Final CH: Free Speech Therapy Articulation Picture Cards

Description

This articulation picture card set is designed to be more comprehensive than the typical sets you might find elsewhere. The target audience for this set is young children or children with more severe speech delays that need intensive practice with sounds at a one-syllable level. No blends or vocalic /r/ sounds are included in this set. (Scroll down to preview set.)

Key Features

• This set includes 20 therapy cards with the target word and picture on the front, and the difficulty level and a carrier phrase on the back.
• The words are all VC or CVC in syllable shape.
• The words are simple and are easily understood by or easily taught to young children.
• Combines the target sound with all possible vowel sounds at least once.
• Words are sorted by difficulty level for an easy progression from easy to hard.

Permissions

I give permission to copy, print, or distribute this card set 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 this card set. Let me know if you find errors or 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?

More sets are on my Free Speech Therapy Articulation Cards page.

Card Sets

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.

I recommend you print on cardstock and laminate for durability.

Card Set Activity and Game Suggestions

1. 10 Card Set Game and Activity Ideas
2. Simple Speech Card Puzzles
3. Speech Card Stories
4. Speech Card Caterpillar
5. Speech Card Game: What's Hiding?
6. Speech Card Game: Speech Switcheroo (An Uno-Style Game)
7. Speech Card Game: Magnetic Speech Cards

The Secret Playroom

We have a wooden playset/swingset in our backyard. We got it from Sams a couple of years ago and assembled the thing ourselves. It's pretty nice and the children are growing into it. I try to change it a little each year to freshen up interest in it.

The first year we didn't install the rock climbing wall because the children were just too little. Michael was only two and Ava had just turned one. That was the year they could climb up the ladders, but not back down and were also too afraid to slide down the slide. So they would climb all the way up to the third level and then start screaming for help. That was tons of fun.

The second year we installed the rock climbing wall and switched one of the infant swings to a "big boy" swing. They love the rock climbing wall. They still pretty much ignore the "big kid" swing. Well, Ava will tummy swing on it but that's about it.

The lowest level of the playset has a steering wheel and needs to be passed through to get to the second level which features the slide. The third level was rarely used, because nothing was up there. I decided to try to turn it into some kind of secret hideout this year by covering the sides with canvas.

We bought a $10 canvas dropcloth from a home improvement store. We cut panels just a little larger than each side of the playset and stapled it in place. The project didn't take more than 90 minutes or so. Then I used sharpies to decorate it. The children decided to call it "The Secret Playroom". Suddenly the top floor of the playset is a pretty cool place to be.

I also thought it was pretty funny when Ava liberated the telescope to play pirate in the yard. And isn't she just an example of high fashion?

Welcome to April everyone.

Post Pediatrician Visit Update (tongue-tie / mouth breathing)

As such things often are, Michael's pediatrician visit was oddly anti-climactic. I think I tend to build doctor visits up in my head as Super-Important-Life-Altering-Decision meetings when often they are pretty routine. Our pediatrician was -completely- uninterested in the tongue-tie. She had been educated that clipping a tongue-tie rarely fixes speech problems and didn't want to give it further thought.

I've been thinking about why the tongue-tie bothers me even though I know that Michael can produce 4/6 alveolar sounds. It bugs me that he cannot stick his tongue out horizontally and cannot lift his tongue up on command. If it isn't the tongue-tie restricting that movement I want to know what is. Is it weakness? If so, what is the origin of the weakness? Can habitual mouth breathing result in low enough tone to impact tongue strength? Our pediatrician was uninterested. She said, some people can curl their tongue up. Some can't. Perhaps Michael just can't lift his tongue. I have to say, I was unsatisfied.

She was, however concerned about the mouth breathing. After examining him, she declared his tonsils of normal size. She can't see his adenoids though and wants him to see an ENT to get an opinion about the tonsils/adenoids/sinuses. She said I could ask the ENT about the tongue-tie if I wanted another opinion.

Her bet however, based upon my husband's history of needing allergy shots as a child and Michael's history of eczema, is allergies. She referred us to an allergist and wants him to take Flonase at night and Claritin in the morning. The receptionist for the allergist told me that they always allocate time for skin testing even when scheduling an initial appointment so I need to pull him off the Claritin 5 days before the appointment just in case the doctor decides he needs skin testing.

Hmm. Skin testing my 4 year old. That sounds... interesting. Other than educating him before hand, bringing something distracting to watch on the iPad, and some super special treat for when he's done does anyone have any suggestions for what to expect or how to handle it?

Presumably, when we figure out why Michael can't breathe through his nose and address the underlying issue the mouth breathing will cease. Perhaps some improved tongue strength and mobility will follow? It'll be two weeks or more before we get through the specialist appointments and begin to get some answers (I hope). I sure do hate waiting.