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by Erica Zollman, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
Going for a ride in the car? Why not use this time to
practice speech? Try some of these fun games to
practice good articulation skills:
- License Plate Game: Have your child scan
license plates to see if he can spot the letter
of the targeted sound. For example, if your
child is working on the /l/ sound, he can receive
one point for the finding a license plate that
reads ‘LMN123.’ To make the game more fun,
everyone in the car can choose a letter, and
whoever finds the most license plates wins! As an added bonus,
children can use the letters on the license plates to make sentences,
like “Louise makes noise.”
- I Spy: To play this game, parents and children take turns describing or
labeling things in or around the car that contain the child’s targeted
sound. For example, if a child is working on the /r/ sound, he may say
“I spy something round and made of rubber.” The other players guess
until someone discovers that the mystery word is “tire.”
- Categories: To play this game, one player chooses a category, such as
“colors.” Children take turns naming items in that category containing
the targeted sound, being careful not to repeat any items. For
example, if a child is working on the /s/ sound and the category is
food, he can name items such as sandwich, salad, or pasta. If a player
is unable to recall a member of that category, or repeats one already
named, he is out. Play continues until only one player remains. The
remaining player is the winner.
- Tongue Twisters: Choose some tongue twisters containing the child’s
targeted sound. Have the child practice saying them several times. For
example, if a child is working on /g/, have him practice saying simple
tongue twisters like: Gail is going to Gettysburg with Gus and Gabby,
or Guy has a goose named Gordon.
- Apps: There are many apps available to help children practice
articulation skills. A great app to practice articulation is the Super
Duper StoryMaker app! With this app, a child can create a story
containing words and pictures that address the targeted sound. After
creating a story, the child retells the story to someone else in the car.
Encourage the child to use his good speech sounds when retelling the
story!
Practicing articulation skills in the car is a great way to facilitate
generalization, and a fun way to get in some extra practice. Children will
find these games are fun to play, and they will make time in the car go by
much faster.
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