Having a variety of speech cards can help tailor your speech therapy to your students and help stave off boredom during speech therapy. Here are different ways you can use mini artic cards in speech.
Use them in crafts.
Use them in crafts. Have students glue them to different pictures or crafts, such as these woven books. Have students say their words as they glue the cards to the craft.
If you need a quick activity, put out various craft materials and cut out mini artic cards. Have the students create their own crafts. Still have the children say the words if they are attaching the cards. Tip! Try to use materials that contain the students’ target sounds. For how to use child-directed crafts in therapy, go here.
Send them as homework.
A block or page of mini artic cards is a quick low prep option to send home as homework. It will save you time and trees as you are not printing off pages and pages of artic cards.
You can also send “homework cards,” as seen here. This allows a parent to add new words for the student to practice at home slowly. If your privacy laws permit, send a card back with the student during school. Have the student show their card to specific staff members and say their words. At one of my schools, the principal would spend part of her day visiting with children and doing a quick check-in on their word. Tip! Send home words that the student is most successful at pronouncing.
Use in five-minute artic drills.
Instead of carrying around cards to do 5-minute drills, print off the mini artic cards into a book. Then flip to the page you need for your student and start practicing. You can also use the artic book to probe students’ articulation skills.
Use as stickers.
If you have students who insist on having a sticker at the end of the session, print off the mini artic cards and use them like stickers. That way, the students’ “reward” is practical.
If you would like a copy of the homework cards, go here. If you would like my version of mini artic cards, get them here.
Let me know if you use mini artic cards and how you use them.
