Articulation Therapy

B-Sound Bombardment

• Sound Bombardment is primarily focused on auditory training rather than articulation. The goal is to help the child hear and recognize the /b/ sound across a variety of words, so they become more familiar with it before focusing on producing the sound accurately. This auditory training lays the groundwork for later stages where the child will start producing the sound correctly.
• Sound bombardment (auditory bombardment) involves listening to a large number of words with the target sound. This helps reinforce the sound’s presence and importance in language. The repetition also helps build familiarity and makes the sound stand out.

Goal:
To help the child develop awareness of the /b/ sound through listening before practicing its correct production in words.

1. Auditory Bombardment (Sound Awareness):

• Start by introducing words that begin with the /b/ sound, such as 'bee,' 'bed,' and 'bus.'
• Once the child is familiar with the /b/ sound in the initial position, gradually introduce words with the /b/ sound in the middle and at the end.
• Say each word aloud clearly, allowing the child to listen to the /b/ sound in different words.
• The child’s focus is on hearing and becoming familiar with the /b/ sound in various words.

Why This Is Important:
Auditory bombardment helps the child hear the target sound repeatedly, strengthening their ability to recognize it when they encounter it in speech. This helps build awareness and prepares them for future articulation practice.

Online exercises

• Start /b/-Sound Bombardment: Initial Position - Click here
• Start /b/-Sound Bombardment: Medial Position - Click here
• Start /b/-Sound Bombardment: FinalPosition - Click here

Instructions for the Auditory Discrimination Sorting Activity

Objective:

The goal is to help the child practice identifying the /b/ sound in any position of a word (beginning, middle, or end) and sort words into two categories:

1. Words that contain the /b/ sound
2. Words that do not contain the /b/ sound

How to Play:

• Start the Activity:The child will see a set of buttons with sound symbols. Each button corresponds to a word.
• Click a Button to Hear the Word: When the child clicks a button, the corresponding word will be pronounced and the related image will appear on the screen, so encourage the child to listen carefully for the /b/ sound, whether it is at the beginning, middle, or end of the word, and remind them that they can click the sound button multiple times until they are ready to drag and drop the image into the correct section.
• Identify the Presence of the /b/ Sound: After deciding whether the word contains the /b/ sound or not, the child can drag the image into the correct section.
  • For example:"baby" has the /b/ sound or "cap" does not have the /b/ sound anywhere.
  • Optional: You can prompt the child by asking, 'Can you hear the 'buh' sound in the word?' and 'Is the 'buh' sound at the beginning, middle, or end of the word?
• Drag the Image to the Correct Basket:
  • Basket 1: /b/ Sounds – For words that contain the /b/ sound anywhere in the word (e.g., "baby," "cabbage,...).
  • Basket 2: No /b/ Sounds – For words that do not contain the /b/ sound at all (e.g., "cap," "shoelace," "park"...).
• Completion:Continue the activity by having the child click the buttons, listen to each word, and drag the images to the correct baskets based on whether the word contains the /b/ sound. Once all images are sorted (4 in each basket), a success message will appear.

Online exercises

• Picture Sort: /b/ Sound vs. Non-/b/ Sound - 1 - Click here
• Picture Sort: /b/ Sound vs. Non-/b/ Sound - 2 - Click here

For Offline exercises

• Download the PDF for Offline Practice - Initial Position - Click here
• Download the PDF for Offline Practice - Medial and Final Positions - Click here
• Download the Picture Sort: /b/ Sound vs. Non-/b/ Sound - Click here

I. Introduction: Understanding the /b/ Sound

Overview of the Approach:
In this session, we will focus on the /b/ sound, one of the first sounds commonly targeted in speech therapy. Before practicing the /b/ sound in words, it’s important to ensure the child understands how to physically produce the sound. This first step will help the child understand the key articulators involved—the lips and vocal cords—and how they work together to create the /b/ sound.

Goal:
To ensure the child understands how to physically make the /b/ sound before moving on to word-level practice. This step lays the foundation for accurate sound production.

Instructions:

1. Explain the Articulatory Process:
   • "The /b/ sound is a voiced bilabial stop. This means we make the sound by bringing our lips together. This blocks the airflow for a moment, creating pressure behind the lips. When we release the lips, the air comes out, producing the /b/ sound. The vocal cords also vibrate, making the sound voiced."
2. Use Animated GIFs for Visual Support:
   • "Let’s watch these animated GIFs to see what happens when we make the /b/ sound. You’ll see the lips coming together to trap the air, and then the lips open to release the sound. As the air is released, you should feel a slight vibration in your throat."
3. Key Points to Emphasize:
   • "First, close your lips tightly."
   • "Then, build up air pressure behind your lips."
   • "Finally, when you open your lips, the air is released quickly, making the sound ‘buh.’ You should feel a buzz in your throat because the sound is voiced."

Download articulatory diagrams for Offline Practice - Click here

Why This Is Important:
Understanding how the /b/ sound is physically produced helps the child connect their mouth movements to the correct sound. This foundational knowledge is essential for accurately producing the sound later, especially when practicing it in words.

Evidence-Based Support:

• Motor Planning: Research shows that understanding the physical process of sound production helps with motor planning. The child learns to connect their brain and muscles to execute the correct movements for sound production. By focusing on the lips, air pressure, and vocal cords, the child can develop the motor skills needed for accurate /b/ sound articulation.
• Repetition and Practice: Consistent exposure to the physical steps of producing the sound through visual and verbal cues strengthens the motor pathways needed for accurate production. This leads to more efficientand effective articulation practice in the future.

 1. Test-Iphone

II. Articulation Practice (Sound Production)

After the child has been exposed to the /b/ sound through auditory bombardment and understands how the key articulators (the lips and vocal cords) work together to produce the sound, they can move on to practicing articulation.

This page is a work in progress. New steps will be added regularly, so please check back often for updates. Some links may be temporarily unavailable until the programs are uploaded