ramifications does this have for reaching communities which traditionally did not have easy access to LSVT?

A: There are more than 50,000 LSVT LOUD and LSVT BIG Certified Clinicians representing 78 countries in the world. This has opened the opportunity for research in many different countries and languages. This is particularly interesting related to LSVT LOUD and the impact of language on treatment outcomes. We were curious to examine outcomes from published research studies across these different languages to understand if there is a differential effect of LSVT LOUD. Our hypothesis was that there would not be, given LSVT LOUD is geared towards the underlying neurological deficits in PD (reduced amplitude of motor output resulting in a soft voice and sensory processing deficits resulting in a reduced awareness of the soft voice).

While all the studies looked at different aspects of speech, voice or communication, the outcomes were comparable to what has been published for English speakers across these measures.  For example, Spanish speakers improved speech intelligibility, Cantonese speakers improved loudness and intonation, but not lexical tone, Quebecois French speakers increased vowel space area as did German speakers. Persian speakers improved self-perception of voice and Japanese speakers had short and long-term improvements in vocal loudness. As such, it appears that the benefits from this treatment may be “universal” regardless of language background. Prospective language comparison studies are needed to further clarify these findings.

We hosted a webinar on this topic that people might find interesting.

Q: One of the most important aspects of LSVT is the training of speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists in the LSVT techniques. What does the training involve and how has this been impacted by the pandemic?

A: You are correct – training is at the heart of our organization. Because LSVT LOUD and LSVT BIG are evidence-based treatments, the goal of clinical training is not only to transfer science to clinical practice, but to ensure the quality of treatment matches the research (i.e., treatment fidelity).

LSVT Certification is available to speech, physical and occupational therapists, assistants, clinical fellows, and students enrolled in speech, physical and occupational therapy programs. LSVT Training and Certification Courses are offered in either two-day live in-person courses around the world or a 14-hour online course available in English. Both formats offer the same content, training and culminate in identical certification.

COVID-19 brought our live in-person training courses to a screeching halt in March 2020. While the LSVT LOUD and LSVT BIG Online Training and Certification Courses remained fully operational, training was limited to therapists who were comfortable with a self-paced, pre-recorded course and the English language.  We have since made modifications to enable training in other languages, as well as virtual live training options.

We will remain virtual in 2021 for our live courses and continue to offer our very popular online courses as well. LSVT Certified Clinicians can be located through our LSVT Certified Clinician Directory .

Tips and Takeaways

• LSVT LOUD is an evidence-based speech therapy modality to help people with PD improve their voice volume and articulation
• A key feature of LSVT LOUD is the recalibration of the perception of loudness that a person with PD has of their voice, prompting participants to speak at a more normal volume
• LSVT BIG is a physical and occupational therapy modality to help people with PD improve the “bigness” of their movements
• LSVT Global trains practitioners all over the world in these techniques
• To find an LSVT-certified clinician (to work with in-person or online) visit the LSVT website .
• For additional information on effective communication for people with PD, check out APDA’s Make Your Voice Heard! Healthy Communications and Parkinson’s Disease

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What Is Speech Therapy?

Speech therapy is a form of healthcare that helps improve communication and speech. It can also help improve swallowing function and other behaviors related to feeding.

About one in 12 children in the United States has a speech or swallowing disorder. Disorders are most common in young children, but many adults have a related condition. For example, about one million adults in the United States have aphasia (difficulty expressing or comprehending written and verbal language).

Speech therapists (STs) or speech-language pathologists (SLPs) assess and treat people of all ages. They use various techniques to help people with challenges related to speech production, language comprehension, hearing, voice quality, fluency, and swallowing. 

What Does Speech Therapy Treat?

Speech therapy treats various disorders involving hearing, speech, language, literacy, social communication, voice quality, executive functioning (for example, memory and problem-solving), feeding, and swallowing.

Specific speech disorders include:

• Articulation disorders: Difficulty pronouncing words or sounds such as the “s” sound (for example, saying “thun” rather than “sun”). This can occur during childhood language development or with structural problems like tongue-tie. A tongue tie is when a small band of skin connects the tip of the tongue to the bottom of the mouth. It is congenital, meaning it's present at birth.
• Dysarthria: Slow, slurred, or unclear speech. This occurs with oral (mouth) muscle control decline due to neurological conditions (related to the brain or nervous system), such as multiple sclerosis (MS) —a condition that occurs when the immune system attacks myelin, the covering wrapped around nerve cells.
• Apraxia: Knowing what you want to say but having difficulty producing the correct sounds or words. Apraxia can cause slow, error-prone speech or the need to intentionally move your tongue and lips in order to produce sounds and words. Apraxia can be present at birth, but it can also occur as a result of brain injuries, brain tumors , or a stroke .
• Fluency disorders: Speech flow disruptions like stuttering. Stuttering is experiencing interruptions in speech and repeating sounds, syllables, or words. Researchers are still exploring possible causes of dysfluency, but they seem to include genetics, developmental components, neurological factors (how the brain processes), and brain injury. Many children outgrow fluency disorders, but they can persist into adulthood.
• Voice disorders: Vocal cord spasming (choppy voice), hoarseness, pitch problems, or voice fatigue are examples of voice disorders. This can result from infection, overusing the vocal cords, or neurological disorders. 

Language or communication disorders include:

• Aphasia : Aphasia is a language disorder in which you have difficulty expressing or comprehending written and verbal language. Receptive aphasia is difficulty understanding written or verbal words. Expressive aphasia is difficulty communicating thoughts and ideas with language components like vocabulary, grammar, and sentence formation. Aphasia can occur with childhood development, language impairment, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), brain injury, or neurological disorders.
• Pragmatic language disorder: This relates to social communication. Signs include misunderstanding social cues like eye contact, body language, and personal space. It can occur during childhood development or with underlying neurodivergence (brain variation), such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) , a brain development condition that affects how a person perceives and socializes with other people.
• Accent or tone: While this is not a disorder, speech therapists can also work with people who wish to modify their accent or an unusual speech rhythm, pitch, or tone. For example, a high-pitched, sing-song, or robotic tone can occur with ASD.
• Executive functioning: Executive functioning challenges include difficulty with memory, planning, organization, problem-solving, and attention. This can occur due to brain injuries or conditions like ASD and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) , a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention (being distracted), hyperactivity (feeling restless), and impulsivity (making hasty decisions).
• Auditory processing disorder: This is a neurological condition that makes it difficult to make sense of sounds. 

Feeding and swallowing disorders affect how you suck, chew, and swallow food and drinks. Difficulty swallowing is also known as dysphagia , which can result in choking during meals—and lung infections if food or liquid enters the airways. It can occur with structural abnormalities, muscular weakness, or neurological conditions like a stroke. 

Related: Rediscover Sound: The Best Hearing Aids for Improved Quality of Life

How Does Speech Therapy Work?

Speech therapy involves techniques like language practice, pronunciation exercises, voice therapy, and swallowing exercises. It begins with a thorough assessment, including observation of communication strategies, challenges, and frustrations.

Speech therapy for infants, toddlers, and children involves fun and engaging activities like play, language exercises, reading, picture cards, and modeling correct sounds. This helps make learning more enjoyable. 

Parents or caregivers often attend sessions and learn ways to support children at home. The ST or SLP will tailor the treatment plan to the child’s developmental stage. Early recognition and intervention (treatment) can help improve outcomes.

With adults, the ST or SLP will begin with an assessment to identify specific challenges. They will then create a specific care plan that addresses underlying concerns such as:

• Medical conditions
• Accent modification
• Voice challenges
• Pronunciation
• Conversational language
• Problem-solving
• Memory exercises

What To Expect During Speech Therapy

Speech therapy can occur in a class, small group, online, or one-on-one. Speech therapists typically assign exercises to practice at home in order to reinforce what you learn. Activities might include:

• Vocal warm-ups like humming 
• Tongue twisters to improve articulation
• Breaking words into syllables to improve clarity
• Contrasting word exercises—for example, "ship" versus "sheep"
• “Pausing” practice (for stuttering)
• Repetition after listening to a native speaker 
• Repetition exercises for sounds like “s” 
• Speech rate control—for example, by tapping hands to a beat
• Pitch exercises
• Breathing and posture exercises

Receptive language exercises include:

• Memory or problem-solving exercises
• Reading comprehension (similar to a book report)
• Speech supplementation (written, gestural, voice amplifier, speech-generating devices)
• Word association
• Communication partner exercises, such as practicing eye contact and active listening

Exercises for swallowing and feeding include:

• Diet modification (pureed to solid foods)
• Oral muscle strengthening (like tongue “push-ups”)
• Swallowing exercises

Benefits of Speech Therapy

One of the main goals of speech therapy is to enhance a person’s ability to express thoughts, ideas, and emotions effectively. This can lead to a greater sense of self-expression, meaningful interactions with others, and less frustration. Other benefits include:

• Greater self-confidence: Gaining more control over language and communication can increase confidence and boost self-esteem. As a result, you might be more willing and excited to engage in social activities. 
• Improved academic or professional performance: Clear speech and language can lead to enhanced skills in comprehension, reading, and writing. This can support academic success. Better articulation, language, and presentation abilities can help with career development.
• Greater independence: Speech therapy can lead to greater self-reliance, especially if you have severe communication challenges. For example, augmented and alternative communication (AAC) methods , such as speech-generating devices (SGDs), can allow you to express yourself more independently.

How Successful Is Speech Therapy?

Speech therapy's “success” depends on your goals. The meaning of success can vary based on your underlying communication or medical condition and its severity, as well as your motivation and commitment to therapy, the therapist's expertise, and your support systems. The time it takes to reach your goals also varies based on underlying factors like these.

For example, you may define success as improved pronunciation, or you may work towards more effective communication, more skilled accent modification, or swallowing without choking. If you stutter, your goal might be improved fluency or feeling more comfortable communicating openly with a stutter. For most people, what’s most important is to set realistic expectations and recognize that any improvement in communication is a success.

How To Find a Speech Therapist

A qualified speech therapist or speech-language pathologist holds a master's degree in speech-language pathology and state licensure to practice in your area. You can find speech therapists in settings like:

• Home health agencies
• Rehabilitation centers
• Private practice
• Telehealth (online)

You can also ask for recommendations from healthcare providers or school personnel who may know local speech therapists. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) also offers an online directory of certified speech therapies to help you locate someone in your area.

Check with your health insurance provider to see if they cover speech therapy. They can provide you with information about your co-payments and deductibles. If your insurance doesn't cover the cost, the clinic or speech therapist may offer payment plans. Some children may also qualify for:

• Individualized education programs (IEPs) that cover speech therapy costs as a service from the school district
• Early intervention (EI) or Preschool on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) programs for infants and toddlers for little or no cost to families
• State and federal programs, like Medicaid
• Financial assistance programs from non-profit and advocate organizations

A Quick Review

Speech therapy is a specialized healthcare field in which trained professionals help improve speech, language, hearing, swallowing, and feeding for people of all ages. Speech therapists (STs) and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) thoroughly assess and develop specific treatment plans for a wide range of conditions including difficulty communicating or processing language, stuttering, and voice disorders.

Speech therapy takes place in locations like schools, hospitals, and private practice. It can be one-on-one or in a group setting. Success depends on underlying factors such as the severity of the condition. It also depends on personal goals and your definition of success—which can vary widely from person to person.

Many people who have speech therapy experience powerful benefits that affect them in nearly every aspect of life, including greater self-confidence and self-reliance.

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Home » Communication Skills » 9 Tips on How to Help a Child with Speech Articulation Problems

9 Tips on How to Help a Child with Speech Articulation Problems

By   Dolly Bhargava, MS

May 15, 2024

Speech articulation problems occur when sounds are not pronounced correctly. This can happen due to issues with the placement, timing, pressure, speed, or flow of movement of the lips, tongue, teeth, palate, or respiratory system (lungs).

Many parents wonder how to help a child with speech articulation problems. If you’ve noticed your child struggling to pronounce sounds clearly, you’re not alone. Here are some tips on how best to help our little ones develop clearer speech.

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1. Understand speech articulation problems

Before we learn how to help a child with speech articulation problems, it’s crucial to understand these issues first. That way, we can tailor our approach to the unique needs and abilities of our children on the spectrum.

Common causes for speech articulation problems in autistic children include:

• Motor coordination issues may cause difficulties with precise speech articulation.  
• Sensory issues may lead to avoidance or difficulty in forming specific sounds.  
• Language processing issues make it challenging to understand and replicate speech patterns accurately. 
• Delays in speech and language milestone development can affect their ability to articulate sounds and form words.
• Hearing impairments cause difficulties for the child in hearing and accurately reproducing speech sounds. 

When a child has difficulty with speech articulation, it can make it hard for others to understand them. This can cause the child to feel frustrated and anxious. 

This difficulty can also impact the child’s self-esteem, confidence , and motivation to speak.  Because of that, the child must receive intervention from a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP).

The SLP will provide articulation exercises that the child can practice at home. Through repetition and consistent practice, there will be an improvement in the child’s articulation skills.

2. Create a safe space for speech practice

Before starting any speech articulation exercise , it’s important to create a safe space for practice first. Make the child feel at ease and not scared to make mistakes. In the space, minimize visual and auditory distractions to help with focus.

Learning how to articulate correctly takes time, so providing a patient, supportive , and non-judgmental environment for children to practice speech is critical.

Use encouraging words and positive reinforcement to help build confidence and motivate the child to practice. 

3. Make learning and practicing fun

It’s more likely that a child will enjoy their speech articulation practices if you include the things they like to do. Be creative by incorporating fun and engaging activities into speech therapy sessions and daily practice routines.

Here are some ideas on how you can make speech practice more enjoyable:

• Integrate games like word bingo, charades, or board games with speech-related tasks while targeting specific speech goals.
• Utilize speech therapy apps that offer interactive exercises and feedback 
• Create theme-based exercises based on the child’s interests, such as animals, superheroes, or favorite hobbies.  
• Incorporate music by using songs with repetitive lyrics to target specific speech sounds that the child can sing along to.
• A change in scenery can be very motivating for some children. Doing speech practice while participating in nature walks, scavenger hunts, or outdoor games may help. 

4. Speak slowly and clearly

To help your child accurately understand and replicate your modeled speech pattern, slow your speech rate and use clear and short phrases for explanations.

A lot of autistic children are visual learners . Using visual aids such as flashcards, picture books, or videos may enhance learning and make concepts more understandable. 

5. Practice sounds they struggle with

Work with your SLP to prioritize sounds that need to be targeted. Focus on this small number of target sounds initially to promote consistency and repetition in practice.

Once mastery is achieved, gradually introduce additional sounds for further improvement. No matter how many sounds a child struggles with, it’s important not to overwhelm them. Take it step by step, and celebrate every small achievement.

6. Make your corrections gentle

When providing feedback and corrections to children with speech articulation problems, it’s important to be gentle and supportive. Avoid criticizing your child or showing your frustrations.

Practice patience and understanding when correcting your child’s speech errors. Each child is on their own unique learning journey, which means they progress at their own pace.

It is important to create a supportive environment where the child is respected for their own unique learning journey of improving their articulation.

7. Praise good pronunciation

To other people, your child’s small victories may not seem much. But only you and your little one know how important every step of this journey is.

Acknowledge improvements, no matter how small, and celebrate successes along the way. This positive reinforcement will help shape speech articulation skills.

As a child’s speech improves, parents, caregivers, and educators should praise and acknowledge instances of clear and accurate pronunciation. That way, they’ll be motivated to keep learning and using the lessons they’ve learned.

8. Make reading to your child a new daily habit

Reading aloud to children is essential for language development and speech articulation.

Regular reading sessions can expose children to various sounds, words, and language patterns, aiding in speech clarity and fluency.

To motivate and engage your children in interactive reading experiences, try the following:

• Create a routine for reading at a certain time every day.
• Choose books based on their interests.
• Opt for books with engaging illustrations, interactive elements like flaps or textures, or ones that prompt participation through questions or actions.
• Use different voices for characters, vary your tone, and encourage children to join in on repetitive phrases or sound effects.
• Ask open-ended questions that encourage more than a yes/no answer.
• Act out stories by using props or costumes.

9. Practice regularly

Consistent practice is critical for improving speech articulation skills. Parents, caregivers, and educators should incorporate regular speech exercises and activities into the child’s routine.

No matter what activity, verbalize words that include the targeted sounds. Also, ask your child questions so that they get to say the words with the target sounds.

Sitting down to exercise speech articulation each day isn’t the only way to learn. Incorporating practice into your child’s daily routine through everyday activities and language will be just as effective.

Patience is key

By incorporating activities that focus on specific sounds, providing positive reinforcement, and seeking professional guidance when needed, parents and caregivers can play a crucial role in helping their child improve their speech clarity and confidence.

Remember, patience is the most important part of helping a child with speech articulation problems. Be patient with yourself and your child, and celebrate progress along the way.

Q: Can articulation disorder be corrected?

A: Yes, articulation disorders can often be corrected with appropriate intervention and therapy. The specific approach to correction depends on the child and the nature of their articulation disorder. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) specialize in diagnosing and treating communication disorders, including articulation disorders.

Q: How long does it take to correct an articulation disorder?

A: The duration it takes to correct an articulation disorder can vary widely. It depends on several factors, including the severity of the disorder, the individual’s age, their willingness to participate in therapy, and the effectiveness of the therapy program itself. 

Q: What’s the best form of articulation speech therapy?

A: The best form of articulation therapy is determined by factors such as the individual’s age, specific speech disorder, severity, motivation, and preferences, so it’s important to consult with a qualified speech-language pathologist to determine the most suitable therapy plan.

Q: When do speech problems in toddlers become evident?

A: Speech issues in toddlers usually become noticeable around 18 months to 2 years old when they start forming words. If a child isn’t meeting speech milestones like babbling or using single words by 15-18 months, it’s essential to consult a speech-language pathologist for early intervention and support.

References:

Mahr TJ, Soriano JU, Rathouz PJ, Hustad KC. Speech Development Between 30 and 119 Months in Typical Children II: Articulation Rate Growth Curves. J Speech Lang Hear Res. (2021) Nov 8;64(11):4057-4070. doi: 10.1044/2021_JSLHR-21-00206. Epub 2021 Sep 29. PMID: 34586882; PMCID: PMC9132150. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34586882/  

Namasivayam, A. K., Coleman, D., O’Dwyer, A., & van Lieshout, P. (2020). Speech sound disorders in children: An articulatory phonology perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, Article 2998. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02998

Netelenbos, N., Gibb, R. L., Li, F., & Gonzalez, C. L. R. (2018). Articulation speaks to executive function: An investigation in 4- to 6-year-olds. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, Article 172. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00172  

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