MRI shows articulation

This is a MRI of a person speaking.  Yes, it is in German.  But just listen to the sounds and watch the tongue.  The tongue tip is so delicate as it curves up to touch the ridge just behind the teeth for /t/ and /d/ sounds, long contact for /n/ sounds.  You can see the top of the tongue hit mid/back on the division between hard and soft palate for /k/ and /g/ sounds.  You can see the velopharyngeal port (that part of the soft palate that closes the nose off) open for /m/ and /n/ and close  for other consonants.  You can see the tongue minutely adjusting.  You can even see a few swallows.  No wonder articulation can be so hard!  There is so much for the tongue and lips to do. 

Week 3: Cake, Candles, and Cookies

Large  Group Activity

Date:  January Week 3

Title:  Cake Candles, and Cookies

Phoneme: /k,s/

Pre-Literacy:  Trace the Letter C.  “Put your finger at the top. Draw half a circle and then we stop.”

Materials required:  Laminated Letter C

Song: Happy Birthday Cake and Cookies by Kids Express Train Drills on Wheels 1

Concepts:  articulation and alliteration, vocabulary, follow directions, swaying

Transition activity:  Song:  Colors by Imagination Station

Discussion:  We're talking about Happy Birthdays.  What do we have at birthdays?  Cake, candles and (sometimes) cookies!  We pretended to Cut the Cake. We cheered "HOORAY!" and practiced our /k/ sound in consonant-vowel combination and in words. We swayed side to side and waved our hands high.

During small groups in Miss Jeana's classroom for the next few weeks we will be playing a fun game called Cat in the Hat - I Can Do That.  This is a great game for practicing prepositions (on top, under, front, back, between, through, next to) as well as following 2- and 3-step directions. The children's favorite part?  Crawling under the Trick-a-ma-stick!

May: Week 3

Phoneme: /s/
Transition Song:  The Circle Song (The Kiboomers)
Pre-literacy Skills:  the Letter S.  Put your finger on the top - swooooop over - swirl down - swooooop under - and STOP!

Concepts: sounds, listening, voices off, labeling, What questions

This week we turned our voices off and our ears on and listened to sounds.  One (or two) of my favorite apps for iPad is Sound Touch (and SoundTouch2).  You touch the icon for the animal/vehicle/weather/human noises/household noises/occupation and a photo pops up with the accompaning sound.  If you touch it again, a different picture for the same icon pops up.  Usually it cycles through5 pictures with appropriate sounds.  The children listened for the sound and tried to guess what it was.  This activity was a HUGE HIT and will be repeated next week.

Week 4

Since we only had one day (and because the children loved it) we repeated the Popcorn activity with the children choosing whether to be Leader or Popcorn.  I was surprised how many of the "Leaders" used full voice and inflection as they lead the class.  We also worked on directions.  EX:  If you have the color red on your shoes, tiptoe to your backpack." 

Coming up for May:  the sound /s/ and Summer, Silly Dance Contests, Guess the Sounds, and I Spy.  Stay tuned!

Week 2

Phoneme: /p/


Transition Song:  Silly Pizza Song 2 

(The kids are really getting into this now.  They are talking about what other silly foods we can put on pizza.)


Concepts:  on top, putting on, pouring, sprinkling, turn up, hearing, watching.

Pre-literacy skills:  Draw the letter P.  What words have the p-p-p sound in them?  We say p=p=p with our voices turned off. 

We're pretending to pop popcorn! The children are really getting into this song.  Try it out at home.  We did change the words a little:

First your pour on the oil.
Sprinkle in the popcorn.
Put on the lid.
Turn up the heat.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle, sizzle (3X) 
Pop!

Hear the popcorn!
Watch it pop!
Hear the popcorn!
Watch it pop!
Hear the popcorn!
Watch it pop!
Hear the popcorn!
Watch it pop!

Pop pop pop pop!
Now let's stop!

Articulation Milestone Chart

This question comes up all the time during Parent Teacher Conferences:  "Shouldn't my child be able to say that sound?"

Not necessarily.  This speech sound chart from TalkingChild.com is a great reference.  Speech sounds are acquired like any other developmental milestone.  Some happen sooner.  Others happen later. I strongly recommend that you check out the full link here.