SPEECH-LANGUAGE
Articulation
General Instructions for Speech Sound
Practice
1. Remember, your speech is really quite good. You are just practicing to change a habit, namely, the way you say some words.
2. Have a reliable Listener(s) who can tell you how you sound. This Listener(s) should be someone who hears you speaking regularly (daily, weekly, or monthly).
3. If you are not sure if you are saying a word right, check it with your Listener(s).
4. If your Listener says it sounds right, good!
5. If he/she says it doesn’t sound right, follow this procedure:
a) write down the word
b) see where in the word the sound is
c) note the other sounds next to the word
d) one of the sounds will be a vowel
e) practice just this combination (vowel + speech sound (or speech sound + vowel)
6. Do this for only 2-3 minutes at a time, 2-3 times a day. You can do it under your breath while travelling, before or after brushing your teeth, while waiting for a program to load, etc.
7. When you think you can make this combination well, have your Listener(s) check you. Take your time and say it 5X. If your Listener(s)say this sounds good 5X, add the next sound.
If your Listener(s) think it does not sound quite right, temporarily go back to saying your target sound by itself. Make sure you produce it the way your Speech teacher taught you. Then carefully go back to the combination. When you have mastered it, you may move to:
8. Practice this 3-sound combination until your Listener(s) say it is good, too.
9. Keep adding sounds and/or syllables until you have the complete word. Check with your Speech teacher if you are not sure in what order the sounds should be added.
10.Demonstrate your mastery to your Speech teacher, and move to the next level!
