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Articulation Therapy: How Do I Help My Kid Say Their Sounds At Home?


Cueing Strategies




For the most crucial part of this topic (in my opinion), we will talk today about how to cue your child for certain sounds. I believe that this is the most crucial part because you will understand more how to make your child successful with speech sounds and give them self-confidence that they can incorporate these sounds into their life! Without further ado, I give you a list of some of the most common cues and strategies I suggest in my practice:

  • Use a mirror for visual feedback. You can practice words in front of a large mirror, or just have a hand-mirror handy while you are doing your fun activities I talked about on Monday!
  • Hand motions to cue how the sound should be made. I cannot make a list of all of the hand motions I use (especially since they change depending on what works for the child!). I can suggest asking your SLP what hand cue they use for certain sounds. Some common ones may be lightly dragging a finger up the arm for /s/ or touching your lips for a /b/ sound. 
  • Have a simple verbal phrase you can use to cue your child during practice to make sure their mouth is in the correct position to say the sound. For example, I typically tell kiddos, "Lift your tongue" when cueing them to make the /l/ sound. Your SLP will be able to help you come up with a verbal prompt for your child's specific sounds. 
  • Amplifying the sounds can actually help a lot. We have these c-curved tubes that we use in therapy that amplify what the child is saying so they can also hear correct/incorrect productions. It helps them internalize how they sound. At home, you can use a toy microphone if you have one handy or even just having your child say their words loudly into a cup so the sound bounces back at them. They think it’s fun too 😊
  • Only have your child try to say a word correctly 3 times. If they can’t get it after 3 times, just move on.
  • Try not to say, “no” or “wrong” or “not right.” Try to stay positive. If they can’t get a sound or a word, say instead, “Great try!” or “That was close!” or “That’s a really hard word. We will get it soon!”
These are just a few tips to help cue your child for their speech sounds. There are obviously many more strategies that your SLP can help you with. Please do not hesitate to call with any questions or concerns (412-761-6062 or Kathleen..rehabspecialists@gmail.com). Also, if you have more suggestions for other parents, please leave them in the comment section below!

Until next time.

Kathleen 

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