Like many parents, you’ve probably heard it said that “speech is cheap” – meaning that if you say something in the wrong way, it doesn’t matter what you say, you’ll still get the same results. The idea of speech as a commodity is rooted in the idea that the way we speak can be changed by means other than hard work or willpower. We often take this to mean that we can overcome our most debilitating or embarrassing speech habits simply by learning a new set of phrases or words. By extension, we often conclude that if our speech fails to reach its potential, it’s because we’re lazy; bad at thinking; or incapable of expressing ourselves. As one parent put it: “My kid is not depressed… he just has an awful social life.”
But what if speech could be a tool for change? In fact, some classes have even been created around this very premise. Free Speech Therapy is an approach to therapy that teaches adults with language difficulties how to read and write by decoding language and making sense of words so they can then use them in their own writing.
The goal of Free Speech Therapy Apps for Parents is to help parents provide their child with the speech therapy they need to be able to communicate with others. In order to do this, you must follow the steps outlined on the next few pages.
All of these steps will be explained in detail below. But first, you must take a quick quiz on the following page. This quiz will determine if your language skills are strong enough to successfully provide therapy for your child. If you pass the quiz, it means that you have enough English skills to get started.
And this learning process is not easy or seamless by any means, since there are millions of different ways a little one can get stuck when trying to say the word “ball.” It’s not always easy for a baby to realize that there are many different ways to say something, and simply saying it one way doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the only way.
Speech therapy applications, or Speech-Language Pathology apps, are digital tools that parents and therapists can use to help children with speech and language disorders communicate more effectively. Because they are available on mobile devices, these apps provide a convenient way to practice speech and language skills at home, in the classroom, or anywhere.
This app is intended for children who are improving their vocabulary and learning how to use new words in sentences. It contains over two thousand pictures of different objects organized into categories (e.g., food, animals). When kids select an object they like, they can then see it presented in different contexts using real photos as well as hear its pronunciation audio-recorded by native speakers so they know what it sounds like when someone says it out loud.
Speech therapy apps focus on improving a child’s speech and language skills by providing them with interactive activities.
These apps address specific goals, such as attention and listening skills, word formation and vocabulary, sound production and articulation, grammar and sentences, social language development, turn taking and back-and-forth communication.
The majority of the apps listed below can be accessed through a smartphone or tablet; some can also be accessed through a computer. Free speech therapy apps are a great way for parents or caretakers to help their child practice at home. Many of these apps can be used on smartphones and tablets, making it easy to pull them out on road trips or in the middle of a long plane ride.