My 3 yo DD is FINALLY in the 'normal' range of speech, and no longer qualifies for speech therapy. :)
BUT, she barely made the cut. Her speech pattern is fine, but her articulation is borderline normal. I still have a hard time understanding her sometimes. We have made a LOT of progress while reading together (she actually improved faster after we took the summer off from her therapy. We were testing to return, and she tested out.) I don't want to read TOO much though, because I think she is starting to get burned out on it; which I do NOT want to happen. I love that she loves to read, so I am going to cut back a little there, and switch gears.
I think it would be fun to do some tongue twisters. I Googled them, and found quite a bit... But most of them are just kind of weird. I was hoping to find some fun ones that we can make a game out of.
So, what are your favorite tongue twisters for kids? :) (the sillier the better!)
Seven silver swans swam silently seaward.
Six thick thistle sticks.
Should Sheila sell seashells or should she sell shoes?
Read to her Fox in Socks out loud - it took some practice for me to get through it without mistakes (you have to get a rhythm going for some of them).
http://www.fun-with-words.com/tongue_twisters.html
Sally is a sheet slitter, she slits sheets.
She sells sea shells by the sea shore. But if she sells sea shells by the sea shore then where are the sea shells she sells?
Yeah! For getting better! Just wanted to promote your local library. In the children's section, they will have books with tongue twisters. There are also tons of new books so your child need never get bored with her selection of books.
UNIQUE NEW YORK.
after one masters that 5 times in a row...
the world is your oyster!
Look for the game '5x Fast'. I have also seen a similar game at Target.
http://www.orientaltrading.com/x-fast-card-games-a2-12_46...
Have fun!
ETA: ChaCha, are you still at the Italian place? I'm impressed that you can do tongue twisters after a great Italian meal and wine! :) Hope you are having fun!
My daughter's know dozens of tongue twisters through their drama classes. I googled drama games, tongue twisters. Many of them a simple one liners that maybe easier for a toddler to memorize. http://www.bbbpress.com/2013/02/drama-games-tongue-twiste...
My son had had Speech Therapy until he was almost, 3.
He made great progress.
Enunciation... is also per age and development.
Some letter sounds or sound combinations, are harder to say and require different parts of the mouth all working in tandem with each other at the same time, plus with the throat, etc.
Some letter sounds are just using the throat. Or tongue. Or lips, etc.
Per my son, even after he finished speech therapy, he remembered what he was taught. And the Speech Therapist, along the way, also taught me about "teaching" him and we were also given handouts and cute tip sheets on it etc. So, "practicing" speaking was still fun, for my son. And he'd even tell me, what he was taught etc.
You do not have to read, constantly, for her to improve.
Doing that, sure she will burn out. Because it is not fun, anymore.
My son's speech therapy, was more play oriented. Not drills.
You don't have to use tongue twisters per say.
Just use word families. Or sound families.
ie: mat, cat, bat. or, smell, spell, bell. Or, shark, sharp, shape, etc.
Or use Rhymes. Instead of tongue twisters.
Or, simply ask your Speech Therapist, about ongoing practice.
Many 3 year olds can be hard to understand. Because of enunciation.
Whether or not they have had speech therapy.
So, ask the Speech Therapist.
Anyway, just Google search "tongue twisters for kids" online.
I was actually told not to do tongue twisters. Just to focus (in gentle ways) on the letters that DD cannot say. The speech pathologist told me that twisters are overload. I was given sheets of paper with games and words on them and she suggested a few ways to model to DD how to say certain sounds. I would ask the speech therapy people for "homework" like that. I'm surprised they didn't give you any if there was any lingering concern.
I would not cut back on reading, for various reasons. Maybe try books like I Spy which are a game, and also rhyme. Or try poetry (my DD likes Shel Silverstein).
If you are concerned in a year or so and she has aged out of early intervention, contact her elementary school and get her in their system. My DD is on the "watch list" and the speech pathologist will evaluate her through the year to see if she needs therapy or if she is making progress. This summer she picked up on V, which means one less letter to worry about.
Well, in choir we used to do.....
"Tip of the tongue articulation" as we sang up a scale.
Just to get that tongue moving!
L.
The most important thing to do, other than read to her, is to continue the home program the speech therapist gave you. Use THAT list of words. Do it every single day so that she doesn't get used to not working.
When she gets a little older, have her tested again to see if she qualifies for help. If you have contined to work with her, she will step right into more therapy without any problems because you have kept her used to working on speech.
Try "Fox in Socks" by Dr. Suess.
I love
ELEVEN BENEVOLENT ELEPHANTS.
Try to say that three times fast!
One smart fellow, he felt smart.
Toy boat
Unique New York
I LOVED tongue twisters as a child! I had forgotten about them..
Here is a great link. These are fun. My family and I are over here working on them!
