speech homework for parents

Get the Latest SLP Tips and Freebies Sent Straight to Your Inbox ➔

10 Free Resources to Help Parents Facilitate Speech and Language at Home

As a Speech-Language Pathologist, I feel that a good portion of my job is parent education and helping parents find fun and functional ways to work on the carryover of skills and facilitate speech and language skills at home. When I first started as a Speech-Language Pathologist, I typically assigned extra “homework” to my students that consisted of printed-out pages for drill work. Like many of us do, I learned the hard way that going the “homework” route may help some families but it does not help the majority of my families because time is valuable. Family time is even more valuable. What kind of memory would you prefer a child to walk away with – working on handouts and drills or spending time reading books, playing games, and cooking in the kitchen with their parent?

Check out these ten free resources that I found to help parents facilitate speech and language at home. Although there are 10 links below to downloadable resources, some of the links actually include more than one resource! Jackpot!

• Speech and Language Handouts for Parents by Primary Punch – This download contains 25 different handouts! Seriously! It has 25 different handouts to help educate parents on ways they can help their child with articulation, fluency, language, topic maintenance, core words, and so much more!
• Speech Practice on the Go by A Perfect Blend – This handout provides suggestions for different language goals that can be targeted while in the car.
• Selective Mutism Parent/Teacher Handout by Speak Up Speech – This handout was created to give a general understanding of how to interact with our students with Selective Mutism.
• Pediatric Feeding Handout by Jenny’s Feeding Gear – This freebie provides information on tips and suggestions that parents can make feeding time fun.
• Parent Handout for Toddlers and Early Intervention by a Gift of Gab – This freebie contains strategies and techniques that parents can use to encourage language at home. Information is provided in both English and Spanish.
• Language Through Everyday Interactions by Speech and Language Family Education – This handout provides quick and easy ways that parents can create a language-enriched home. Information is provided in both English and Spanish.
• Facilitate Expressive and Receptive Language at Home by Speech2Teach – This freebie contains separate handouts for receptive language and expressive language suggestions.
• AAC Modeling for Parents by Ms. Petersen SLP – This handout promotes parent modeling and provides suggestions on ways parents can incorporate it into their routine.
• Help Children Develop a Healthy Attitude by Stuttering Therapy Resources – This is a wonderful freebie to share with parents for our students that stutter!
• Tips for Caregivers for Articulation by A Simple Home SLP – Great tips and suggestions for parents working at home with their children on articulation.

Looking for more ideas?  Check out these blog posts!

• Language-building Tips and Handouts for Parents from The Hanen Centre – Great information!
• 5 Fun Speech Therapy Ideas for Parents to do at Home by Adventures in Speech Pathology – This is full of really great ideas.
• 3 Tips to Share with Parents at an IEP Meeting – Woohoo!

Want more great tips, tricks, and ideas for successful speech therapy?  Subscribe to our , or visit us on  Instagram ,  Pinterest , or  Facebook .

• Read more about: Facilitate Speech and Language , Freebie , SLPs on TpT , Therapy Ideas

You might also like...

LEAP YEAR-THEMED ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES for SPEECH and LANGUAGE THERAPY

I am excited that this year is a leap year and that I can incorporate leap day stories, videos, and activities into my therapy sessions.

St. Patrick’s Day Themed Activities and Resources for Speech and Language Therapy

Looking for new St. Patrick’s Day activities and resources to incorporate into your classroom or speech therapy sessions? Check out this list of ideas.

Rainbow Themed Activities and Resources for Speech and Language Therapy

Looking for rainbow-themed activities and resources to build language skills and to kick off Spring? Check out these engaging suggestions that you can incorporate into your classroom or speech therapy lesson plans.

Meet Tamatha

Tamatha Cauckwell is an ASHA certified Speech Language Pathologist with experience working in a variety of settings. Prior to obtaining her Masters in Communicative Sciences and Disorders, she was an SLP Assistant, a Self-contained Special Education Teacher, and a Preschool Teacher and Director. Her combined professional career experiences have given her a unique outlook and understanding regarding behavior management and collaborative needs when working with other professionals, colleagues, and families.

• Privacy Policy

Join the Newsletter

Sign up for therapy tips, ideas, exclusive free resources, and lesson plans in our SLP Freebie Vault!

© TLC Talk SLP • Website by KristenDoyle.co

JOIN THE TLC TALK CLUB!

• Free Worksheets

I created these free speech and language worksheets so you can easily download and print them out to use as part of your speech therapy program.  Just scroll down the page to view the worksheets by topic.  You will find free speech therapy worksheets for articulation, vocabulary , grammar, holiday articulation and language games…and lots of other miscellaneous speech therapy creations that I love!  If you would like more information on what articulation therapy is you might like to read a post I have written called  Teaching Speech Sounds: The Process of Traditional Articulation Therapy

Parents:  If you are a mommy or a daddy (or grandma or grandpa) who wants to work with your child at home, you can use these speech therapy activity pages for extra practice.  Just choose the sound position to work on (initial, medial, or final) and click on the corresponding link to view and print the worksheets.  To help make practice more fun, you can print out two of the same page so you have pairs, cut them out, and use them to play a game of memory or go fish. You can also use them as flashcards.  You will find free speech therapy worksheets by sound and at a variety of levels; word level, phrase level and sentence levels!

Articulation Worksheets

Speech Sounds in Syllable Wheel

/th/ Sound Voiceless

/th/ Sound Voiced

Grammar Worksheets

Regular past tense.

Irregular Past Tense

Third Person Singular

Vocabulary Worksheets – Holiday and Seasonal Themed 

Fall & autumn memory game, christmas vocabulary 1, christmas vocabulary 2, summer vocabulary, summer vocabulary companion, grammar bingo games – holiday and seasonal themed, grammar bingo games.

Vocabulary BINGO Games – Holiday and Seasonal Themed

Vocabulary bingo - winter, concepts bingo - christmas, conceptual vocabulary bingo - back-to-school, conceptual vocabulary bingo - fall, conceptual vocabulary bingo - spring & easter, lemonade stand bingo - summer, 4th of july vocabulary bingo - summer.

Quick Links

• Work With Me

Copyright © 2021 Heather's Speech Therapy

• Articulation
• Social Skills
• Accessories
• Journals & Notebooks
• Mugs & Tumblers
• Phone cases
• Stickers & Magnets
• Long sleeves
• Sweatshirts
• Baby clothing
• Hoodies & Sweatshirts

Free Articulation Worksheets

60+ articulation worksheets ready for parents, therapists, and children. For first timers, please follow the getting started guide below.

Getting started guide

Each worksheet comes with 16 words. You can either print the sheet out and write on it directly, or  laminate it for reuse. The cards can easily be cut into flashcards as well. 

Have the child practice lip and tongue placement.

Practice the sound in isolation multiple times. Give the child a star for each attempt.

Work on syllables by combining the middle letter with each of the outer vowels. Switch the order of the letter with the vowels to practice initial, medial, and final syllables (ra, ar, ara, etc).

Every time the child says the target word make a star in 1 of the 5 circles at the bottom of the card.

Use the chart to see the average age a child produces certain english sounds. This is based off of research published in 2018. Click on the letter to jump to the worksheets or scroll down to see the worksheets in alphabetical order. 

Voiced + Voiceless TH

b-Initial Words

b-Medial Words

b-Final Words

ch Sound

ch-Initial Words

ch-Medial Words

ch-Final Words

d-Initial Words

d-Medial Words

d-Final Words

f-Initial Words

f-Medial Words

f-Final Words

g-Initial Words

g-Medial Words

g-Final Words

h-Initial Words

j-Initial Words

k-Initial Words

k-Medial Words

k-Final Words

l-Initial Words

l-Medial Words

l-Final Words

m-Initial Words

m-Medial Words

m-Final Words

n-Initial Words

n-Medial Words

n-Final Words

p-Initial Words

p-Medial Words

p-Final Words

r-Initial Words

s-Initial Words

s-Medial Words

s-Final Words

sh-Initial Words

sh-Medial Words

sh-Final Words

t-Initial Words

t-Medial Words

t-Final Words

th-Initial Words

th-Medial Words

th-Final Words

v-Initial Words

v-Medial Words

v-Final Words

w-Initial Words

y-Initial Words

z-Initial Words

z-Medial Words

z-Final Words

A website dedicated to helping SLPs use PLAY-BASED speech and language therapy so they can save time and have fun!   

Huge list of free handouts for speech therapy.

As Speech Language Pathologists, we are always on the hunt for a good Speech Therapy handout - and bonus if it’s free.

This massive list of free speech therapy handouts will help you find amazing handouts to share with parents, speech therapy assessment, and therapy planning. These free speech therapy printables cover a variety of topics, including developmental norms, speech therapy activity ideas, apraxia of speech, homework planning, play observation, and language processing.

This Apraxia Homework Planner is perfect for keeping parents in the loop! Use this easy to use checklist to note which cues are beneficial, which word shapes they are working on, which carrier phrases to target, and what their child's target words are.

Cues for Apraxia of Speech: Use this Speech Therapy Handout for Apraxia of Speech as a quick reference when using DTTC, Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing , with your students. Includes a hierarchy of cues that can be used with your toddlers, preschoolers, and school aged children during speech therapy! The cues are sorted by level of support, so you can appropriately support your students in saying accurate productions. **For more about DTTC, please visit www.ctsspeechhearing.org**.

Apraxia of Speech Homework Plan: This free homework planning sheet for Speech Therapy was designed with the busy SLP in mind! Use this easy to use checklist to keep parents of children with Apraxia of Speech informed of which targets they are working on, the type of cue their child benefits from, and so much more!

Speech and Language Therapy Strategies and Accomodations for the Classroom : This easy to use checklist is perfect to supplement any speech therapy consultation visit or to help you with writing your IEPs. Includes a variety of speech therapy strategies for expressive language, receptive language, articulation, phonology, early language, behaviour, and visual supports.

Word Shape Hierarchy: Use this visual representation of Word Shape difficulty with parents or teachers - or use for yourself! Children with Apraxia of Speech have difficulty combing a variety of sounds in a variety of ways - especially when the word is complex. This simple speech therapy handout for Apraxia of Speech will help you choose your goals for Apraxia of Speech!

Prosody Calendar for Apraxia of Speech: Children with Apraxia of Speech often have prosodic differences. It is important for children with Apraxia of Speech to practice speaking using different rates, volumes, and pitches from a young age!

Send this print and go handout home with your students with Childhood Apraxia of Speech, or use as a guide in your own therapy. Have fun practicing using different rates, volumes, and pitches with your students.

Speech Therapy on a Walk : Use this free handout for Speech Therapy for carryove r of a variety of speech and language skills.! With this free parent handout, teachers and Speech Therapists can provide parents with easy to implement strategies and activities to use during a walk.

What Question Handout for Speech Therapy: This handout is full of practical and easy to implement activities with everyday items, as well as effective strategies for teaching answering what questions. This one-page handout provides enough information for parents (or you!) to implement therapy for up to one month! That means less prep for YOU! This WH-Question Handout includes:

age of typical acquisition

example of correct and incorrect answer types

Fun activity ideas for speech therapy

detailed cueing hierarchy, with examples

a list of WH- questions to practice

Past Tense Verbs Handout for Speech Therapy: Share this grammar handout with parents, teachers, and school staff. This Handout includes:

Parent friendly explanation of when the past tense -ed morpheme is used.

Typical age of acquisition.

Example of correct and incorrect use.

Cueing hierarchy, with examples.

Classroom Strategies.

Activity Ideas and/or Book Suggestions

Categorization Handout for Speech Therapy : Give this Language Processing: Categorization handout to parents, teachers, and school staff. This print and go handout includes everything you need to teach this speech and language skill! This handout features:

Explanation of the Goal

Low-prep Activity Ideas

The following handouts for speech therapy are available by signing up for my email list (sign up at the bottom of the page)!

By signing up, you will get immediate access to all of these speech and language handouts.

6 Stages of Social Play Development: This handout will help you understand how play develops in childhood. Each of the six stages of social play development is explained and development norms are provided.

Ideas for Play Materials: Wondering how to get kids engaged in therapy? Make sure you are using toys and activities that are appropriate for their level of play. This quick and easy reference sheet includes materials ideas for different levels of play, including pretend play, parallel play, sensorimotor play, dramatic play, and constructive play.

Play Observation Form: This easy to use checklist will help with your play based assessments. Give to parents to complete or complete yourself. Gain an understanding of the child's interests, levels of play, and attention span.

Favorite Resources for themed therapy: Interested in starting to use themes in your speech therapy sessions? Use this list of books, board games, toys, crafts and gross motor activities to help you plan your speech therapy sessions. Includes ideas for pets, farm, zoo, food, monster, and baking.

Why we Play in Speech Therapy: This handout provides Evidence Based Reasons of why Speech Therapy involves a lot of play! Share this with teachers, parents, or school staff to explain the importance of play in speech and language development.

5 Characteristics of Playful Learning: Have you ever wondered what characteristics of play help a child learn? This handout tells you exactly which five features of play help kids learn and explains them in detail.

I hope you found this of free handouts for

preschool speech therapy list helpful!

• Speech Therapy Tips and Tricks

Related Posts

7 Free S-Blend Activities for Speech Therapy

7 Fun Speech Therapy Activities

Mega List of Free Speech Therapy Resources

SUBSCRIBE TO STAY CONNECTED!

Speech Room News

Speech & Language Therapy Resources

3 Low-Prep Summer Speech Homework Ideas

05/03/2021 by Jenna 1 Comment

Are you constantly looking for low-prep summer speech homework ideas at this time of year? Are you worried that your students might not retain all of the hard work that you’ve taught them throughout the year? If students have a long break from speech therapy during summer time, there is a chance that they could regress on their skills. Communication skills are extremely important to keep working on, even when there is a break during speech therapy sessions. Students need to retain the skills that they were taught and in addition, work on carryover of skills outside of the therapy room. Sometimes it can be tough to get families to work on their speech goals over summer break. Today, I have 3 LOW-PREP summer speech homework ideas for you to send home with your speech students. Besides being low-prep, they are also FUN and engaging!

#1 Parent Handouts

I have created a ton of parent handouts over different topics to send home with students. I have a recent blog post all about Learning Through Play Using Household Items that would be great for parents to use during summer with their children. It discusses different ways that you can use simple household items to work on speech sounds. Let me show you how a box can be more than a box through these learning through play handouts .  They are available in a spanish version as well!

This Water Investigations Learning Through Play Parent Handout is also perfect for the summer months! There are 10 handouts that focus on water and ice investigations that parents and caregivers can do at home to encourage speech and language skills with their students. Many of these are simple science experiments for speech therapy that are perfect to use with preschool-1st grade students. 

Topics Included in Water Investigations:  Candy Rainbow, Drip Race, Scoop & Transfer, Boat Race, Water Instrument, Bubble Foam, Ice Excavation, Fizzy Ice, Ice Painting, Ice Smash, Keep it Cold

This set also includes a parent introduction letter and 11 Learning through Play activity sheets! A Spanish version is also available!

Finally, this Summer Preschool Speech and Language Packet was made for this exact use-to send home with caregivers of students to work on speech and language skills over summer! Young children learn through play and these handouts focus on showing parents a few easy ways to target communication while doing normal summer activities. Topics include: Ice Cream, Making Cards (Father’s Day), Grilling, Baseball, Sandbox, Sprinkler, Camping, S’mores, Garden, Water balloon fight

#2 Boardmaker 7

I just made a blog post all about how you can create digital summer speech homework with Boardmaker Student Center. When your district purchases Boardmaker 7, you can create Student Center logins for each student on your caseload. This is how you will make digital summer speech homework.

You can also check out how I use their visuals for AAC resources and how I teach basic concepts with their visuals .

#3 Tear Off One Sheet Homework 

There’s nothing more simple than 1 page of homework to use all summer long, am I right? Simple is definitely what I had in mind when I created these Summer Speech and Language Tear-off Packets . There is both a preschool version and a school-aged version .

Give yourself a break and utilize these no-prep packets to assign homework programs. These activities are designed like a tear-off paper. Your student will pick one word and complete a different three minute activity each day with the word. At the end of the week he/she will rip it off the bottom. The program includes 12 words in the initial and final positions for 12 weeks of practice! You can use the included parent letter and speech and language homework pages to create a summer packet for each child on your caseload. At the bottom of the introduction letter, I just add a blurb to remind parents of the current IEP goals of their child. I keep it as simple as ‘Keep practicing your s-blends and categories this summer!’ 

Here’s what’s included in the 

Preschool Summer Speech & Language Tear-Off Packet:

*1 Parent Letter 

*20 articulation worksheets: P, B, T, D, M, N, L, L blends, S, Z, S blends, F, V, K, G, CH, SH, TH, J,R, 3-4 syllable

*3 language (nouns, verbs, adjectives) worksheets

School-Aged Summer Speech & Language Tear-Off Packet :

*23 articulation worksheets: P, B, T, D, M, N, L, L blends, S, Z, S blends, F, V, K, G, CH, SH, TH, J,R initial, EAR/AIR, OR/ER, AR/IRE, 3-4 syllable

*3 grammar worksheets (pronouns, irregular past tense, irregular plural)

*1 social skills page (2-5th grade appropriate)

*8 vocabulary worksheets (two levels of multiple meaning words, K-5th grade Tier 2 vocabulary). Each vocabulary worksheet is grade equivalent but labeled with “sheet 2” instead of “grade 2”. This allows you to give students any worksheet at their level without the grade labeled. 

Make sure to keep your students engaged and practicing their communication goals and carry-over during the summer months so that they do not lose skills already taught to them!

Let us know if you plan to use any of these low-prep summer speech homework ideas or if you have different activities that you send home for summer speech homework below!

Join the SRN newsletter!

I'm so glad you stopped by! If you'd like to keep up with the newest posts and get exclusive free downloads, please sign up for the newsletter! Your first freebie is ready as soon as you subscribe and confirm your email!

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

07/12/2022 at 11:08 pm

I ordered the school-aged packet and sent it home for summer reinforcement the past two years. I love this product! Great for artic and language students.

Fun and Engaging Speech Therapy Homework Activities

September 13, 2022 5 min read

As a busy speech-language pathologist, you put a lot of time and effort into your therapy sessions. Oftentimes, we put so much focus on the therapy itself, we do not always think about providing speech homework and other activities for parents at home.

Speech homework does not have to be complicated or difficult to plan! Let’s chat about a few EASY and fun homework activities for your students (and a few tips on getting parents to participate as well!)

Speech & Language Homework

Homework for speech therapy is a tricky subject. Lesson planning takes time, and the therapy itself is crucial to our student's success!

Homework often gets put on the backburner but believe me when I say it can be another important tool to use to improve our student’s communication and progress on goals.

Should You Give Homework for Speech Therapy?

There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to whether you should assign speech homework. No matter what you choose, I believe it is good to provide parents with the option of doing speech practice at home.

If you feel overwhelmed with all your duties as a school SLP, and you do not feel like you could add speech homework onto your list of to-dos, check out these ideas below! I bet you will find that sending homework does not have to be time-consuming or stressful!

Speech Homework Activities

There are a variety of things you can send home and assign as homework for your speech students. They can be as complex as an at-home program or as simple as a weekly word to practice.

If you need some ideas for speech homework, check out these homework activities below!

Daily Reading

Believe it or not, one of the easiest requests I make for parents to do for speech homework is reading with their child every day. No matter what goals your students have, parents can enhance their child's overall communication with a daily reading goal.

To assign daily reading, write out or print up a simple sheet where parents can record reading minutes each night. Send these home weekly or monthly with a daily reading minutes goal (I like to make a goal of 15 or 30 minutes depending on the student).

Print and Go Worksheets

A quick and easy way to send work home with your language students is with print and go worksheets. You can also use worksheets from any reference material you are using in therapy, but my print-and-go language worksheets are awesome for both therapy and homework.

I have a dozen of these awesome worksheets available in my store. Best of all? They contain themes that can be used year-round!

Print the worksheets ahead of time and grab one each week you see your student for therapy. I like to add these to my students’ folders, so they are easily accessible when I am running short on time.

Word Lists for Articulation

While it may seem daunting to prepare a handful of articulation homework each week for your students, I have a trick to keep things nice and easy!

At the beginning of the year, compile word lists containing your student's target speech sounds (bonus if they are high-frequency words!). Each week, instruct parents to practice 1-5 words until they can say them without any mistakes.

Bonus Tip: Add syllables, phrases, and sentences to these lists, and assign them to your students as they progress up the hierarchy.

Therapy Notebooks

I am a HUGE fan of therapy notebooks. These interactive notebooks or journals are a great therapy material (especially for those in mixed groups). They help you maintain a weekly record of material covered and provide an amazing home resource for parents as well!

Students use the notebooks during therapy sessions, and the notebook can be sent home each week or month for parents to work on concepts at home.

For more information on how to use therapy notebooks, check out my post on Speech Therapy Notebooks Made Easy .

Want to own your own therapy notebooks? Purchase a set of Articulation Therapy Notebooks or Language Therapy Notebooks today!

Summer Speech Homework

If sending homework during the school year is not working out for you, try giving summer speech homework instead! Having parents work with their children over the summer is a great way to continue to work on generalization and carryover as well as prevent any loss of skills over a break.

Here's some quick summer homework ideas to try out this year:

• Daily reading log. Same as the above suggestion, have your students read each day and record their minutes.
• Daily articulation word/daily language prompt. Provide a daily word or language prompt parents can do with their children.
• Summer therapy calendar. Assign a different fun task for each day of the month.
• Therapy notebooks. These interactive notebooks mentioned above can be sent home at the end of the school year for parents to use to reinforce skills learned and mastered.
• Worksheets or packets. Print or copy a handful of worksheets from your favorite resources to compile into a summer speech packet.

Preschool Speech Homework

I often get asked how to best send homework for preschoolers. My answer? Keep it simple. I like to keep things fun and easy with preschool-aged children. Simple worksheets or daily/weekly activities parents can do at home seem to have the best success rate.

All my preschool language activities come with ten parent handouts to use during the year. These are a great resource you can print and send home at the end of your therapy sessions to reinforce skills taught during therapy.

Getting Parents on Board

Now that you have some awesome ideas for speech homework this year, how do you get parents engaged so the homework gets returned each week?

Here are some tips on getting parents on board with speech therapy homework (especially those that never seem to send anything back!):

• Accountability. Providing a worksheet or place for parents to sign can help them remember to complete homework. You can also provide a small incentive for students who bring back completed homework (small toys or treats work well).
• Monthly homework instead of weekly. Some parents get overwhelmed with weekly homework. Try sending homework packets each month to be returned on the first of the following month for better engagement!
• Weekly email check-ins. Many parents appreciate a weekly email or newsletter to keep them informed on happenings in school and in speech therapy. You can remind parents to complete homework in these emails, and also assign homework as well! It’s a win-win!

Remember: Parents are more willing to follow through with homework if you keep those lines of communication open with them. Do not leave parents in the dark regarding their child's therapy. Stress the importance of therapy AND homework, and they are more likely to comply and return completed homework each week.

Speech Homework for Year-Round Use

Here's hoping these ideas will come in handy as you plan out your therapy sessions this year. Remember! Speech homework does not have to be tedious or complicated. Anything you send home will be beneficial to further improve your student's skills.

Hey busy SLP! Let's get social! Follow Teaching Talking on Facebook for more awesome speech therapy ideas!

Keeping Speech Therapy Fun – Tips for Parents

Families are busy, and sometimes all that busyness means stressed, over-scheduled children who are exhausted from homework, sports, and more. If your child is in speech therapy, he or she might be frustrated, overwhelmed, or even bored with the routine of including speech therapy techniques at home. There are easy ways, however, to help you and your child keep speech therapy fun while still managing the rest of their responsibilities and activities.

Become a Partner with Your Child’s SLP for Speech Therapy Fun

The first step you should take in order to encourage more speech therapy fun at home is to meet with your child’s SLP to create a plan that works for everyone. Find out precisely what the SLP’s goals are for your child and learn more about your child’s disorder and the techniques that are used during therapy sessions. Then you can ask the SLP for ideas to keep the fun in speech therapy homework.

Put Together a Speech Therapy Homework Binder

This is a great way to get your child’s SLP on board with fun activities for speech therapy at home. Your child can do things on the go, such as working as a Speech Detective to find words that contain the target sounds and recording them in the binder.

Image Courtesy of www.stayathomemum.com.au

Keep Speech Therapy and Academic Homework Separate

School homework can be overwhelming enough, especially if your child struggles with communication disorders. Instead of lumping school and speech homework together onto your child’s plate, keep them separate and use different motivations for each.

• Build a homework zone for schoolwork that is free of distractions and is tailored to your child’s learning style.
• Keep a motivation chart for speech therapy that provides incentives and positive reinforcement.
• Integrate as much of the speech therapy homework into regular routines and activities. The goals of speech therapy are often to help children learn to communicate in daily life, so provide opportunities for your child to actively practice speech instead of completing one more worksheet or formal assignment.
• Incorporate time goals, such as working on speech therapy for 20 minutes, taking a 10 minute break, and then choosing a homework task for 20 minutes.
• Work with your child’s SLP to find some apps for speech therapy. Screen time often doesn’t feel like homework time for kids, so you’ll be able to provide that necessary practice for your child without making him feel like he has another homework assignment.

Use What Your Child Already Loves

If your child is supposed to work on articulation homework for the /r/ sound, maybe you can take his love of cars and work through his homework without him even realizing it. Often speech therapy at home consists of practicing the skill that causes struggle. Have your son tell you all about his favorite cars, encourage him to tell you stories about his cars, and maybe even head to the car dealership to do some window-shopping.

Do Homework in the Car

Many families spend a fair portion of their time just travelling from one activity to the next, so take advantage of this time where your child is corralled and use some of these great ideas for speech therapy in the car , including 20 Questions and Speech Sound Therapy for practicing specific speech skills.

Make a Magazine Collage for Target Sounds

Use up some of those old magazines that are just hiding under the table and have your child cut out pictures that have the target sound your child is to be practicing – maybe finding /sh/ pictures like shoes or shadows .

Modify a Game for Speech Therapy Fun

Speech therapy homework doesn’t have to look like rote Algebra homework in order for it to be effective. Take a favorite board game of your child and modify it to include the skills your child needs to practice for speech therapy. You can make your own special deck of speech therapy cards like this (if you laminate them they’ll last longer) and use it to replace an original set.

Image Courtesy of blog.ei-india.com

Keep a positive attitude about your child’s speech therapy homework and remember to have patience with your child has he or she works to improve communication skills. You’ll both find this easier when you take the work out of homework to increase speech therapy fun for your child. Those extra minutes you spend each week working with your child on speech therapy homework will pay dividends in the future.

• Six Weeks of Summer Activities
• My Web Page

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Speech homework: 25 alternatives to speech folders.

• Highlight target sounds in an old book.
• Send home a mini-book with pictures of target vocabulary (make this with PowerPoint). 
• For families with Internet, suggest reading a book on-line. We Give Books , Kizclub , and Lil' Fingers are three of many sites with books and stories. 
• Send home a "book in a bag" complete with question cards or story props.  

17 comments:

This is great! As a SLP still learning the ropes and very much "anti-worksheet" I could see my students buying into many of these. Thanks!

Thanks! I started packaging activities for a few students and soon I had many ready-made packages. I seldom needed to write notes to parents about the activities as notes were usually in the packages.

Great ideas!

Thanks for the link, and for the many other wonderful ideas for me to explore! Cheers Emily

This is Awesome! I really wanted an alternative to folders and you have offered so many choices! Now I just need to get everything together!

What an awesome post! Wanted to use something else besides folders but didn't know where to begin. You've offered so many great ideas, I still don't know where to start!

Thank you! I started with old books for articulation and sentence structure. Highlight the target throughout the book and glue pre-printed instructions for parents and students inside the book. There were no notes to write. I simply gave the book to the child with verbal instructions. After you have a stack, it's much easier than folders.

I see PTs in an a clinic and have the luxury of knowing most of my kids teachers and school SLP. I try to set up a journal with each of my families to record the child's daily experiences and have a common place for all professionals to communicate. It doesn't always get used outside my office but at least there is one page added each week

I like the journal. You can write as little or as as much as needed. The early childhood teachers that I work with send these home. They call them Language Books. It goes home daily with information about the day. If any contact is needed with the parent or private therapists, it's in the language book.

I send home a sheet (just posted a new one today!). What I especially like about them is that I can put what we worked on today and how the kid's behavior was. Since I very rarely see parents, I figured out that this was the best way to try to communicate with them. I do ask for a parent signature back and then I keep track of the percentage of returned HWs. That way if a parent asks why their kids hasn't made much progress, I can easily know how much work has been done at home! ;)

I really like your idea about keeping track of returned homework as part of your data. I downloaded your homework sheets for November. It's nice that they are leveled and the assignments are very easily manageable.

I just recently started sending homework home. I had a few parents concerned that we only played games in therapy so I had to "teach" them strategies to help with what we were doing in therapy. Getting parents to sign and return anything has been almost impossible, especially the ones who complained. I think the packaging idea is great and I am going to start working on that asap. Thank you for the effort and time you spend working on your blog and sharing. Dolly

Such great ideas! I'll certainly use some of these when I hopefully become a SLP. Love the book and "ask me to say __" ideas. I'll also try to make some newsletters or journals to give the parents info and tips!

I LOVE THIS POST!!!! Not sure how I missed this back when you first posted it but it is wonderful! I had been planning on doing a similar post soon and will link tot his one. For now, I'm pinning and sharing on Facebook! Thanks!!

Thanks so much for sharing! I look forward to your post as you have such great ideas!!

I also love this post. I am a new SLP and have been wanting to send home homework, but combined with everything else, it has been put on the back burner for the time being. Trying to come up with a variety of ideas to last the whole year seems daunting and overwhelming so I completely appreciate posts like this! I have sent home homework for a couple of students, however. I am not a fan of worksheets and have so far sent home a flying toy for some students working on /fl/ blends and a couple of books. This week I am planning on making go fish cards that have their target sounds in therapy with my students so that they can take those home to play with siblings or parents and use for homework. I am all about making homework (and therapy) fun and motivating.

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

• Rating Count
• Price (Ascending)
• Price (Descending)
• Most Recent

Free speech therapy resources for parents

Sound Wall with Mouth Pictures | American Sign Language

Tongue Twisters - Pronunciation - Alliteration Activities - Speech Therapy - ESL

Bilingual (English/Spanish) Speech & Language Parent/Guardian Survey

Editable MEET YOUR SLP Introduction Letter | For Parents/Caregivers

Visual Schedules for School & Home: FREEBIE

Wh Questions Speech Therapy Cards Preschool Autism Special Education FREE

FREE STICKER CHARTS

Distance Learning - At Home Speech Therapy Picture Scenes for Little Learners

Taking a Break Social Skill Story & Task Cards FREE

Early Language Ideas for Home - Early Intervention Freebie for Speech Therapy

Advent Calendar Santa Craft Christmas Speech Therapy Activity

Farm Animal Interactive Visual Book

Toileting Sequence Visual Support

FREE At Home Visual Supports

Neurodiversity-Affirming IEP Accommodations, Autistic and ADHD Students (FREE)

Social Story: I Will Follow School Rules

2024-2025 Monthly Calendars | Print + Editable

Distance Learning - At Home Speech Therapy Picture Scenes SET 2

Breathing Mindfulness Cards FREEBIE

DTTC Cueing Hierarchy for Speech Therapy of Apraxia of Speech

FREE Speech Sound Hand Cues PDF

Free Songs, Rhymes, and Fingerplays Visuals and Choice board- Speech Therapy

Social Story- Hands are not for hitting

SLP Editable Letter of Introduction to Parents Template - Free

Social Story - Hitting

DTTC Hierarchy Flow Chart - Childhood Apraxia of Speech

{FREE} Summer Speech Homework Calendars for Articulation

FREE Meet the SLP Letter Speech Therapy Introduction Parent Editable PDF Digital

• We're hiring
• Help & FAQ
• Privacy policy
• Student privacy
• Terms of service
• Tell us what you think

This is just ONE of over 100 cues we listed in our L Sound Handbook to help elicit the /l/ sound. It’s yummy 😋 and once the child knows “the spot”, you don’t need the Nutella anymore! 🫡 please make sure you have parental permission before you use any spread and check for allergies! #articulation #articulationtherapy #speechdelay #speechdelaykids #adventuresinspeechpathology

When our go-to cards and tricks don’t work, somehow, these ALWAYS DO! They’re particularly helpful for children who have difficulty with the second sound in the consonant cluster! https://bit.ly/S-Cluster_AISP They’re one of our best-sellers for a reason 👌🏼 #Adventuresinspeechpathology #speechsounddisorders #speechdelay #speechdelaykids #articulation #phonology

Comment “fronting” to save yourself from another one of those conversations where you can’t quite answer questions about phonological development and patterns! Our handouts are parent and educator friendly 🫶🏼 we take the questions they want to know and use pictures and easy-to-understand language to help explain patterns like fronting, final consonant deletion and cluster reduction. Comment “fronting” now for a link to these handouts and FEEL MORE CONFIDENT discussing these terms! #speechsounddisorders #speechdelaykids #speechdelay #slp2be #earlyinterventionspeech #speechsounds #adventuresinspeechpathology

COMMENT “Fronting” because you DON’T have to memorise ages of elimination and practice a parent-friendly way to describe fronting (and other phonological patterns) when we have done it all for you 🤗 We’ll send you a link to your DMs (just comment “fronting”) so that you can see if our Phonological Pattern Handouts are exactly what you need to feel more confident explaining and discussing patterns! #speechpathology #phonologicalpatterns #speechdelay #speechdelaykids #slpath

Fun fact about out this box - I found it at my local hardware store!! I actually printed a set of cards and took them in with me to make sure that they fit easily into each drawer 👏🏼 Printing a double set on cardstock to play games is a MUST for every SLP!! Any questions?? #speechdelay #speechdelaykids #speechpath #slp #articulation #phonology

Thank YOU SLPs 🤗 thanks for trusting us to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice to create the materials that engage your students and get high practice trials… we love making YOUR LIFE EASIER to incorporate evidence-based practice in the real world!!! #ebpslp #speechdelay #speechdelaykids #phonology #adventuresinspeechpathology #speechsounddisorders #speechsounds

Curious to know if other SLPs even HAVE a picture dictionary in their cupboard? #speechtips #speechpath #slp #speechdelay #schoolslp

Working on “sl” and “fl” clusters have become a go-to target selection for many of my young kids! Last term I had a child who was reducing clusters AND gliding their /l/ make so many gains with this therapy approach. But…. I never had enough therapy activities and homework pages to give out for a block of therapy 😣 that one client really spurred me to make resources that would see me through a whole term of therapy without using the same page twice!!! #speechpathology #speechtherapy #phonology #speechdelay #speechdevelopment #speechdelaykids

Rainbow storage boxes (find them at your local craft store) are the perfect way to store our Minimal Pair Toolkits: 1️⃣ Use Velcro to stick the teaching cues on the front 2️⃣ Store minimal pair cards inside And FYI: we have Minimal Pair Toolkits for x12 phonological patterns and counting! Let’s help kids MAKE SENSE of their patterns on therapy. #speechdelay #speechsounddisorders #slp #speechpath #slp2b #schoolslp #privatepracticeslp #preschoolslp #speechpath #adventuresinspeechpathology

I set THREE goals for 2024… 1️⃣ to see more comedy shows (this was my 8th show) 2️⃣ to wear bright clothes (they make me feel happy!) And lastly… 3️⃣ to start offering full-day professional development on speech sound disorders around Australia!!! I can’t wait to book some venues and release dates soon ❤️🙌🏼 I’m just not sure which city to do first (suggestions welcome), #adventuresinspeechpathology #ebpslp #aussieslp

From 3 year olds to 10 year old… the good old abacus has been the most surprising way to get high practice in speech. And if you’re not getting high practice, well, your child might not make the progress you want. So… who’s team abacus? 🧮 #speechdelay #articulationtherapy #speechdelaykids #earlyinterventionspeech #adventuresinspeechpathology

Double tap or ❤️ this post if you learned a new tip! Did you ever struggle to teach a 3 Element cluster like “str” because it was just too hard for the child? These pictures break the word down and utilizes forward chaining to make it easier to say. #slpsth #speechdelay #speechsounddisorders #articulation #phonology

We know kids 🙌🏼 we know SLPs 👄 and we know that you trust AISP materials to deliver on high-quality, EBP materials that your students WILL ACTUALLY DO!!! Comment “early” so we can send you a link to our Complexity Approach Growing Bundles, aimed at incorporating high practice on every page! #ebpslp #phonology #speechsounddisorders #speechsounds #slp #schoolslp #preschoolslp #speechdelay #speechhomework

Comment “early” so you don’t miss out and can secure our Growing Bundle at the lowest price it’s ever going to be 🙌🏼 Never have to plan another complexity approach session again... just print from over 60 color + B&W pages and let US take the planning off your hands 🙌🏼 #ebpslp #phonology #speechsounddisorders #speechsounds #earlyinterventionspeech #slpath #speechdelay #speechdelaykids

She has her mama’s honesty 🤣 we have been setting up my speech office and hung this poster to record more elicitation video clips for SLPs… I just gotta work on decreasing my “desperate” vibe 😉 #speechpathology #adventuresinspeechpathology #slpmama #slpmom

Seen our FREE Australian English and General North American English Vowel Charts? If you… can’t remember your vowel symbols 🫣 or just want to put up something bright on your walls, head to our AISP website to download them! #slpfridayfreebie #speechpath #slp #slp2b #speechies #speechtherapy #adventuresinspeechpathology

Have you seen or read our phonology stories? We have: 📖 the tail sound story for final consonant deletion 📕 the front and back story for fronting 📖 the long and short story for stopping 📕 and our sound buddies for cluster reduction, just to name a few!! Find them in all of our toolkits! #speechsounddisorders #speechtherapy #slpath #phonology

What does Cycles Approach look like 👀? Well, we put the flashcards away and picked a word from our set that can be used in a more hands-on way!! It’s such a nice way to break up a session. Gotta keep our kids motivated to practice 💪🏽 #cyclesapproach #speechsounds #speech #speechtherapy #speechsounddisorders #slp2be #slpath

Cheer yourself (and your speech therapy room) up by downloading and printing these beautiful AND informative posters! Apart from transforming your wall, you will refer to them… trust us! #speechdevelopment #speechtherapist #speechmaterials #slpeeps #slptobe #slp2b #speechsounds #speechsounddisorders

Have you ever noticed that there are just some words that should very clear and others that are more distorted? You can start therapy more successfully if you carefully choose words that will give you a higher chance of accuracy! These are my go-tos when lip rounding is impacting the “sh” sound. Do you have any others? #speechdelay #articulationtherapy #articulation #slp #speechpath #schoolslp #preschoolslp

5 fun speech therapy ideas for parents to do at home

Whenever I tell people that I am a speech-language pathologist, they will say to me how their child loved going to speech, because of all of the games that they played.

Yes, it’s true. My cupboards don’t even contain all the boxes of games that I whip out on the daily. But what’s in a speech therapy room is NOT what parents have at home in their kid’s room.

So today, I’m sharing five simple ideas for doing speech sound practice at home.

My eyes truly lit up when a parent walked into my room recently with a box. A box labeled ‘sh’ sounds. I peeked inside to see sheep figurines, a mini pirate ship, some shells from the beach, travel-sized shampoos, and the book Where is the Green Sheep. I love this idea of going for a treasure hunt in your house and filling it with sounds that your child is working on. Because on those days when nobody is in the mood to sit down and look at worksheets, play (with purpose) can be just the thing.

SPEECH STICKS

Trying to get enough practice at home so that your child is making progress week-to-week is essential. I make speech sticks by putting stickers on craft sticks and encouraging five practices. Do this a few times over the day, and you can quickly get 50 practices in, especially if the sticks are double-sided! OTHER IDEAS: use your child’s interests. Count out LEGO blocks, use puzzle or game pieces, or even your child’s favorite app. Even a simple holding your hand up and tapping on each finger is a quick way to get five practices in.

A lot of parents get sent home with speech cards. If you’re bored of memory, coloring, and hide ‘n’ seek, then do this: get a bag (not see-through) and fill it up with small toys and items that you have in your house. I don’t know about you, but the bottom of my kid’s drawers are filled with odd bits and pieces. Lay your speech cards out on the table, choose a card and practice it (perhaps aiming for 3 or 5 practices), and then let your child reach into the bag and pull something out to place on top of the card. It’s so simple, I know. But the whole ‘unknown’ concept of  what’s in the bag ? is very motivating!

So much stuff can get sent home from the speech clinic. And while I encourage parents to bring a folder or a scrapbook to the speech room, we don’t always get around to the sticking in and gluing of homework sheets. So this is where you can create and make it something special at home. Grab some washi tape, let your child wield the glue stick, and have them practice their cutting skills. Color in the uncolored pictures, add a sticker or two, and turn your child’s hard work into some brag-worthy. Something to be proud of. Because they SHOULD be proud of all their hard work.

FRIDGE TALLYS

You wouldn’t believe how many times you go to the fridge or food cupboard until you stick your speech homework on there. Practice a few words EVERY time you go to them, and you will get so much practice in. Better yet, use magnets, dry erase markers, or a pen that sticks to the fridge so that your child can mark off and document their practice. The other benefit is that it is a great visual reminder for parents to practice their speech at home.

If you’re a parent, and you found that your child LOVED to do something at home, comment on this post and share your ideas.

related posts

These are great suggestions! Is it OK if I print them and send one home each week or post them on SeeSaw? I’m always looking for strategies to increase their carryover to home. Thanks for sharing!

Hi Jada, You’re welcome to print them. If you post them on SeeSaw, can you please include a link back to this original post. Thanks for sharing and asking 🙂

Pingback: 10 Free Resources to Help Parents Facilitate Speech and Language at Home – TLC Talk Speech & Language with Tamatha Cauckwell

Pingback: Parent Resources – Southside Speech Solutions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hi, I'm Rebecca. I encourage SLPs to feel more confident treating speech sound disorders, and make faster progress with their students.

SEARCH MY BLOG

Look for an slp topic.

• Articulation
• Articulation Cues
• Cluster Reduction
• Complexity Approach
• Facilitative Contexts
• Final Consonant Deletion
• H Insertion Trick
• K & G Sound Tips
• L Sound Tips
• Minimal Pairs
• Multiple Oppositions
• Oral Motor Assessment
• Phonological Processes
• S Sound Tips
• Social Communication
• Speech Materials
• Therapy Activities
• Therapy Approaches
• Therapy Topics
• Uncategorized

• Privacy Overview
• Strictly Necessary Cookies
• 3rd Party Cookies

Privacy Policy for Adventures In Speech Pathology Pty Ltd

Last Updated: 17/01/2024

Introduction

Adventures In Speech Pathology Pty Ltd respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you visit our website, adventuresinspeechpathology.com (the "Website"). By using our services or providing your personal information to us, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

Information We Collect

We may collect various types of personal information, including but not limited to:

Personal Identifiers: Such as your name, email address, phone number, and postal address when you sign up for our services or communicate with us.

Usage Data: Information about how you interact with our Website, including your IP address, browser type, device type, pages viewed, and actions taken.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing preferences and activities on our Website. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings.

How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

To provide and improve our services.

To communicate with you, respond to your inquiries, and provide customer support.

To send you updates, newsletters, and marketing communications if you have opted in.

To comply with legal obligations and protect our rights.

Sharing Your Information

We may share your personal information with third parties in the following circumstances:

With service providers and business partners who assist us in delivering our services.

To comply with legal requirements, such as responding to a court order or government request.

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or part of our business.

Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Access: You may request access to the personal information we hold about you.

Correction: You may request the correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.

Deletion: You may request the deletion of your personal information, subject to legal obligations.

Data Portability: You may request to receive a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format.

Withdraw Consent: You may withdraw your consent for marketing communications at any time.

We take appropriate measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no data transmission over the internet can be guaranteed as completely secure.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal reasons. We will notify you of any material changes through the Website or by other means.

If you have any questions or concerns about our Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal information, please contact us at [email protected] .

Data Protection Officer

Our Data Protection Officer can be reached at [email protected] .

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

This website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience and collect information for various purposes. By using this website, you consent to the use of these cookies and technologies as described below:

Google Analytics:

We use Google Analytics to collect anonymous information about our website's visitors, such as the number of visitors, their geographic location, the pages they visit, and the duration of their visit. This information helps us analyze website traffic and improve our content and user experience. Google Analytics does not collect personal information, and the data is aggregated and anonymized.

Facebook Pixel:

In addition to Google Analytics, we use Facebook Pixel, which is a tracking technology provided by Facebook, Inc. This technology allows us to track the actions of users after they click on a Facebook ad and come to our website. It helps us measure the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns and understand user interactions with our website.

Why We Use Cookies and Tracking Technologies:

To analyse website traffic and improve our website's functionality and content.

To measure the effectiveness of our marketing and advertising campaigns.

To provide you with a more personalized and relevant browsing experience.

Cookie Management:

You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings or by using the cookie consent tool provided on our website. You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect your experience on our website.

Opting Out:

If you wish to opt-out of specific tracking technologies or advertising cookies, you can do so through the settings provided by the respective services, such as Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel. Additionally, you can adjust your Facebook ad settings to control the information Facebook uses to show you ads.

Questions and Contact Information:

If you have any questions or concerns about our use of cookies and tracking technologies, please contact us at [email address]. For more information on how we handle your personal data, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Craftivities
• Interactive
• Articulation
• Organization
• Back To School
• Thanksgiving
• Valentine’s Day
• Social Skills

5 Speech Therapy Homework Ideas

One of the things that SLPs constantly struggle with is speech therapy homework. Do we take the time to prepare and send it home? Do parents even want it? What should we send that would actually be beneficial to students? That’s why I have come up with these five homework ideas to hopefully provide you with easy solutions!

Before reading about the five ideas, here are some homework tips.

Do they want the homework?

There are kids and/or parents who are stressed about the current homework demands. Then, there are parents personally request speech homework! Find out if they actually want homework before sending it home. There are two ways that I have done this in the past.

1. Talk to parents at IEP meetings

When you meet with parents at IEP meetings (or any meeting), discuss whether they want speech therapy homework and how much time they want to dedicate to it.

2. Send home a note

If you aren’t meeting with the parents, send a note home at the beginning of the year. Ask them if they want speech homework for their child. Give them the option to send the note back, email you or call you with their request.

The Remind App is used by many schools and is amazing! If your school doesn’t have a plan, you can download it for free. The app allows you to communicate with parents one on one or in a group. You are able to send text messages and pictures to individual parents or your entire caseload.

Something I like to do is update parents on their child’s progress, text them the homework for the week or send pictures of their child in therapy. Another idea is to send all your parents your monthly speech plans, reminders about progress reports coming home, open house reminders, etc.

Homework Slips

One of my go to homework ideas, is sending THESE little slips of paper home. In the beginning of the year, I print and cut a ton of copies of these slips and place some in each student’s folder.

At the end of each session, I take 30 seconds to write a quick blurb on what we worked on that day and what they should work on for homework. The parents can sign it and send it back if they want.

Sometimes I give stickers for bringing the homework slip back. However, this is optional.

Articulation Homework Flip Books & Language Homework

These take a little more time, but once you send them home, you are good for the year!

At the beginning of each year (or at the initial IEP meeting), I create and send home my Articulation Homework Flip Books . Students are extremely motivated to complete each phase and bring it back to school.

I can honestly tell you that my parents have raved about these flip books and I truly see students making progress at home.

The Language Homework set is a way to show parents how to encourage language in every day tasks. There are different levels and a variety of daily tasks such as eating, brushing teeth, getting dressed, etc.

Newsletters

Newsletters are extremely easy to create, take minimal time and keep parents updated. If you are creating your own, you can include a speech fact, vocabulary words, language and/or articulation activities, assignments and a note!

Monthly newsletters are one of the over 800 materials in the Speech Therapy Plans membership !

There are so many language and articulation ‘calendars’ on TPT. They are easy to send home and give parents daily activities to complete with their child. I like to send home calendars for summer homework as they are open ended, allow for vacation time and don’t put too much stress on students and parents. You can download my Summer Calendars for free HERE .

Try Things Out

These are my five simple ways to send speech therapy homework without causing students and parents unnecessary stress. Try a variety of these ideas and see which ones your students like. You can also tailor the homework to each student by sending calendars home for some, flip books home for others and the daily notes for the rest.

Remember, your goal is to include the parents in their child’s success by providing materials they want and can use! Let them help you in the progress of their child.

Do you send homework with your students? What has worked for you? I would love to know in the comments below!

Free 28 Page Word Lists Set!

Your freebies are on their way! Make sure to check your spam or junk folder if you don't see them!

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

No Comments

Leave a reply cancel reply.

I accept the Privacy Policy

• 1-888-223-8002
• Job Location Map
• Refer a Friend
• Request School Professionals
• Our Disciplines
• Speech Language Pathologist
• Occupational Therapy
• Physical Therapy
• School Psychologist
• Social Worker
• Registered Behavior Technicians
• Behavior Interventionist
• Special Education Teacher
• School Nurse
• How to Get Started
• Explore Benefits
• Search Jobs
• Why Work with Us
• How We Support You
• Knowledge Center
• Meet the Team
• Reviews and Awards

Over 10 years we helping companies reach their financial and branding goals. Onum is a values-driven SEO agency dedicated.

LATEST NEWS

Preparing for the 2024-2025 School Year: Why School Administrators Matter

Unlocking Opportunities as a Virtual SLP: Insider Tips

• 411 University St, Seattle, 10005, USA
• [email protected]
• +1-800-456-478-23

Speech Therapy Homework: Activities to Do Between Therapy Sessions

“You’re not going to give me homework, are you?” asks a busy parent of five children at the end of her child’s first speech therapy session.

As a working mother of two young children, I empathize.

People are busier than ever and our children are perpetually over-booked. This situation keeps us in a constant go-go-go state as we run from one activity to another. One can barely catch their breath. There is hardly time to enjoy each other’s company for a family meal, let alone time to do homework.

But, guess what? I still give speech therapy homework.

Various debates surround the benefits and drawbacks of homework. I’m a believer in giving appropriate homework assignments, certainly not busywork and definitely not something dull and boring. Who wants to do that?

Giving appropriate homework assignments can greatly enhance learning and help children acquire the habit of consistently making time to sit down and practice something. As a speech language pathologist , this approach is particularly important because most of the time we are instructing our students, clients, or children to learn a new skill, such as: a new way of saying a sound (articulation), of breathing (voice), of talking (fluency enhancing or stuttering modification), of thinking (e.g. perspective taking or avoidance reduction) or using words to express thoughts and ideas (e.g. language). To achieve mastery of a skill, one has to repeatedly practice and practice well.

So what do I mean by appropriate homework?

By appropriate, I mean the homework should be understandable, engaging, not too long, and–most importantly–it should be something that reinforces a skill that has been successfully demonstrated during the session. Homework should help to reinforce, maintain, and make the skill more automatic at home. According to Susan Goldman, professor of psychology and education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, homework “has to be taken in the context of who are the kids, who are the teachers, what kind of instructional time do they have in school and what kind of support do kids have for getting work done.” She goes on to explain, “Homework isn’t effective if the student doesn’t understand the lesson.”

The appropriate amount and type of homework can make a difference in helping a child efficiently and effectively achieve his or her speech therapy goals and assist in generalizing skills beyond the speech room.

At the end of each speech therapy session, I routinely review with the client or client’s parent or caregiver, what we did during the session; briefly explain how he or she performed; and discuss what the client can do to support and practice a technique or skill between sessions. As mentioned, I assign activities that are motivating for that individual, easy to implement, and relatively short and simple.

These activities can be used to target any goal you may have with the child. The most important things are to make sure the child and parent or caregiver (1) know the purpose of the activity in relation to the child’s speech therapy goals, (2) have clear directions, and (3) know what is expected.

Writing a simple statement like one of the following may help to clearly state the purpose and aid a caregiver’s (and child’s) understanding of what to do:

I will practice _________________________(what is the child specifically practicing at home) while _________________________ (when, where, or how). _____________________ will assist if I need support or a companion (name of someone who can participate or give assistance, if needed).

Here’s an example:

I will practice saying my “r” sound in the beginning position of words* (e.g. run, read, write, rat, etc.) while playing charades. My mom will play with me and listen to me say my “r” words.

*Depending on the child’s age and abilities, you can also include the complexity level here. For instance, I will practice saying my “r” sound in the beginning position of words at the word level, in phrases, in sentences, during structured play, or during conversation.

Without further ado, following are some activities I recommend my clients do between speech therapy sessions. Adapt them to best meet the needs of your clients, students, or children:

Play Routines

• I often ask parents of toddlers to regularly play with their toddlers because play and language development go hand-in-hand. But, play does even more—it strengthens bonds and makes you feel good! For parents who are pressed for time, I recommend doing something called an 8-minute play routine. Pick your toddler’s favorite toy or activity or random object and lovingly play with him or her for an 8-minute period. Eight minutes is a manageable length of time and you will be amazed by how many opportunities there are to model and elicit words. Remember to give the parent a specific technique or two to practice while playing.

Finger Plays

• I love finger plays! They can be incorporated into a child’s daily routine, can happen anywhere, and require nothing except your hands and your voice! I’ve been doing finger plays like, “Where is Thumpkin?” and “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” with my twenty-month-old since he was a baby. It’s amazing how finger plays encourage listening, understanding, gesture imitation, first words, and even early literacy skills.
• Charades is an amusing way to target a variety of speech and language goals. They can be used to practice saying speech sounds, using a fluency enhancing strategy or stuttering modification technique or learning new vocabulary words while acting out carefully chosen words. A child who may struggle with presupposition can also practice presenting the appropriate amount of information to convey his message so that others understand.
• “I spy a food that is sweet and round, and has sprinkles.” I spy encourages children to describe a mystery object by systematically detailing semantic features such as attributes, function, categories, etc. This game can also be adapted so children are only asked to describe items that start with their target sound.

Board Games

• Board games can be used to target any speech therapy goal! They are especially helpful in teaching a child to appropriately take turns, ask and respond to questions, and follow directions. Some of my favorite board games include: Jumpin’ Monkeys, Fryin’ Flying Donuts, Sneaky Snacky Squirrel, Zingo ( love the Zingo Sight Word version too!), Guess Who, Guesstures . . . I can go on and on.
• Books can be used to target an y speech and language goal, too. Last week, I asked one client to read, The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss to practice the “f” sound; another client to read The Napping House to practice telling sequential stories with cohesive devises; and another one to read Janan Cain’s The Way I Feel to learn vocabulary to describe various emotions.

Daily Routines

• As cited before, families are busy running around. Therefore, it’s wise to encourage clients to practice their target sounds and to embed strategies during their daily routines. This can be done while in the car, standing in line at the grocery store, and waiting in a waiting room. Give suggestions on how to cleverly infuse techniques or targets into your daily routine, but better yet, ask your clients how they can do it. They will feel empowered and may be more likely to practice if they chose how and when to do it.
• Yes, folks, sometimes I even give worksheets! Can you believe it? And, my clients love them! I have a private practice and in my setting, I have highly motivated parents who want to do something or anything to help their children. I find that they like leaving therapy with something tangible that enables them to easily practice while seated at a table. The trick is to select enjoyable, interactive worksheets. You can find an endless variety on teacherspayteachers.com (Teachers Pay Teachers).

I hope this has been helpful!

What activities do you give your clients or students between sessions?

“Kimberly Scanlon is a New Jersey licensed speech-language pathologist and is nationally certified by the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA). An innovative thinker and passionate therapist, Kimberly created a unique practice driven by compassion, integrity, and best practice. Providing speech therapy services for almost a decade and earning four ACE awards from ASHA for continuing education, Kimberly is one of the most experienced and well-educated speech-language pathologists in the area. Take a look at her blog: https://www.scanlonspeech.com .”

Related Posts

Epic Special Education Staffing Wins ClearlyRated’s 2022 Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards for Service Excellence

Letter from the President: Eyes on 2022

Speech on Homework

Homework, a word you often hear at school. It’s the tasks your teachers give you to do at home. It’s not always fun, but it’s a big part of learning.

You might wonder why homework is important. It helps you practice what you’ve learned and prepares you for upcoming lessons.

1-minute Speech on Homework

Hello everyone, today’s topic is ‘Homework’.

Homework, a word that might make some of you groan. But, let’s look at it from a fresh perspective. Picture homework as the key to the treasure of knowledge. It is the practice that makes your learning perfect.

Think of your favorite sport. To improve your game, you practice it repeatedly, right? Homework follows the same rule. It helps us practice what we’ve learned in school. It strengthens our understanding and makes us better at the topics we learn.

Now, let’s talk about time management. Got a lot of homework and not enough time? This is where you learn to manage your time. Juggling homework with other tasks teaches you to plan your time wisely. It’s a vital skill for the future.

Lastly, remember, homework is a bridge between school and home. It lets your parents see what you are learning. They can help you, encourage you, and share in your learning journey.

In conclusion, homework is not a burden, but a tool for growth. It helps us practice, manage time, think independently, and connect with our families. So, the next time you get homework, see it as your chance to shine. Thank you.

Also check:

2-minute Speech on Homework

Good day, everyone. Let’s talk about a word that rings in our ears every day – homework. It’s a word that can make us feel many things, sometimes excitement, sometimes dread. But no matter how we feel, homework is an important part of our lives. It’s as much a part of school as classrooms and teachers.

Firstly, let’s talk about why homework is important. It’s not just busy work; it plays a big role in our learning. When we do homework, we practice what we learnt in school. Imagine if you wanted to learn how to ride a bike and you only tried it once. You may not get it right. But when you practice riding again and again, you get better at it. Homework is like that. It’s practice. The more we practice, the better we get.

Also, homework is a tool that teaches us responsibility. When we have homework, it’s up to us to finish it and turn it in on time. No one else can do it for us. This teaches us to be responsible. It teaches us to manage our time, to work hard, and to be dependable. These are skills that we need not only in school but also in life.

However, let’s not forget that too much homework can be a problem too. Just like eating too much candy is not good, having too much homework is not good either. It can make us feel stressed and tired. It can take away time from other things that are important like playing, spending time with family, or getting enough sleep. So, it’s important that we have just the right amount of homework.

We also have speeches on more interesting topics that you may want to explore.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

'Incoherent word salad': Trump stumbles when asked how he'd tackle child care

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump stumbled through a question about his child care plan on Thursday when asked if he'd prioritize the issue and how he would handle it if elected president.

The GOP presidential nominee's full response fell short of offering a coherent vision or policy for how he'd address child care needs, as he pivoted to promoting his proposed tariffs on imported goods to the U.S. and touting the revenue they would bring in.

Asked if he would “commit to prioritizing legislation to make child care affordable” and “what specific piece of legislation” he would support during a Q&A session at the Economic Club of New York Thursday, Trump said:

“Well, I would do that, and we’re sitting down. You know, I was somebody — we had, Senator Marco Rubio, and my daughter Ivanka, was so impactful on that issue. It’s a very important issue.

"But I think when you talk about the kind of numbers that I’m talking about — that, because look, child care is child care, couldn’t — you know, there’s something — you have to have it in this country. You have to have it. But when you talk about those numbers, compared to the kind of numbers that I’m talking about by taxing foreign nations at levels that they’re not used to. But they’ll get used to it very quickly. And it’s not going to stop them from doing business with us. But they’ll have a very substantial tax when they send product into our country. Those numbers are so much bigger than any numbers that we’re talking about, including child care, that it’s going to take care. We’re going to have — I look forward to having no deficits within a fairly short period of time, coupled with the reductions that I told you about on waste and fraud and all of the other things that are going on in our country.

"Because I have to stay with child care. I want to stay with child care. But those numbers are small relative to the kind of economic numbers that I’m talking about, including growth, but growth also headed up by what the plan is that I just — that I just told you about. We’re going to be taking in trillions of dollars. And as much as child care is talked about as being expensive, it’s, relatively speaking, not very expensive compared to the kind of numbers will be taking in.

"We’re going to make this into an incredible country that can afford to take care of its people. And then we’ll worry about the rest of the world. Let’s help other people. But we’re going to take care of our country first. This is about America first. It’s about make America great again. We have to do it because right now, we’re a failing nation. So we’ll take care of it. Thank you. Very good question. Thank you.”

Trump's response went viral online after the clip and transcript were shared, sparking criticism from the campaign of Democratic presidential rival Kamala Harris and leaving policy experts across the ideological spectrum baffled.

“Somewhere in that incoherent word salad was a claim that the proposed tariffs could both balance the budget and pay for free child care across the country, which is of course mathematically absurd,” said Brian Riedl, an economic policy expert with the conservative Manhattan Institute and a former policy adviser to prominent Republicans. “Trump sounded like the student who hadn’t studied for the test and was making up numbers.”

The Harris campaign responded by attacking Trump's tariffs while highlighting her proposals to expand the child tax credit .

“Billionaire-bought Donald Trump’s ‘plan’ for making child care more affordable is to impose a $3,900 tax hike on middle class families,” Harris campaign spokesperson Joseph Costello said, citing estimates from two think tanks on the impact of Trump's tariff plan. “The American people deserve a President who will actually cut costs for them, like Vice President Harris’ plan to bring back a $3,600 Child Tax Credit for working families and an expanded $6,000 tax cut for families with newborn children.”

The Harris proposal is less aggressive than what the Biden White House has endorsed for families with children, which includes capping child care expenses for the middle class at 7% of income, as well as universal preschool. The Harris campaign didn't respond when asked if she'd push for those provisions if elected president.

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates mocked Trump's answer during a Friday interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

“If you have any idea what the hell that answer means, you’re a better detective than I am,” Bates said, before citing analyses by nonpartisan experts that Trump's tariffs would limit economic growth.

Reshma Saujani, who asked Trump the child care question at the Economic Club of New York, told NBC News after the event that the former president's answer “kind of blew my mind.”

“He basically said that child care was not that expensive or that tariffs would solve it,” said Saujani, who is a member of the board and said the club had invited her to ask Trump a question. “That demonstrates to me how out of touch he really is. If you’re talking to parents and moms and families on the campaign trail, they’re talking about child care and the cost of it.”

In her question to Trump, Saujani, a founder of the groups Moms First and Girls Who Code, cited statistics showing that child care costs a total of $122 billion a year and described it as “one of the most urgent economic issues facing our country.”

She asked him to mention a specific piece of legislation he would advance to address the problem.

Trump did not answer her directly. Instead, he talked about the amount of money that would come into the U.S. through tariffs on foreign countries. He seemed to be suggesting that those sums could more than pay for child care needs, although he did not outline a plan for how the government should cover them.

For her part, Saujani believes Trump was making a different point that she called “shocking”: that the cost of child care is not that a big problem for the U.S. when compared to the sums involved in tariff collection.

Asked to clarify his response, Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt replied: “President Trump’s first-term economic policies uplifted families by putting more money in our pockets, while making expanded access to childcare and paid family leave top priorities in his Administration. Now in Kamala Harris’ America, hardworking families are struggling to buy basic groceries, diapers, and baby formula for their children. President Trump will make America strong, safe, and prosperous again for struggling American families when he returns to the White House.”

Sahil Kapur is a senior national political reporter for NBC News.

Peter Nicholas is a senior White House reporter for NBC News.