Testy yet trying

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Initial Y: Free Speech Therapy Articulation Picture Cards

If you like this free card set, you might want to check out the premium speech therapy kits now available in the Testy Shop. Kits include expanded card sets, illustrated minimal pairs, homework sheets and more in a single download.

Initial /j/ Card Set

(/j/ is the phonetic symbol for the sound typically spelled with the letter "Y".)

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.

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 initial /j/ at a one-syllable level. No blends or vocalic /r/ sounds are included in this set. The set pairs the initial /j/ with as many different vowel sounds as possible to maximize co-articulation variety.

Key Features

This set includes 12 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 CV or CVC in syllable shape.
The words are easily understood by or easily taught to young children.
Combines the target sound with a variety of vowel sounds.
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:

Each copy makes clear that I am the document's author.
No copies are altered without my express consent.
No one makes a profit from these copies.
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. Other card sets include /p, b, t, d, m, n, h, f, v, k, g, w, j, s, z, l, th, ch, sh, s-blends, and l-blends/ and more sets are being added regularly.

What kinds of activities can I do with this cardset?

Monday, September 24, 2012

Speech Card Set Activity: Simple Treasure Hunt

Preparation
Let's say you forgot to prepare a clever masterpiece of an activity to fancy up your articulation therapy sessions and need something you can prepare in about 60 seconds. (Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything here.) Grab one of my free articulation card sets, some stickers, a small toy to use as a game token, and a die.

Activity
Lay the cards out in a long winding path (match the length of the path to the attention span of the children you are working with). Hide the stickers under the last card and place the game token on the first card. Tell the children they are going on a "Treasure Hunt". Have them take turns rolling the die and moving the token that number of cards. The children must say the words on the card or they cannot move the token. When the token reaches the last card they find the treasure and you can give each child a sticker.

Variations
Set up multiple paths in straight lines and give each child their own token. Make it a race and whoever reaches the finish line first gets a prize.

Instead of stickers, place a small treat like a m&m or a fruit loop on top of the final card (works well with younger children who need a bit more bribery).

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Corrections

My daughter has reached the age where she feels it is critically important to correct me all the time. Let's take some recent examples.

Me: Ava is three years old.
Ava: You mean three and a half, Mama.

Me: Let's put on your shorts.
Ava: You mean skirt, Mama.

Me: That's a lovely path you colored.
Ava: You mean arrow path, Mama.

My husband was taking a home video of Ava. They were discussing some coloring she had done in her coloring book. At one point, he corrected something she had said. She looked up from her coloring book and gave him a top class evil eye. "Turnaround is such fun," I thought when he showed me the video.

I'm so glad he caught that on tape. When's she's giving us the well-practiced version of that look at 16 I'll be able to refer to how she was practicing it at three. And I'll be able to pull out the video to prove it.