Friday Freebie! Super Star Speech Sampler

 

Does your child have trouble pronouncing the /l/ sound? Or would you just like to get a free peek at my Super Star Speech program that helps parents work with their children’s articulation errors at home?  This week, I’m offering my Super Star L Sampler for free. This volume includes teaching tips, picture cards, and practice activities for the /l sound. Please share with anyone you know who might benefit!

 

 

Until November 15, 2016, you can use this link to purchase the e-book format of Super Star Speech: Expanded Edition for only $14 (reg. $21.50).  The spiral-bound print version is available at the Super Star Speech website.

Super Star Speech Inventory Reduction Sale

Do you have a child or acquaintance who needs some help mastering speech sounds? I hope you will take a look at the Super Star Speech program. For the month of October, I am discounting several of my titles.

The first three books in the Super Star Speech series, Super Star Speech, Super Star R & L, and Super Star S, Z, and Sh, originally sold for $18.95 each. Because the content from these volumes has been incorporated into the Super Star Speech: Expanded Edtion, I plan to discontinue these titles when my current stock runs out. Until October 31, the books are priced at only $6.95. For more information or to purchase, please visit the Super Star Speech website.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Forbrain (Schoolhouse Review)

Over the past month, Emily and I have been experimenting with Forbrain, a bone conduction headset designed to aid in attention, auditory processing, and memory. Forbrain – Sound For Life Ltd has designed this unique device to aid in attention, speech, and memory activities.

What is Forbrain?

First, I will review some basic information about the hearing process. The cochlea is a part of the inner ear. When sound vibrations reach the cochlea, these vibrations are turned into electrical signals that are delivered to the brain via the auditory nerve. There are two ways that sound vibrations are delivered to the inner ear.

The first is air conduction. Sound waves traveling through the air are funneled into the ear canal, vibrating the eardrum. This vibration is amplified in the middle ear by the ossicles (middle ear bones) and conveyed to the cochlea. Tiny hair cells (cilia) are stimulated in the cochlea, causing the auditory nerve to send a message to the brain.

The second method is through bone conduction. During bone conduction, sound waves cause the skull bones to vibrate and this vibration is conveyed directly to the cochlea. When we speak, we hear our voices primarily through bone conduction. Other sounds are conveyed to the inner ear primarily through air conduction. The sound that your brain perceives is slightly different for each. That is why your voice sounds different to you when you hear a recording of it.

Forbrain is a headset that does two things. First, the microphone amplifies the voice, sending it to the inner ear through bone conduction. (The “earphones” rest on the facial bones in front of the ears, transferring sound vibration to the bone rather than to the ear canal.) Second, the dynamic filter provides additional amplification for high frequency sounds. (Vowels are lower frequency sounds, while consonants, particularly unvoiced ones like /p/, /t/, /s/, and /sh/, are high frequency sounds.)

What are the uses for Forbrain?

According to their website, there are three primary uses for Forbrain. The first is for improving focus and attention. The dynamic filter and amplification focus attention on the voice, reducing the distraction of environmental noise and “sensory clutter” in the brain.

The second use for Forbrain is for speech improvement. The speech amplification provided by the device makes the listener more aware of his own voice, helping with speech discrimination, and hopefully improved articulation.  It can also be used for improving inflection and expression for public speaking.

The third use is for improving memory. Speaking or reading with Forbrain provides increased stimulus to the auditory pathways to the brain.

How did we use Forbrain in our home?

1. Emily used Forbrain several days a week for practicing her Spanish. Honestly, her Spanish pronunciation is pretty poor as compared to her spoken and written comprehension levels. Part of this issue is that she really doesn’t try very hard. Foreign languages can be hard in a homeschool setting without anyone but Mom to talk to! I did see an improvement in her spoken Spanish as a result of using Forbrain. She admitted that it helped her listen to herself more carefully and she tried harder to use better pronunciation and worked on correcting her errors. They bothered her because she could hear them amplified!
2. Emily wore Forbrain occasionally when working on her Bible or poetry memorization. I’m not sure that it helped, but she has a pretty good visual memory and I think she tends to rely on that rather than the auditory input when speaking aloud and trying to memorize. 
3. In my role as a speech pathologist, I used Forbrain during a speech therapy session with a child who is working on her /r/ sound. I didn’t see dramatic results, but it did make her a bit more conscious of listening to her speech output. Since she is taking the summer off from therapy, we were only able to get in one practice session with Forbrain. I do see tremendous potential for using Forbrain in speech therapy. For spontaneous speech improvement, I’m skeptical, but think that it will be a wonderful tool when used in conjunction with traditional therapy techniques or even more informal sound practice. I will definitely be using this with future articulation clients.
4. I am part of the praise team at church, so I used Forbrain when practicing songs at home and otherwise working on improving my tone and working out harmonies. I found it very helpful and fun to use.

The science behind Forbrain

If you visit the Forbrain site, you can find out detailed information about how Forbrain works, its many uses, and its effectiveness. There are not only testimonies from parents and professionals such as speech pathologists, but also some information about scientific studies in progress. Many of the claims sound quite plausible to me. There were a few claims that I had some doubts about.

For example “comprehension of the written word is greatly improved.” For an auditory learner, I can see that this could be very true. Personally, as a visual learner, I found the additional auditory stimulation distracting while reading aloud and thought it hampered my comprehension because I was distracted by my voice! I found Forbrain most helpful for me in tasks such as singing, when I was focusing specifically on my voice rather than meaning.

A possible suggested use for Forbrain is for improving fluency disorders/stuttering. As a speech pathologist, I know that any quick or easy “fix” for stuttering is very unlikely. At best, the device might prove as a distraction resulting in a very temporary improvement in fluency. Although I am skeptical of that particular claim, I’m sure the device would be helpful for articulation and voice disorders and for helping the normal speaker with minor fluency issues.

I’m very glad that scientific studies are being done with the device and will be very interested to read about the final results. (So far, the evidence seems to be promising.)

Learn more about Forbrain through their social media and by reading more Crew reviews!

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/forbrainLTD
Twitter : https://twitter.com/forbrainheadset
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/forbrain---retrain-the-way-you-process-information

 

Teaching the /k/ and /g/ Sounds

This is an excerpt from Super Star Speech: Expanded Edition. Super Star Speech includes practice materials, picture cards, and games to teach almost every speech sound. /K/ and /g/ are common errors in 3-4 year olds. Most children tend to substitute /t/ for /k/, and /d/ for /g/, resulting in speech that is very difficult to understand! If your child struggles with these sounds, try out these ideas. I hope they will help!

K and G

 

To produce the K and G sounds, the back part of the tongue is raised and pressed against the roof of the mouth (soft palate), stopping all airflow. The front of the tongue is lowered. The tongue then drops, allowing the air that has been held behind the tongue to escape suddenly. The K is voiceless, produced by airflow. The G is produced with the voice “on.”

Tips:

1. Demonstrate the sound in front of a mirror. Use a spoon or popsicle stick to touch the back of the tongue and the soft palate to help the child feel how the sound is made. (Be cautious about triggering the gag reflex as you do this.) Have the child put his hand, paper, or a feather close to the lips to feel or see the puffs of air.

2. Strengthen the back of the tongue and help the child identify the part of the tongue to be raised by pressing downward on the back of the tongue with a spoon while the child tries to push upward.

3. Have the child attempt to say T while you hold the tongue tip down.

4. Play listening games to help the child practice discriminating between /t/ and /k/ or between /d/ and /g/. (“Is this a dog?” “Is this a gog?”)

5. Exaggerate the target sound when modeling it.

 

 

Here are a few activities to practice the /k/ and /g/ sounds:

Repeat each pair several times. Emphasize the difference between /k/ and /t/ and between /d/ and /g/.

tea—key                                      go—dough

talk—cock                                   do—goo

can—tan                                      done--gun

kin—tin                                        doll--gall

tap—cap                                      Don—gone

it—ick                                          bad—bag

bat—back                                     bed—beg

Think of a word that rhymes with each of these words. Say each word pair 3 times.

rock                make

rack                 Mike

look                 wig

hog                   tag

pug                   cloak

 

More practice activities can be found at http://superstarspeech.com.

Teaching the “sh” Sound

This is an excerpt from Super Star Speech: Expanded Edition. Super Star Speech includes practice materials, picture cards, and games to teach almost every speech sound. More practice materials are available at http://superstarspeech.com.

SH

SH is produced with the tongue tip raised and placed just behind the gum ridge. The tongue position is slightly behind the tongue position for S. The tongue sides contact the upper side teeth so that the airflow is directed over the tongue tip. Lips are slightly rounded.

Tips:

1. Demonstrate tongue placement and lip rounding, using a mirror.

2. Develop SH from S. Have the child hold an S sound while slowly sliding his tongue back until SH is produced. A drill of TH-SSS-SHH may be helpful. Use the analogy of a turtle sliding his head back into his shell.

3. If the SH is too “hard,” sounding like a CH, instruct the child to say it slowly and softly. Have him draw out the sound for several seconds, perhaps blowing on his hand or a feather.

4. If air is leaking around the sides of the tongue, producing a distorted or lisping SH, have the child practice widening and narrowing his tongue, using a mirror. The tongue should be widened in the production of SH. Touch the sides of his tongue and instruct him to press the tongue sides against the back teeth. It may be helpful to lower the tongue tip with a popsicle stick to allow airflow over the top of the tongue rather than around the sides of the tongue.

 

This activity will help your child contrast the /sh/ sound with /s/ and /ch/.

Say each word pair as quickly as you can:

Sea --- she

Sell --- shell

Sort ---short

Sin --- shin

Sue --- shoe

Sip --- ship

Ship – chip

Chin –shin

Cheat – sheet

Shoe – chew

Share – chair

Sheep – cheap

Teaching Language Usage or Pragmatics to Your Child

 

This is an excerpt from my book, Language Lessons: From Listening Skills to Conversation (available in PDF or Kindle format).

The ultimate purpose of language is to communicate. The ability to communicate well has many components, including auditory memory and comprehension, syntax or grammar, vocabulary, and processing spoken language and formulating a reply. Non-verbal actions are also part of the communication process. All of these skills are pulled together into language usage in the area of "pragmatics." Children who have trouble relating appropriately to others may have difficulty in this area. They may not answer questions or carry on conversations in a socially acceptable manner. They may talk too much or jump from one topic to another inappropriately. They may not have picked up on the expected social responses to phrases such as "thank-you" or "How are you?" Typically, children absorb the usage and nuances of communication with others without a lot of specialized instruction. But if they do not, specific behaviors and responses must be taught one by one.

Does your child…

· make eye contact when speaking and listening to others?

· respond to questions?

· ask questions and wait the answers?

· stay on topic in conversation?

· share the conversation rather than monopolizing it?

· exhibit turn-taking skills in conversation?

· use appropriate voice volume levels?

Can your child…

· answer the questions, "How are you?", "What is your name?" or "Do you like to _______?"

· give the appropriate response to "thank-you?", "good-bye," or "hi?"

· answer questions about a favorite book or TV show?

· ask for help when needed?

· listen to a speaker attentively?

· express his feelings when he is sad, happy, hungry, or angry?

· politely ask for what he wants rather than giving commands?

· give a compliment?

· politely ask the speaker to repeat something that he didn't hear or understand the first time?

 

Here are some ideas for practicing pragmatic language skills with your child:

Practice "mirroring." Make facial expressions or strike poses and have your child imitate you. Then let the child have a turn leading.

Make facial expressions. See if your child can identify the emotion (sad, excited, angry) that you are displaying.

Practice conversations while your child thinks about facing the speaker and making eye contact.

Identify skills (including those in the above list) that your child needs to learn. Have conversations to specifically practice those responses and behaviors.

Play act different scenarios to let your child practice responding appropriately. ("I'm so sad. My dog just died." "Guess, what? We're going to Disney World!" "I am angry at you.")

Say a sentence for your child to repeat. Have him say it in a monotone, then repeat it, using a lot of expression. You may need to model the intonation for him.

When your child uses a vague phrase, such as, "Where is that stuff?," model a more descriptive sentence, such as "Where is the toothpaste?"

Contrast loud and soft voices. Have your child learn to monitor his volume levels by saying something loudly, then softly. Talk about appropriate voice use in different settings. You may want to develop a nonverbal cue to give him when he needs a reminder.

Play board games to practice turn-taking.

Pass an object back and forth during a conversation. Only the person holding the object may speak. This helps the child alternate between listening and responding. This technique can be helpful with children who interrupt. It can also be a useful way to illustrate the need to ask a question or make a statement that encourages the other person to respond and keep the conversation going.

Have your child think of two questions he could ask in response to each statement.

· I made $35 at my lemonade stand last Saturday!

· My birthday is next week.

· I just got back from the doctor's office and he put my arm in a cast.

· My sister took me to the movies last night.

· I just got a new puppy!

· I am so mad at Jerry!

· I am taking swimming lessons.

· I really like school.

· I am going to the beach next month.

Ask your child to restate each command or remark in polite way.

· Give me a cookie! (May I have a cookie, please?)

· Don't touch me!

· Wear your hat.

· Give me some money for lunch.

· Close the door!

· I want a new toy.

· Your clothes are a mess!

· You never share.

· This room looks like a pigsty.

Teach your child how to apologize by saying, "I'm sorry. Will your forgive me?" or whatever phrase you prefer. Play act various scenes to let him practice responding.

Use play phones to practice making phone calls to these places. Help your child plan what to say before each call.

· grandparents

· the library—Find out the hours of operation

· 911

· pizza restaurant—Order a pizza.

· grocery store—Ask if they have Cheerios in stock.

· a friend—Invite him or her over for dinner.

· your mother—Ask her to pick you up from swimming lessons at 3:30.

· a neighbor—Tell her that her dog is loose.

· the doctor--Make an appointment.

How To Teach the /s/ and /z/ Sounds

This is an excerpt from Super Star Speech: Speech Therapy Made Simple that explains how to teach the /s/ and /z/ sounds to your child.  /S/ and /z/ can be tricky for many children to learn, so I hope these ideas will be helpful!
I have several more free speech practice ideas and “how-to” tips on my Speech and Language Resources page and LOTS more in my books.

S and Z

S and Z are produced with the front of the tongue raised against the roof of the mouth. The tongue is wide and thin and makes contact with the teeth and gums at the sides and front of the mouth except for a narrow central opening through which the breath (S) or voice (Z) passes. The breath passes over the center of the tongue and hits the front teeth creating a hissing (S) or buzzing (Z) sound. The teeth are slightly apart.
S and Z can also be made by placing the tongue tip against the lower teeth and raising the tongue just behind the tip against the upper gums. This technique can be taught if the first technique is difficult for the child to learn.
The most common S and Z errors are a TH for S substitution and a “lateral S” with the air flowing over one or both sides of the tongue instead of the center of the tongue.
Tips:
1. S and Z can be difficult sounds to teach. Often much trial and error is needed to find the technique that will be successful with any given child. The parent should experiment with different tongue positions and shapes in order to be able to identify the child’s error and to better explain to the child how to change his sound production. Subtle variations in tongue position can make a great difference in the sound produced for S and Z.
2. Demonstrate the sound using a mirror. Emphasize the need for the breath to travel only across the very center of the tongue. Suggest that the child direct the breath “between the front teeth.” Hold a finger in front of the child’s mouth and ask him to direct the airflow right to the finger.
3. Practice raising and lowering, widening and narrowing, and grooving the tongue.
4. Develop S or Z from T, D or N by lowering the tongue tip just enough for air to leak over it. Practice t-s-t-s or n-z-n-z.
5. Develop S from TH by slowly drawing the tongue into the mouth. “th-ssss”
6. Develop S from SH by moving the tongue forward slightly. “sh-ssss”
7. Ear training should be provided so that the child can distinguish a correct from an incorrect production of the sound. Play “listening games” until the child can reliably distinguish the correct sound of S or Z.
8. Instructing the child to bite his back teeth together to produce S or Z can help him to learn more accurate tongue placement. As he becomes more proficient, the teeth should be opened slightly.
9. To correct a lateral S, remind the child that the tongue must be wide with the sides touching the back teeth. Use a popsicle stick to stroke the sides of the tongue that should be in contact with the teeth. Fold a piece of paper to demonstrate the groove that should be down the center of the tongue.
10. For Z, instruct the child to say “ssss” and “buzz with his voice.”
 
Any questions? Please comment here or send me an email at: debbie@superstarspeech.com.

Stimulating your baby’s language skills

Babies don’t talk. You don’t have to worry about speech for the first year or two, right? WRONG!
No, babies aren’t born with any language skills and it will be about a year before the baby actually says his first word, but the language learning process begins at birth.
Here are a few things a parent can do to encourage speech and language development:
-Interact with your baby a lot. Talk, coo, and babble at him. Make happy or silly faces at him and watch how he reacts.
-When your baby starts to coo or babble, imitate him. See if you can get a “conversation” going by taking turns making sounds.
-Any talking to your baby or toddler is great, but the best way to encourage language growth is to make your sentences just a little more complicated than his are. If baby points and says, “ball,” you might say, “Yes, big ball,”  That will give him a speech model to grow towards.
Read,  read, read to him! Reading the book as it is written is great, but some of the time, you might just talk about the pictures, or name the pictures and see if he can imitate you.  As he grows older, talk about the story and pictures with him.
Recite nursery rhymes and sing with your child.  You can even make up little rhymes and songs about your daily activities—buckling up in the car, changing a diaper, and so on. The rhyming and repetition is great language stimulation and fun for the child as well.
Play pat-a-cake and peek-a-boo games with your child. Again—rhymes, language, and playing all in one!

Help Your Child With Articulation Errors

Does your child have a speech sound error or two that he doesn’t seem to be outgrowing? By age 7 or 8, children should have mastered all of their speech sounds. Some sounds, of course, should be produced correctly well before that age. To see a chart of when each sound should be mastered, click here.

If you suspect or know that your child has an articulation problem, seeing a speech-language-pathologist for an evaluation is a wise first step. He or she will be able to tell you exactly which sounds are in error—there may be some that you haven’t noticed! Even if you opt to work with your child at home, the speech pathologist should be able to give you some tips and get you started. However, this isn’t the preferred option for many parents. Perhaps you can’t afford speech therapy or fit it into your schedule. Perhaps you don’t want involvement with the public schools.

If you would like to work with your child’s speech at home, here are some guidelines and ideas. First, pick a sound or group of sounds to work on. You may want to pick an easier sound to start with, or one that is important to the child, such as a sound in his name. Make the sound yourself and consider exactly how it is made. Where in your mouth does your tongue touch? Does the air leak through slowly, such as in an “s”? Or does the air pop out quickly, as in a “t”? If your child cannot produce the sound at all, you will have to describe this to him.

Teach your child to say the target sound in isolation (not in words). Model it for him. Use your finger, spoon handle, or popsicle stick to touch his mouth or tongue in the target spots. When your child can produce it, practice. Practice, practice, and practice some more until he really knows it well by itself.  Then practice words that begin with the target sound, moving on to words with the sound in the middle or at the end.

When your child can produce the sound in words with 95% accuracy, begin practicing in sentences. By the time sentences are mastered, you will probably hear the sound being used most of the time in conversation. This may take a few weeks or longer. Don’t expect your child to use the sound in conversation right away—it will take time before he can produce the sound correctly without thinking about it.

Make your speech practice time fun. Keep the sessions short, but practice every day. Play board games, making your child say his word 3 times before every turn. Hop across the room, repeating the sound with every bounce. With dedicated practice, you should soon see improvement in your child’s articulation skills!
For more materials and tips for working with your child’s speech at home, please visit my Super Star Speech website and Super Star Speech blog.