There are people who face difficulty in making some specific oral sounds. In that case, speech problems can be cured with a regular practice of target sounds, to bring an improvement in the functioning of the tongue, lips and jaw. This helps in familiarizing the ear and the brain with that particular sound. Letters or alphabets are the initial step of speech therapy exercises or activities. Therefore targeting and practicing on the specific letters and sounds is an important procedure in speech therapy session.
Initial letter/alphabet sounds
Letters that are problematic for most of the people are T, G, K, L, R and S. Now to work and bring an improvement in these words, you need to give the patient with a list of words which starts with these corresponding alphabets or letters. This is know as “initial sounds”. Example, for letter T, give them flash card with words like, toy, tin, tub, tiger, tomato, taco etc. Demonstrate and teach the patient how to use the tongue against his upper part of the mouth to create T sound. Make him repeat the sound, until he is proficient in it.
Middle letter sounds
The same letters that create problem, when it is in the beginning of the word, also create problem if they are placed in the middle of the word. So, the patient need to work out with the words, which has that particular letter in the middle. Example, for letter T, give them flash cards with words like, Santa, bottom, doctor, little etc. This is know as “ medial sounds”.
End letter sounds
Similarly, like initial and medial letter patient can have problem with the last letter of the word. In this case, the patient need to work out with the words , which end with the letter. Example, for letter T, give flash cards with words like hat, mat, rat, heart, sat, fight, light etc.This is known as “final sounds”.
