Typical speech disorders in children 5-6 years old
Most older preschoolers have difficulties with:
- mastering sonorous and hissing sounds;
- sound analysis of words;
- development of narrative speech;
- writing a story and descriptions.
Of course, such problems can be minor, only slightly different from the age norm, or serious, up to and including general speech underdevelopment (GSD). It is necessary to contact a speech therapist in any case, but the supportive work of parents at home is also very important.
It is worth noting that regular speech therapy exercises and classes for children 5-6 years old are useful for every child at home, because they help to master literacy faster.
Games for sounds, hearing development and logarithmics
Speech or phonemic awareness is the ability to correctly hear, recognize and discriminate sounds.
Games for hearing development
1. “Ears are rumors”
Goal: consolidate the ability to differentiate sounds, develop auditory attention.
The speech therapist shows wooden and metal spoons and crystal glasses. Children name these objects. The teacher offers to listen to how these objects sound. Having installed the screen, he reproduces the sound of these objects in turn. Children recognize sounds and name the objects that make them.
2. “Who said “Meow?”
Goal: to improve the ability to distinguish the voices of domestic animals by ear.
Material: tape recorder, audio recording with the sounds of pets' voices.
The speech therapist plays an audio recording of the sounds of pets. Children must hear and name which pet has the voice.
The game “Who gives what vote” is played in a similar way. An audio recording with the sounds of forest birds is turned on.
3. “Who is standing at the traffic light?”
Goal: to develop auditory attention, recognize and name types of transport.
Material: tape recorder and audio recording with street noise.
The speech therapist plays an audio recording with street sounds. Children listen to sounds and name vehicles stopped at a traffic light (car, truck, tractor, motorcycle, cart, tram).
4. “Where is it ringing?”
Goal: to develop auditory attention, the ability to navigate in space with eyes closed.
Children stand with their eyes closed. A speech therapist with a bell moves silently around the group and rings. Children, without opening their eyes, point their hand in the direction of the sound source.
5. Finger game “Thunderstorm”
Goal: to coordinate movement with the text, taking into account changes in dynamics and tempo of sound.
The speech therapist reads the words of the game, and the children perform movements according to the text.
Drops are dripping (they knock on the table with two index fingers). It is raining (they knock quietly with four fingers of both hands). It pours like a bucket (they knock loudly with four fingers). It starts to hail (they knock with their finger bones, knocking out fractions). Thunder rumbles (drum their fists on the table). Lightning flashes (we draw lightning in the air with our fingers, make the sound sh). Everyone quickly runs home (clap their hands, hide their hands behind their backs). In the morning the sun is shining brightly (describe a large circle with both hands).
Speech imitation or onomatopoeia
- this is the reproduction, following the speaker, of the sounds, words, and phrases he has spoken.
Games for imitating the voices of animals and birds
To play, use animal figures or pictures. Mothers and their babies. After all, the mother frog screams KVA, and the little frog screams KVA. Remember the fairy tale about the three bears, papa bear growls loudly, mama bear is quieter, and the cub squeaks.
Games to imitate household noises:
- The clock is ticking - tick-tock
- Water is dripping - Drip-Drip
- The baby is stomping – TOP—TOP
- The hammer knocks KNOCK-KNOCK
- Scissors cut CHICK-CHICK
- We swing on the swing KACH-KACH
- We eat carrots CRUM-CRUM
- The car goes BI-BI
Speech therapy rhythmics or logorhythmics is a combination of movement, speech and music. The adult reads the verse and shows the movements, the child repeats. Nothing complicated. Children have fun and interesting. Of course, an adult needs to read and learn the necessary poems in advance and learn the movements to them. You also need to select musical accompaniment for the poems in advance. It is advisable to exercise in the afternoon 2-3 times a week.
Game “Walk” (development of general motor skills) Along a narrow path (walking in place) Our legs walk (raising our legs high) Over pebbles, over pebbles (shuffle from foot to foot at a slow pace) And into the hole... bang! (sit on the floor on the last word)
Rules for speech therapy classes at home
The success of home lessons depends not only on the availability of the necessary aids and a work plan agreed upon with the speech therapist. The organization of classes itself is very important. Here are a few simple rules that will help you achieve excellent results:
- All speech therapy exercises for children should be carried out regularly, but a little at a time. You shouldn’t try to do articulation gymnastics, play speech games, or fill out a workbook right away. It is better to devote a few minutes to each type of exercise, rather than having a whole “speech therapy day.”
- Do not force them to complete tasks under pressure; educational activities for children should resemble a game. Come up with a simple plot (for example, a journey into the universe of sounds), prepare small prizes (stickers, paper stars), and arrange physical exercises.
- Praise and support the little student if he makes even the slightest progress. Focus on achievements, even small ones, gradually progress will become more and more obvious.
- Find good workbooks for home practice. They should not only be professional in content, but also bright, colorful, and exciting. It is ideal if the tasks have interactive elements (the opportunity to add something, draw something). Such material makes it possible to interest a preschooler and clearly shows him the “path traveled” and success.
- Don't expect instant results, be patient and gentle perseverance. The process of setting, consolidating, and differentiating sounds is complex; it takes months even for experienced speech therapists. Follow the plan and the results will gradually appear.
Articulation gymnastics
Articulation gymnastics is gymnastics for the tongue and lips. The tongue is the main muscle of the speech organs. The tongue must be trained and developed so that it can correctly perform certain specific movements, which are called sound pronunciation. Lips and tongue should be flexible and strong.
To perform articulation gymnastics you need a mirror. The child must see how his tongue works and where it is located. In order to bring the exercises to automaticity, you need to constantly practice. It is important to perform the exercises correctly and carefully monitor the position of the tongue.
You need to exercise every day for 5-7 minutes. Preferably 2 times a day. The result is correct and clear speech.
For correct sound pronunciation, it is also necessary to perform tasks that are aimed at developing the voice, breathing and speech hearing.
Speech therapy exercises for practicing at home
All speech therapy exercises can be divided into three large blocks, each of which needs to be given attention and carried out regularly:
Development of phonemic hearing
The ability to distinguish sounds by ear seems natural, but if you ask your preschooler to spell a word, you will see gaps.
For children 5-6 years old, there are a large number of special games and exercises that help develop phonemic hearing. These include:
- selection of words starting or ending with a given sound;
- counting sounds in a word, determining the syllable structure;
- drawing up a sound diagram of a word;
- inventing rhymes and short poems;
- pronouncing speeches and tongue twisters.
Thoughtful speech therapy classes for children 5-6 years old make it possible to make all the sounds of their native language obedient and easy.
Finger gymnastics
Fine motor skills of the hands help speech activity, so older preschoolers must do it without fail.
Of course, for children 5-6 years old, the exercises should be complex, with a script, in verse. It is useful to select sets of exercises for both hands at the same time, synchronous. Don't forget to use "helpers":
- small massagers (rubber balls, rollers, cones);
- scissors for cutting;
- plasticine;
- origami paper.
Also remember that all types of needlework, construction, and any creativity are great ways to improve fine motor skills outside of individual lessons.
Articulation gymnastics
Special language exercises must be performed every day if there are any problems with pronunciation. For home exercises, it is best to choose a set of exercises with a poetic description and pictures.
Do a tongue warm-up every day, always in front of a mirror (this allows the baby to observe the process himself, assessing its success). If you have problems with one or two sounds, then articulatory gymnastics should be selected for them. These can be found in thematic workbooks on speech therapy.
Finger games
Finger games are one of the types of development of fine motor skills. There is a close relationship between the human hand and the speech center of the brain.
Learning texts using “finger” gymnastics stimulates the development of speech, spatial thinking, attention, imagination, and develops reaction speed and emotional expressiveness. The child remembers poetic texts better; his speech becomes more expressive.
You need to exercise every day for 5 minutes, then such exercises will be effective.
Speech therapy tasks
Starting with the letter R
One of the most difficult sounds to master is R. Many preschoolers learn to roar loudly by the very end of kindergarten. If the production of the sound P is already behind you, then special exercises will help speed up its automation:
1. “Like a little motor”
We ask the child to pronounce the sound R in the word for a long time, drawlingly (like a motor growls).
2. “Where is R hiding?” (in pictures and words)
Offer to choose pictures with images of objects with a given sound or clap your hands if he hears such a word.
3. “How can you growl?”
Show your child pictures of objects that have the sound r in their names. Offer to read and color the picture.
4. “Sounding tracks”
Together with your child, come up with several chants made up of several syllables:
Ra-ra-ra - they ran away from the yard.
Ro-ro-ro - and they found a bucket.
Ru-ru-ru - we came up with a game.
5. “Substitute a syllable”
The adult offers the child words that end or begin with a syllable with P (ra, ro, ry), the child must choose the correct option and pronounce it correctly.
6. “Look and name”
An adult asks the child to read words with the letter r from the pictures. The word must be said as many times as there are stars next to each picture.
7. “Poems, tongue twisters, riddles”
Learn with your child several poems and riddles in which words with R appear.
The necessary tasks for speech development can be found in the Workbook for the sound R, compiled by Kostyuk A.V.
Download, print the tasks in pictures and study at home:
Speech therapy tasks for the letter P
Starting with the letter L
The hard sound L is also often difficult for children 5-6 years old. If the baby has already learned to pronounce it alone, in isolation, then it’s time to start working on automation in speech. The following exercises are suitable for this:
1. “Say it nicely”
Offer your child several images of words starting with L. Ask him to pronounce the words beautifully, emphasizing the desired sound with his voice.
2. “Toys for Larisa”
Ask your child to collect gifts for the Larisa doll. Tell her that she only likes things that begin with L. For this exercise, you need to select small objects or pictures in advance; all words should not begin only with L.
3. “One-many”
Invite your child to name words with L in the singular and plural. In the workbook for the sound L (author Kostyuk A.V.) there is a whole table with pictures for this exercise (lesson 20).
4. “Find the Sound”
Invite your child to draw up a diagram of the word and mark the place L on it. If it is still difficult for your child to independently determine the number of sounds, then first you can do several similar exercises from the workbook.
5. “Tongue twisters and nursery rhymes”
Use nursery rhymes, tongue twisters and poems with words that contain L.
Download and print tasks in pictures starting with the letter L:
Speech therapy tasks for the letter L
Classes for children to develop diction at home
The best and most effective way to master the skills of speaking clearly is through play. The development of diction for all age groups will be faster in game exercises and interesting tasks. In addition to the development of the articulatory apparatus, such activities have a beneficial effect on strengthening the relationship between parents and the child, and also simply bring him joy and pleasure from communicating with his parents.
Games that develop a child’s speech:
“Repetition” - training consists of the child repeating individual sounds and syllables. Often the lesson is carried out in a playful way. Mom or dad reads the poem, the baby repeats the final syllables of each line.
“Farm” - this game is similar to the previous one, but the sounds must be pronounced as clearly as possible. Parents read a poem about the inhabitants of the farm, and the child pronounces the sounds made by the animals.
“Guess who” - you should play it after you have mastered the previous 2. Place pictures of animals (you can buy them in a store or make them yourself) in an opaque bag. The child pulls out a card and pronounces the sound that matches the animal in the picture. It's more fun to play in a group.
“Pantomime” is an alternative option to articulatory gymnastics. The child is asked to show various emotions exclusively using his face. This is a good way to train the muscles of the speech apparatus.
“Policeman” - you will need whistles to play. Children, when given the command “violator” or “criminal,” begin to blow a whistle. When you inhale, the stomach swells, when you exhale, it contracts. The shoulders remain in place during this process.
“Roaring Lion” - the game is aimed at practicing the pronunciation of a certain sound. Children are offered a set of words, quatrains, tongue twisters, passages of prose text (can be submitted as stages of a competition), where a certain sound is most often found. The guys read the proposed words aloud and practice the sound.
Tongue Twisters
In addition to games, tongue twisters have a great effect on improving diction. Every person has known them since childhood, but only a few have the opportunity to boast of the ability to pronounce them correctly, clearly and quickly. With regular training, tongue twisters effectively eliminate speech defects and significantly improve the quality of diction.
A tongue twister is a special text that is a combination of words with hard-to-pronounce sounds. They are aimed at developing the correct pronunciation of consonants.
Recommendations for using tongue twisters as a tool to improve your speech diction:
- At the first stage, you need to select no more than three tongue twisters in order to train the pronunciation of a certain sound;
- The text is pronounced slowly and as clearly as possible;
- It is advisable to practice in front of a mirror;
- You need to pronounce the exercise emotionally and in a sing-song voice.
In addition to games and tongue twisters, when working on a child’s diction, it is very important to pay attention to the voice and speech breathing.
Enemies of beautiful speech
Speech is a reflection of a person’s level of culture. The concept of “beautiful speech” most often refers to literate speech. Today, the problem of stylistic speech errors in children is very relevant. They clog up speech and spoil the overall impression of a person:
- Words are parasites - “like”, “as if”, “uh” and other variations are speech garbage. They make it difficult to perceive the information presented. The occurrence of this problem is associated with a lack of vocabulary and the inability to formulate one’s thoughts. Prevention of the problem is reading fiction and talking with your child on a variety of topics. If parasite words have already settled in the speech of a young speaker, it is important to help him with strict control and focusing on the problem;
- Obscene language - children copy the behavior model of adults. Often it is far from ideal. Sometimes you can hear a child's conversation literally bursting with a variety of obscene words. Care must be taken to ensure that swearing is not used in the family. If a child repeats a word he heard on the street, it is necessary to explain to him that its use is not suitable for a well-mannered person;
- Slang - the use of slang words is a common occurrence in children's communication. It is important to explain to the child that these words do not decorate his speech.
Poems for speech development - tongue twisters and vocabulary replenishment
Tongue twisters are short rhyming phrases. Tongue twisters are the best exercises for practicing clarity and literacy of speech. Tongue twisters increase a child's vocabulary, improve diction, and also develop speech hearing.
In order for a child to speak competently and be able to express his thoughts and feelings, he needs his own vocabulary.
Your child's vocabulary consists of:
- passive vocabulary (those words that the child understands)
- active vocabulary (those words that the child speaks)
Initially, the child’s active vocabulary is small, but over time, the child will transfer those words that were in the passive dictionary to the active one. The larger the passive vocabulary, the better.
To increase your vocabulary, look at pictures together, read books, comment on your actions.
I use various manuals to work with my child; one of the latest successful acquisitions is “Big Album on Speech Development” and “Lessons of a Speech Therapist. Games for speech development."
