Tactile-Visual-Auditory Cues for Speech Sound Production

Hello~
In therapy I have many friends who are working on correctly producing the sounds of our language.   When teaching my students the correct positions for their articulators (lips, tongue, jaw) I also use other levels of support to help them remember.  When learning a new sound maximum assistance is provided early on, and as the student's success improves, the level of assistance is faded until the student can produce the sound independently.

Various forms of assistance include modeling the word, and use of tactile, visual, and/or auditory cues. Tactile cues ("touch cues") are finger touches to different parts of the face and neck to remind the student where there tongue needs to be for a specific sound.  For example, if I want to remind a student to use the /k/ sound, I might touch the side of my neck under the jaw to give a clue that the student's tongue needs to be retracted back. The auditory cue for /k/ would be "slide your tongue back in your mouth".  I also use sound associations that are associated with our Imagine It! reading program.  Continuing with the example of /k/, I might say, "This is the clicking camera sound" and use the associated movement of pretending to take a picture with a camera (visual cue).  All of these types of little reminders help my students progress towards independent production of their sounds!

I've attached a link to the Tactile-Visual-Auditory cues that I use in my therapy sessions and share with my families. These cues have been compiled from many resources throughout my career and are not my original creations. I hope you find the worksheet helpful when working with your child on his/her speech sounds!

Wendy