Thursday, May 5, 2011

Summer Speech Help

As the school year comes to a close in a couple of weeks, I am starting to get really nervous because of the speech delays my sweet Hunter has.  Don't get me wrong, he has come a LONG way since he started school February of 2009.  This year, his speech has flourished, hence the reason I am starting to get nervous for the 3 month summer break.  I don't want him to fall back...digress in everything he has learned.  I know he is a super smart little boy, and my fears are probably less than what I am making them out to be.  However, I can't help but be fearful.  I doubt he will qualify for ESY or Extended School Year, because he is so smart, and because he will still be in preschool next year.


I'm wondering if any of my readers can give me some suggestions on books, programs (we are in a VERY rural area, so programs are VERY limited, however, I am open to whatever there is out there), CD's, DVD's...ANYTHING, that I can use to help my sweet little boy progress during the summer.


Here are a few things we are working on at home, and some things he is working on at school:
~ The letter "F".  He currently says "F" like he is blowing.  He definitely gets the "F" sound or what sounds like the "F" sound out, but it is the articulation we are looking for.  We practice with him by having him bite his lower lip and blow to get the "F" sound out.  Problem we are having, he does it backwards!  He bites his upper lip, however he is still able to get the "F" sound...again, its all about articulation!  Zane or I have to move his lips so he is biting his lower lip.  I KNOW he will get it!!!  I KNOW this!!!  It just takes time!
~The letter "V".  He currently says it with the "B" sound.  When he says his last name, it comes out "Bincent".  For the articulation part, again, we are having him bite his lower lip and "get the motor going", or making a motor sound.  For the most part, he gets it.  Although his speech teacher says "V" is an older sound, I think it's important for him to know how to say his "V"'s, as it's vital in speaking his last name, so we are working diligently with him on this.
~The letter "R".  He does say his "R"'s with the typical "oh" sound that a lot of children speak.  Again, this is an older sound, so his speech teacher isn't too concerned about him articulating it right away.  However, we are working with him on learning my name and Zane's name.  I have a HUGE fear of him getting lost or something worse than that, so I believe him knowing his parents name is vital.  He can say Zane, as that's his middle name...he says it perfectly.  We have taught him "Daddy Zane" and "Mommy Heather".  He says, "Mommy Heathoh".   Occasionally, he is able to articulate the "R" sound, so I know we are getting somewhere with this.  However, I have NO IDEA on how to teach him the letter "F".


Anyway, those are just a few of the things we are working on with him, just to give you an idea.  He has speech delays across the board, but is making A.MAZING progress as he continues with preschool.  Again, if ANYONE has ANY suggestions, they are greatly appreciated!

4 comments:

Emily said...

I have a friend that is a speech pathologist. I will see if she has any suggestions for at-home help.

Heather Vincent said...

Thank you, Emily! That would be wonderful!!!

Kara said...

I followed your blog from babyjakehansen.blogspot.com. anyway, my daughter was/is in speech as well and when we were in Pleasant Grove doing speech they had her hold a mirror so that she could actually see what her mouth looked like as she talked. this helped her by watching what the teacher did with her lips and tongue and then to see how she was doing it.

Heather Vincent said...

Kara, thank you for the wonderful suggestion. I never would have thought of that on my own. His speech teachers have advised me to put his hand on my mouth for him to feel the different sounds in hopes he will get it. We will definitely be using your technique as we plunge through the summer.

Isn't baby Jake so sweet? Seeing him, and reading Cari's posts, bring back so many memories. Are you around Sanpete now?