Articulation speech therapy is often only once or twice a week so practice between sessions is so important for progress. I have tried so many options to motivate kids to practice–lists on their refrigerator, games to play, bribing with silly banz, charts to fill in and adding to their chore charts. The best option is when the child comes up with a plan because they are more invested it.
Yesterday, I went to Katherine’s house for the last session before summer since she will be gone all summer. I had an art kit with markers, colored pencils and paints to give her with the idea that I would attach a list of /r/ words to the cover of it’s case so when she opened it she would be reminded to practice:) But, when I got to her house, she had a whole other plan as she brought out a composition book and her markers and she started to instruct ME on how we would make her summer practice book! She wanted a page for each position of the sound in a word, beginning, middle and end. She started to place a star next to her “easy” words and made a rule to start with the starred words as she begins practice on that page. Then she set up a “Bonus” area where smiley face designated a good job on a hard word!
So we are all set for success and progress this summer in my absence. Now I just hope Katherine doesn’t lose the book!
