“Homework” is a word guaranteed to make any kid groan. I understand those groans – homework has the word “work” in it, and it can be difficult to find time to do homework between school, sports, clubs, and other extracurricular activities. With that said, homework is valuable. The more you practice a skill, the better you get at it, and there simply isn’t enough time to get all the practice you need during regular instructional time.
When it comes to speech therapy, practice at home is vital. It’s important for kids to know that the skills they practice in speech aren’t limited to the four walls of the speech room; they need to be used elsewhere, too. Here are a few suggestions for quick, fun ways to fit speech therapy homework into a busy schedule.
- Bath time. Kids can use their bath toys as puppets and have them say words using their target speech sounds. You can get in on the fun too by picking up a bath toy and modeling desired sound productions for your child.
- Reading books. This is a great activity if your child is practicing using sounds at the sentence level. If your child does not read yet, you can read and then ask them to repeat words containing the target sounds after you.
- Playing cards. You’d be surprised how often target sounds come up when counting from 1-9! Ask your child’s speech therapist for other fun ways to incorporate your child’s goals into card games.
- Reward with a treat! Instruct your child to say three target words, and then give him or her a treat. Treats can be small foods, like M&M’s, or non-food items, like stickers or a turn during a fun game. Even kids who grumble about homework tend to be motivated by these little rewards!
We would love to hear which speech therapy methods work for you and your child! Please feel free to leave us a comment with your experiences or questions regarding pediatric speech therapy.