Teacher Tips:
How can teachers help student with articulation problems in the classroom?
Here are a few suggestions:
Here are a few suggestions:
- Make sure you understand your student’s speech problem. Meet with the speech pathologist to go over the evaluation and areas of problems.
- Ask if therapy will be provided individually or in a group setting? How often will therapy occur and what types of activities will occur during the session.
- Reinforce the student for correct production of the target sound. You could say “I like how you remembered to say the /k/ in the word cat. You must really be working hard in speech!”
- If the student says the sound incorrectly, model the sound and have the student repeat the sound.
- During activities such as reading and worksheets, point out the student’s target sound. Underline and reinforce correct production.
Recognizing language delays in the classroom:
Behaviors that students may exhibit:
- INATTENTIVENESS when you are giving instructions, even after initial attention to the instructor has been attained.
- DIFFICULTY WITH SEQUENCING during manual activities, or on paper and pencil activities.
- INABILITY TO EXPRESS THOUGHTS on a regular basis, to a degree inconsistent with assessed, demonstrated, or assumed potential.
- DIFFICULTY IN GETTING IDEAS ACROSS TO CHILDREN IN A WORK OR PLAY GROUP, where other children are expressing dissatisfaction with the child’s communication style.
- “CLASS CLOWN” BEHAVIOR in situations where disruption masks an inability to perform or to pay attention.
- EXTREME FORGETFULNESSS even in situations of obvious importance to the child - particularly in situations that occur often or on a regular basis.
- LACK OF COMMUNICATION with you or with peers, which can often be misinterpreted as natural reticence or quietness. Be aware of this especially where limited English proficiency might mask it. Since communication disorders can occur in people of all nationalities and races, teachers need to be particularly aware of when reticence / quietness is normal, caused by an inability to speak passable school English, or a mask for a possible communication disorder. In these cases, it is wisest to consult with the SLP. You can also call home to see how they communicate at home.
- COPING BEHAVIORS where students have established a set of verbal signals to substitute for oral language.
- LACK OF PROGRESS ON INSTRUCTIONAL ASSESSMENTS, particularly in areas of sequencing, recalling details, and general comprehension.
- WITHDRAWAL OR EXCLUSION from group activities requiring discussion, cooperation, planning or dependence on members carrying out a task or job.
- SELF-EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION WITH SCHOOL TASKS or even with the ability to learn. The set of behaviors labeled as “poor self-concept” often gives a clue that a communication disorder might be involved.
- DISJOINTED CONVERSATION SYLE, to a degree that is unusual for age and development level.
Helping children with speech and language errors during natural conversations:
Children who are mispronouncing some of their speech sounds can benefit from other’s (parents, teachers, siblings, etc.) help in pronouncing their error sounds correctly. Often people want to help, but are not quite certain how to go about it.
When a child pronounces a word or sound incorrectly, it is best to repeat the word slowly with the correct pronunciation, emphasizing the correct sound with a slightly louder than normal voice. For example, if the child can’t say the /s/ sound and says, “Thally fell”, the listener should respond by saying something like, Yes, SSSally fell down”.
This “Yes….” Approach is important. You are not saying, “No, you said that wrong,” but rather “Yes, I heard what you said, I understand what you said, and I am affirming and repeating it for you.” In this way, you do not hurt the child’s feelings. You are not criticizing him or her, the child knows you got the idea, and you model the correctly pronounced sound for the child. Hearing you say these correct models helps the child to develop a clear ‘memory in his/her head’ for how words should sound.
Once the correct model is provided, some children will-on their own and without being asked-try to say the sound or word the correct way. Others may not wish to attempt the sound. No pressure should be placed on the child to [pronounce the sound correctly. This is especially important for the child who cannot even say the sound even with help.
Even if your child is already in therapy with the speech language pathologist, your level of involvement will have a significant impact on how quickly your child’s speech improves. Careful attention to providing feedback during daily conversations is an important part of this process.
This approach may also be used to provide feedback on sentence or ‘grammar’ structures that are in error:
Example: Child: “The dog barkin” Parent: “Yes, the dog is barking”
Child: “Her is running” Parent: “Yes, she is running”
Child: “She wented out there” Parent: “Yes, she went out there”
Stress in your own speech the part that was omitted or produced incorrectly in his/her speech. Focus on only one item per utterance and try to concentrate on only one or two grammatical structures over a period of time until the child is producing them fairly consistently and correctly in his/her speech.
When a child pronounces a word or sound incorrectly, it is best to repeat the word slowly with the correct pronunciation, emphasizing the correct sound with a slightly louder than normal voice. For example, if the child can’t say the /s/ sound and says, “Thally fell”, the listener should respond by saying something like, Yes, SSSally fell down”.
This “Yes….” Approach is important. You are not saying, “No, you said that wrong,” but rather “Yes, I heard what you said, I understand what you said, and I am affirming and repeating it for you.” In this way, you do not hurt the child’s feelings. You are not criticizing him or her, the child knows you got the idea, and you model the correctly pronounced sound for the child. Hearing you say these correct models helps the child to develop a clear ‘memory in his/her head’ for how words should sound.
Once the correct model is provided, some children will-on their own and without being asked-try to say the sound or word the correct way. Others may not wish to attempt the sound. No pressure should be placed on the child to [pronounce the sound correctly. This is especially important for the child who cannot even say the sound even with help.
Even if your child is already in therapy with the speech language pathologist, your level of involvement will have a significant impact on how quickly your child’s speech improves. Careful attention to providing feedback during daily conversations is an important part of this process.
This approach may also be used to provide feedback on sentence or ‘grammar’ structures that are in error:
Example: Child: “The dog barkin” Parent: “Yes, the dog is barking”
Child: “Her is running” Parent: “Yes, she is running”
Child: “She wented out there” Parent: “Yes, she went out there”
Stress in your own speech the part that was omitted or produced incorrectly in his/her speech. Focus on only one item per utterance and try to concentrate on only one or two grammatical structures over a period of time until the child is producing them fairly consistently and correctly in his/her speech.
How to help a student who stutters:
- During conversations, calmly delay your verbal responses by one or two seconds
- Slow the rate of your speech and prolong vowels to model slow, easy speech.
- Give the student your undivided attention so he will not feel a need to hurry or compete with others for attention.
- During periods of dysfluency, allow nonverbal activities or responses to relax the student.
Please contact the Speech Language Pathologist if you have specific concerns regarding students in your classroom with speech and language issues.