Parent and Teacher Resources

Levels of articulation therapy There are 5 levels of articulation therapy for any sound that is being worked on in the clinical setting. Learning how to correctly say a sound is the same as learning any new skill such as a sport or a subject in school. It takes time for the ears, and muscles of the mouth to acclimate to the skills needed for a correctly produced sound.

All of these levels work on auditory discrimination (what a correct production sounds like) and kinesthetic awareness (what a correct /r/ feels like). The levels of production are in hierarchical order. For example single words are easier than phrases. Each level of production needs to be mastered before the next level. As a parent, it is unrealistic to expect to hear correct productions at home (conversational speech) even if the child is receiving therapy or intervention at school or in the clinical setting.

• single words (red)
• phrases (red jacket)
• sentences (The jacket is red).
• structured conversation (reading a story using the target sound). EWR Book of Stories, EWR Book of Carryover Stories
• conversational speech (unstructured conversation (e.g. at home, playground or in the classroom setting). It is important to ask the speech language pathologist what level your child is proficient so you can praise or reinforce that skill.