Our first try with the final /k/ pivot phrase pages

I made the final /k/ pivot phrase pages a few days ago for Ava (and shared them with you). We sat down during our after dinner at home therapy session to try them. It looked like it was going to go well. She was excited about the new pages. They were bright, colorful, and looked new. She was excited about the treat she was going to earn. A necessity, as I've discussed. Things all went downhill from there.

Here was my reasoning for trying the pivot phrases. First, she was blasting through the pivot phrase exercises in the Kaufman Speech to Language Protocol Workout Book. All of those use early emerging sounds and she's pretty much got those now. She's even starting to add final consonants on the medial words in therapy without prompting. So, doing those exercises is good practice and review, but not challenging any more. Second, she was starting to get that final /k/ in single word practice at least 60-80% of the time. I really thought we might be successful at moving up to the pivot phrase level.

Well... not so much. I don't know if she was just having an off night, but she could hardly produce the final /k/ sound at the single-word level. The pivot phrases were a complete bust. I should have taped it. It was prototypical motor planning problems. No two attempts were the same. One time the /k/ would pop in at the beginning of the phrase even though she can't actually produce initial /k/ sounds. Another time, the /k/ would pop in in the middle of the word and then there would be random /t/ sounds thrown in for fun. Everything was disjointed and there would be long pauses while her system just struggled to sequence.

After trying for several minutes unsuccessfully to get some /k/ productions at the single-word level and watching her frustration increase exponentially I shifted gears. I simply used the picture prompts on the pages and made up 2-3 word phrases with them working on getting all the final consonants in the short phrases. At that point we were in familiar territory using all early emerging sounds and she was able to experience some success. Every so often I would probe the /k/ again, but without success.

I guess I'll try again in a few days. I hope someone else had more luck with these.

One Activity - Many Skills

I've been wanting to do this cork/pushpin activity ever since I wandered across the idea.

Pinning Shapes

Disclaimer/Warning: Only use this activity with children you are sure aren't putting things in their mouth any more. And even then, closely supervise.

I found cork squares at Joann Fabrics for about $2. Use a marker and draw shapes on the coasters. You could use cookie cutters to trace simple shapes. (I did dots, but if I were to do it again I would just trace lines.) Bring cork, pushpins, and the children to the table.

Introduce pushpins to children. Explain that pushpins are for grown-ups and children only get to use them during very special activities because they are sharp. Remind them that if they ever find them at any other time they should carefully bring them to a grown-up to put them away. This introduces basic safety rules and also has the side benefit of making the children very excited about the activity.

Let them use the pushpins to fill in the shapes.

Skills/Objectives addressed here:
Vocabulary/Concepts: Shapes, colors (we only had red pushpins, but if you had many colors you could address colors and patterns), patterns
OT: Fine motor / pincer grasp / hand-eye coordination
Speech: Use this activity as a motivator. The child gets to push a pin in after every X repetitions.
Pragmatic: Listening to directions, turn taking, attention span, eye contact

Final /k/: Free Pivot Phrase Picture Prompts

Description

This is a set of four pages of picture prompts. Each page uses a different pivot phrase that targets the final /k/ sound. The first page uses "I like the...". The second page uses "I pick the..." The third page uses "I take the...". The last page uses "Look at the...". The picture prompts are designed to be simple and varied. The picture words are CV, VC, or CVC in syllable shape and include mostly early emerging consonants. The vowel sounds are varied to improve carryover.(Scroll down to preview pages.)

How to use these prompts:

Use these prompts if your client is ready to practice final /k/ in multi-word utterances. Start with two words (Look top.). Then move to three words (Look at top.). Then do all four (Look at the top.). Skip any of the prompt pictures that your client is unable to produce. For example, if your client is not yet producing /w/, skip the prompt picture "wood".

Deliberately break up the flow of practice after every line. Stop briefly and ask your client to repeat something entirely unrelated to /k/. Then go back to the page. This will briefly disrupt motor memory and improve generalization in the long run.

Permissions

I give permission to copy, print, or distribute these pivot phrase picture prompt pages provided that:

1. Each copy makes clear that I am the document's author.
2. No copies are altered without my express consent.
3. No one makes a profit from these copies.
4. Electronic copies contain a live link back to my original and print copies not for merely personal use contain the URL of my original.

Looking for Feedback

I would love to hear back from anyone who uses these. Let me know if there is anything you would change. Comment on this page, or send me an email at testyyettrying(at)gmail(dot)com.

Where can I find more?

This is the only set of pivot phrase picture prompt pages I have so far. I do have free articulation therapy card sets on my Free Speech Therapy Articulation Cards page.

Pivot Phrase Picture Prompt Pages

To download click on the image to open it full size. Then right click on the image, choose "save as" and save the page to your computer.