Making speech practice fun

Here are some activities to help your child practice their target speech sounds. Use the articulation pictures provided by your speech pathologist with these activities.

  • Lotto Game

Each player has one complete page of pictures as a lotto board. Two more pages of these pictures can be cut into cards that match the lotto boards. Place the cards in a pile face down in front of the players. Each player takes it in turns to pick a card off the top of the pile, say the word practicing the target sound and match it to the lotto board.

  • Memory Game

Place pairs of cards face down in rows. Each player takes turns to turn over 2 cards and say the words, practicing the target sound. It the cards match, that player can keep the cards and have another turn.

  • Hiding Game

Hide the pictures around the room and ask the child to find them. As they find each one, they have to say the name of the picture on the card.

  • Board games

You can use your child’s pictures with their favourite games (e.g. snakes and ladders). Place a pile of cards face down and before each player has a turn they need to pick a card from the pile. The player then needs to say the target word before they have their turn.

  • Snap

Use the pictures to play snap. Make sure each player says the words on the card as they turn over each picture.

  • Posting

Post the pictures into a posting box (a box with a slot cut in it). The child needs to say the word on each card before they post it.

  • Puzzles

Place a pile of articulation cards in front of the child. Using a puzzle, tip out all of the pieces. Your child has to choose a card and say the word before they can put a piece in the puzzles. You can use any puzzle that the child doesn’t find too hard.

  • Skittles

Stick the articulation cards to the base or front of skittles. Have the child bowl their ball and knock over the skittles. Say the words on each skittle that has been knocked over.

  • Fishing

Using the picture cards, attach a paper clip and use a magnet on a string to catch the “fish”. Name the pictures as they are caught. You could also make fish shapes and attach the pictures to these.

  • Feeding a puppet

Use a puppet and the picture cards. Pretend the puppet is hungry and feed it to the picture cards. Say the words as you give the puppet each card.

  • Shine a torch

Stick the picture cards on a wall or put them on the floor. Turn the lights down and shine a torch on the pictures as you say the words.

  • Bean bag toss

Scatter the pictures cards on the ground. Take turns throwing a beanbag on the pictures. Name the picture the bean bag lands on.

  • Throw the dice

Make a dice and stick the picture cards on each side of the dice. Take turns throwing the dice and saying the word the dice lands on. You can also use a number dice and take turns throwing the dice and saying as many words as the number you threw on the dice.

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