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Is your toddler finding it difficult to articulate certain syllables? Are you looking for activities to enhance your little one’s speech proficiency? If yes, then read the article below for more on what is articulation disorder and some interesting articulation activities for toddlers.
Defining Articulation:
Articulation is the ability to produce clear speech sounds with the help of the tongue, lips, teeth, jaw, and palate.
What Is An Articulation Disorder?
An Articulation disorder is the failure to make appropriate speech sounds. It is a motor disorder and can affect people of any age. But they are quite common in children as their articulators are still in the developing phase.
Articulation disorder can involve one or more of the following speech errors.
- Difficulty in pronouncing certain alphabets.
- Deleting certain sounds at the start or end of words.
- Making sound errors such as substituting w for r, ‘th’ for ‘s’ or ‘f’ sounds.
- Distorting certain sounds.
- The tendency to add an extra sound to a word while pronouncing it such as ‘h’ sounds.
[ Read: Alphabet Activities For Toddlers ]
Articulation Activities For Toddlers:
It is possible to correct articulation errors in toddlers with activities that involve using different speech sounds. Here are ten articulation activities for preschoolers, to help improve his speech in a fun way.
1. The Art Wall:
Create different charts using magazine cutouts or pictures from your neighborhood for each target sound. You can help your toddler practice the correct pronunciation daily by studying these pictures.
2. Story Time:
Make use of story time to involve your toddler in some articulation practice. Use picture books your toddler loves to help him identify objects with target sounds.
[ Read: Learning Activities For Toddlers ]
3. I Spy The Word:
Draw or write words that have target sounds on pieces of paper, fold them and hide them all around the house. Whoever finds the most words and articulates them correctly wins the game. It is a great articulation activity if you have more than one toddler.
4. The Snack Bowl:
Take two snack bowls. Fill one with a mix of candies and healthy treats. Use the other bowl to place target words/images. Participants have to pick one paper and say the word. For every right articulation, participants can pick a choice of snack from the bowl.
5. Guess The Word:
Participants draw a picture and others by turn have to identify it verbally. Award one point for each correct pronunciation. Reward the winner.
[ Read: Signs Of Learning Disabilities In Toddlers ]
6. Errands And Words:
Use errands to help your toddler with his articulation practice. For instance, in the grocery store, ask your toddler to identify things that begin with‘s’ or ‘sh’ sounds. You can do this when shopping for clothes, toys or during other errands.
7. Games And Words:
There is no better time for some articulation practice than playtime. For instance, encourage your toddlers to practice target words or syllables with each throw of the ball to each other. Or practice a new target word with each push when on the swing.
8. Word Relay:
Play the game of five words for each target sound. Take up a new sound as soon as you finish the previous one.
9. Marble Tower:
Place marbles in a bowl. With every correct articulation, the toddlers get a marble to place it in a thin glass vase. The winner is the one with the tallest marble tower.
[ Read: Creative Shape Activities For Toddlers ]
10. Word Hour:
For a specified time, say 10 to 15 minutes every day, you and your toddlers speak only words that have target sounds.
You don’t need hours of lesson preparations to help your toddler practice his articulation. Infuse creativity in everyday tasks and watch your toddler improve his speech while participating in some fun activities.
Hope you liked our post on preschool articulation activities. How do you make your toddler practice articulation? Please share your ideas with us.
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