During the first years of life, a child has to acquire many skills and abilities, learn the rules of a safe life, and learn to speak. Children have enormous learning abilities; they acquire new knowledge every day.
It helps to master the skills of correct speech, which contributes to the development of the speech apparatus, strengthens the muscles involved in speaking, and helps to master the rules of pronunciation of sounds.
The importance of articulation gymnastics for children 4-7 years old
The first words spoken by a child are not clear and intelligible. Parents are touched by the harmless mistakes and speech deficiencies of their children. In most cases, children's speech becomes correct with age. However, not everyone manages to speak clearly and distinctly, pronouncing all sounds correctly.
Incorrect speech can prevent you from achieving success in many areas of life, and become an obstacle to practicing journalism and teaching. In childhood, a child will inevitably cause ridicule from his peers, and as an adult, he will be puzzled by the fact that his parents did not correct his speech defects in time.
Articulation gymnastics for children 4-7 years old allows you to form clear, smooth speech with the correct pronunciation of all sounds and intonation. This age will allow you to immediately learn to speak correctly, and not relearn when speech habits have already been formed.
Why is this necessary:
- Speech is not an innate gift. This ability must be formed and developed at an early age, and then improved throughout life.
- Sounds form the muscles of the jaws, tongue, and larynx. Like all other muscles of the body, they need constant training to be elastic, smooth and able to fully perform their functions.
- Correct oral speech helps to master writing.
- After practicing articulation gymnastics at the age of 4-5 years, it is easier to correct defects during classes with a speech therapist.
- Speech is sometimes slurred even when pronouncing sounds correctly. Weakness of the muscular system, lethargy of the tongue and palate leads to “porridge in the mouth.”
Gymnastics improves speech clarity, trains the correct position of the tongue and lips, and makes these skills habitual.
Important: articulatory gymnastics for children 4-5 years old trains muscles to improve speech organs, but does not replace classes with a speech therapist to correct speech defects.
Classification of exercise sets
For the comprehensive development of the speech apparatus, they are prepared, which help to train all muscles evenly. Static and dynamic actions are performed that form different functions of the speech organs.
Static
These actions are designed to teach children to fix the position of the articulatory muscles and maintain it for a short time - 5-8 seconds.
Elephant trunk. The lips are closed tightly, pulled forward and upward, imitating a proboscis. Hold the position for 5-10 seconds.
We yawn. The mouth is wide open, the tongue lies motionless.
Dynamic
They are performed on a count, focusing on getting into the rhythm. You can't rush and lag behind.
- Imitation of the movement of a pendulum. The mouth is half-open, the tongue touches its corners on the left and right, following a given count.
Swing. Children try to reach their nose and chin with their tongue in turn.
Activities provided must be age appropriate. They should be gradually made more complex after the simpler ones have been fully mastered and performed clearly.
4-5 years
The video lesson will convince the child that all children do gymnastics to develop speaking skills, and this is interesting and exciting.
To make the task easier, presentations and moving folders have been created with colorful designs with pictures, drawings, nursery rhymes with illustrations. This visual material will arouse interest and desire to participate in the training.
Special and cheeks are accompanied by exercises. Articulation training tasks are illustrations of the adventures of the speech organs that take place in the fairy tale. Musical accompaniment enhances the impression and sets the rhythm of the exercises.
Complexes for the development of articulation skills are not complicated; once you look at the positions of the lips and tongue, you can practice with children on your own. Things to remember:
- Sound exercises should be selected taking into account the child’s speech defects and the difficulties that persist in speech.
- Choose tasks according to age, gradually increasing the complexity and number of repetitions.
- You should train your speech functions while sitting in a comfortable position.
- Remove all distracting things - toys, TV; ask friends and relatives not to interfere.
- Do not allow the child to grimace - play with his eyes, move his body. Only the muscles being trained should be tensed. Otherwise, a habit of making antics during a conversation will form.
- It is necessary to achieve symmetry of actions. The right and left parts of the speech apparatus should develop equally.
- Before a new task, you need to show correct execution and make sure that the action is performed correctly.
Due to insufficient muscle development, all actions will require some effort from children. Articulation gymnastics, started at 4-5 years old, will help the child more easily learn to compose sentences, and then write.
Finally
Classes to improve articulation are training muscles and ligaments, helping children in a playful way to master the basic provisions of the language when pronouncing different sounds. They need to be accompanied by a conversation, during which the child will learn new words and learn to express thoughts clearly and accurately.
Speech development is a complex and lengthy process in which failures are possible. Some of them arise due to genetic predisposition or unsuccessful childbirth, while others are the result of psychological trauma or pathologies of the speech apparatus.
If problems arise, there is no need to panic; it is much more productive to seek help from a speech therapist. After the examination, the doctor will understand the nature of the deviations and take measures to correct them.
Why do you need gymnastics for the tongue?
Articulation gymnastics is useful for all children. The purpose of this kind of physical education is to improve the mobility of the speech apparatus, to develop the correct posture of the lips and tongue for the clear pronunciation of sounds. She will teach some children to speak correctly, and prepare others for a meeting with a speech therapist and more complex exercises. Exercise complexes include three types of exercises: for the tongue, lips and cheeks.
Correct pronunciation plays a big role in mental and emotional development. Communication with peers is extremely important and can become more difficult due to problems in speech development. It is better to start working with your child before the age of 4 years. Of course, you can do the exercises later, but achieving results will be more difficult.
If children aged 2-3 years old use gymnastics to train and develop their speech apparatus, then older children have their existing defects corrected. Physical training of the language helps to quickly detect and correct problems with pronunciation.
Speech exercises are carried out in a playful way and kids like them. Simple exercises are easy to remember and do at home. They do not require a lot of free time and special efforts from parents.
Indications for performing exercises for children 3-4 years old
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Speech therapy exercises train the child’s articulatory muscles and force them to work actively and correctly. Articulatory exercise and tongue massage are indicated for children who have congenital or acquired speech defects that arise for the following reasons:
In all of the above situations, speech gymnastics is combined with classes with a speech therapist. Constant observation and regular exercise and logomassage helps to achieve positive results in a short time. The listed deviations are basic, but training articulatory muscles is useful for absolutely all children.
Symptoms of articulatory muscle hypertonicity
Hypertonicity is excess muscle tension. Children with this diagnosis are often irritable and tense. They are unable to relax, even when they fall asleep.
Externally, children with increased tone are given away by pursed lips, sometimes this can cause folds to form. The tongue is pulled back and tenses. At the same time, his back bends and presses against the sky, so sometimes it seems that the child is speaking through his nose. Muscle hyperonus prevents you from turning your head completely, opening your mouth wide, or holding it in that position. The upper lip is stretched and pressed against the gums or simply raised.
This pathology is an indication for a relaxing massage. The session begins with soft sliding movements in the neck and shoulders. This helps reduce tissue excitability and relieve hypertonicity of the tongue root.
The facial muscles are massaged with longitudinal and transverse strokes of the forehead, the area around the eyes, cheeks, and the line from the earlobes to the nose. The lips are worked individually, first with soft movements from the corners to the center, then in a circular motion with light pressure.
Signs of low tone
Sometimes muscle tone is not increased, but rather below normal. Muscular hypotonia occurs due to underdevelopment of the nervous system and is often found in premature infants. Patients with reduced tone are too calm, they sleep well and practically do not cause problems for their parents, but such babies develop more slowly than their peers.
Hypotonia is characterized by the following symptoms: sagging cheeks and facial contours, the lower lip turns out and practically lies on the chin, the tongue becomes flaccid and falls out of the mouth. The child is simply unable to keep his mouth closed.
- Stroking movements of the forehead, the area above the eyes, and chin are complemented by kneading the zygomatic and cheek muscles.
- The cheeks are massaged on both sides: inside and outside at the same time.
- The lips are stroked and pinched from the middle to the corners. Pressure movements should increase gradually, without causing discomfort or pain to the child.
Often there are patients with mixed tone, when the cheeks are relaxed, and the tongue tenses and presses against the palate, or vice versa - a flaccid tongue, when it is impossible to distinguish its tip, with good tone of the lips and cheeks. Such children are given a differentiated massage that combines both tactics.
What will be needed to complete the complex?
Before prescribing speech therapy massage and articulation gymnastics to a child, the doctor conducts a thorough diagnosis of the little patient. During the examination, the structure of the neck and facial muscles and the upper body is checked. An experienced specialist is able to identify even minor deviations in speech function.
There is no need to massage the tongue in a clinic; a mother can do it to her child on her own at home. You will first need to thoroughly check the room in which you plan to carry out the procedure, wash and warm your hands.
The duration of the first sessions usually does not exceed 5 minutes and gradually, over 4 sessions, increases to 20. It must be remembered that the procedure time depends on the age and emotional state of the child.
You can learn massage techniques at an appointment with a speech therapist or by carefully studying the following video. Logomassage affects all the muscles of the speech apparatus, and special attention is paid to the tongue. It is not necessary to develop it using specialized devices. To strengthen the tip of the tongue, improvised objects such as a spoon or a toothbrush with soft bristles are suitable (we recommend reading:).
Massaging the tip of your tongue is not difficult. In addition to the brush, you will need gauze swabs that are placed under the tongue. This is necessary to collect excess saliva; during massage it is produced more strongly. When making longitudinal, circular or transverse movements along the tongue, you do not need to press hard on the brush. Actions should not cause pain or inconvenience. In most cases, children enjoy this process, even those who were wary of it at first.
Tongue exercise technique
Articulation exercises strengthen and develop the speech apparatus. Three-year-old children do not respond to all sounds, but with regular exercise, their speech becomes clear.
The effect of speech therapy exercises will be noticeable only if:
- classes are held daily;
- exercises are performed in front of a mirror so that the child has the opportunity to check the correctness of the actions;
- more attention is paid not to the quantity of exercises learned, but to the quality of their implementation;
- charging starts with simple complexes and gradually becomes more complex;
- the exercises are presented in a playful, humorous form; sometimes the child does not need to be informed at all that he is doing the exercise; it is better to present everything in the form of a new game.
The baby must be prepared in advance for gymnastics by talking about the procedure; for clarity, you can use pictures. After this, there is a demonstration of the exercises, the first attempts to perform them together with the child, and adjustments.
At the initial stage, the difference in the tone of the muscles of the articulatory apparatus is visible to the naked eye. Gradually, the differences are smoothed out, and the tone returns to normal.
Children may start to try too hard or become nervous. It is necessary to relieve the emotional stress: stretch your shoulders, shake your hands with them. To improve perception, many sets of exercises are supplemented with funny poems. This also helps relieve stress and better remember the exercise.
There are two types of exercises. The difference is that with static actions, the lips and tongue are fixed in a certain position for several seconds, while dynamic actions force them to move.
Purpose of massage
Logomassage has proven itself in restoring speech functions, and for some diseases, such as cerebral palsy, such procedures are mandatory. In young patients with this diagnosis, muscle tone is impaired, which inevitably leads to speech defects. Massage helps achieve:
Please note that massage is strictly prohibited when:
- stomatitis;
- conjunctivitis and gingivitis;
- herpes lesions of the oral mucosa;
- enlarged lymph nodes.
For children with severe deviations in sound pronunciation, the addition of speech exercises with speech therapy massage is simply necessary. Massage improves the general condition of the body, stimulates blood circulation and improves metabolism. After completing the full course, lymph exchange is restored, muscle contractile function returns to normal.
Experts' opinions
Experts unanimously declare the benefits of speech development, even in the absence of obvious deviations; it is important to start working with the child as early as possible. Speech therapy massage improves blood circulation, increases muscle elasticity and is an excellent prevention of speech abnormalities.
In order for the baby to speak, it is necessary to stimulate him, talk to him more, or better yet, ask him about something, forcing him to speak on his own. Speech develops better in children with a broad outlook and those who are accustomed to sculpting, drawing, designing, i.e. develop fine motor skills of the hands. You should not worry if at 1.5-2.5 years old the child does not want to talk, this goes away in kindergarten, but with a three-year-old silent child, you need to consult a specialist to determine the cause of the problem.
It happens that the baby speaks a lot, but it is not clear, as if he has “porridge in his mouth.” The culprit of such slurring is most often the lazy tongue, which plays a very important role in pronunciation - it is the most mobile articulatory organ!
If the child’s tongue is passive - that is, his muscles are weak, he cannot move correctly in the oral cavity - then, alas, the baby will not have a beautiful pronunciation.
When should classes start?
Typically, speech therapists begin classes with children at the age of 3-4, since at an earlier stage it is difficult for the child to understand why he needs these lessons. And the active little fidget cannot sit for even 5 minutes. If your baby is already 2 years old and you understand that he already has problems with speech, try doing this exercise - fun, in a playful way, breaking the complex into 2-3 parts, so as not to make the baby reluctant to start doing exercises the next time once.
5 tips
1. Exercises must be done daily, preferably in the morning or evening, performing a set of exercises for 5-10 minutes.
2. You can break the complex into 2-3 parts to do all the exercises during the day.
2. It is better to conduct classes in a playful way, coming up with funny stories for exercises.
3. Articulation gymnastics is performed while sitting, since in this position the child has a straight back, the body is not tense, and the arms and legs are in a calm position.
4. Be sure to do exercises with your baby. You show - he repeats. During classes, the baby must clearly see the face of mom or dad, as well as his own, in order to independently control the correctness of the exercises.
5. It is optimal to conduct classes in front of a mirror.
Needle, pancake and others
Our exercises are based on relaxing and tensioning the tongue, strengthening the lateral and rectus muscles. Therefore, perform the exercises 2-4 times each in this sequence. Let's start with a warm-up.
Pancake. The mouth is open, a wide, relaxed tongue lies on the lower lip - but it has spread like a pancake.
Needle. The tongue is tense, extended forward and the tip is pointed, like a needle. We push the tongue forward, as if stabbing with a needle.
We paint the ceiling. The tongue moves back and forth, touching the palate.
We paint the walls. The tense tongue “paints” the inner surface of the cheeks.
Football. The tense tongue moves from side to side, resting against the inner surface of the cheeks.
Roll an egg. We use the tongue to make circular movements: between the front teeth and the upper lip, behind the cheek, between the lower teeth and lower lip, again behind the cheek, etc.
And we do a few more dynamic exercises based on these pictures.
Have fun! Just don’t overdo it: it’s better to do less and return to exercise in a good mood.
The role of gymnastics in correctional and speech therapy work
Speech sounds are formed as a result of a complex set of movements of the articulatory organs - kinema. The development of one or another kineme opens up the possibility of mastering those speech sounds that could not be pronounced due to its absence. We correctly pronounce various sounds, both in isolation and in the speech stream, thanks to strength, good mobility and differentiated functioning of the organs of the sound-pronunciation apparatus. Thus, producing speech sounds is a complex motor skill.
Already from infancy, the child makes a lot of diverse articulatory and facial movements with the tongue, lips, jaw, accompanying these movements with diffuse sounds (mumbling, babbling). Such movements are the first stage in the development of a child’s speech; they play the role of gymnastics of the speech organs in natural conditions of life. The accuracy, strength and differentiation of these movements develop in the child gradually.
For clear articulation, strong, elastic and mobile speech organs are needed - tongue, lips, soft palate. Articulation is associated with the work of numerous muscles, including chewing, swallowing, and facial muscles; the process of voice formation occurs with the participation of the respiratory organs (larynx, trachea, bronchi, lungs, diaphragm, intercostal muscles). Thus, when talking about special speech therapy gymnastics, one should keep in mind exercises of numerous organs and muscles of the face, mouth, neck, shoulder girdle, and difficult cells.
The method of educating sound pronunciation through specific gymnastics is recognized by a number of well-known theorists and practitioners specializing in speech disorders (M. E. Khvattsev, O. V. Pravdina, M. V. Fomicheva, etc.).
Articulatory gymnastics is a set of special exercises aimed at strengthening the muscles of the articulatory apparatus, developing strength, mobility and differentiation of movements of the organs involved in the speech process.
In order to choose the right exercises for articulatory gymnastics, you need to know what movements are characteristic of the various organs of the articulatory apparatus. The most mobile speech organ is the tongue. It consists of the root of the tongue (the base by which the tongue is attached to the hyoid bone) and the back, in which the posterior, middle and anterior parts are distinguished. Particular attention should be paid to the tip of the tongue, which ends the front part of the tongue, and the lateral edges of the front and middle parts of the tongue, since the quality of sounds depends on their work. Depending on which part of the tongue is involved in the formation of consonant sounds, they are divided into front-lingual (t, d, n, l, r, w, zh, ch, sch, s, z, ts), middle-lingual (th) and rear-lingual (k, g, x).
The front of the tongue and its tip have the greatest degree of mobility. The tip of the tongue can: fall behind the lower teeth (as with the sounds s, z, z), rise behind the upper teeth (as with the sounds t, d, n), press against the alveoli (as with the sound l), tremble under the pressure of the exhaled stream of air (as with the sound p). The front part of the back of the tongue can rise without the participation of the tip of the tongue to the alveoli and form a gap with them (as with the sounds s, z, z), rise to the palate along with the tip of the tongue and form a gap with the hard palate (as with the sounds sh, zh, sch ).
The middle part of the tongue is the most limited in its movements. Without advancement of the front or back, it can only rise towards the hard palate (as with the sound й and soft consonants).
The back of the tongue can rise and close with the palate (as with the sounds k, g) or form a gap with the palate (as with the sound x).
The lateral edges of the tongue can be pressed against the inner surface of the molars and do not allow the outgoing stream of air to pass sideways (as with the sounds s, z, ts, sh, zh, h, shch, r), or lower and allow the stream of air to pass out to the side (as with the sound l) . The tongue, taking different positions, changes the shape and volume of the oral cavity, which determines the quality of the vowel sound.
Lip mobility also plays a role in the formation of sounds. The lips can: stretch into a tube (as with the sound u), round (as with the sound o), expose the front upper and lower teeth (as with the sounds s, z, ts, l, etc.), slightly move forward (as with the sounds w, g). The lower lip has the greatest mobility. It can: close with the upper lip (as with the sounds p, b, m), form a gap, approaching the upper front teeth (as with the sounds f, v).
The lower jaw can move down and up, changing the opening of the mouth, which is especially important when forming vowel sounds.
The soft palate can rise and fall. When the soft palate is lowered, the exhaled stream of air passes through the nose; this is how the nasal sounds m, m n, n are formed ‘If the soft palate is raised, then it is pressed against the back wall of the pharynx and closes the passage to the nose; the exhaled stream of air then goes only through the mouth, and oral sounds are formed (all except m, m'n, n').
Thus, when pronouncing various sounds, each organ involved in the speech process occupies a certain position. In speech, sounds are not pronounced in isolation, but smoothly one after another, and the organs of the articulatory apparatus must quickly change their position. Achieving clear pronunciation of sounds, words, and phrases is possible only if there is sufficient mobility of the organs of the articulatory apparatus, their ability to rearrange and work in a coordinated manner.
The purpose of articulation gymnastics - development of full-fledged movements and certain positions of the organs of the articulatory apparatus, the ability to combine simple movements into complex ones necessary for the correct pronunciation of sounds. Articulatory gymnastics is the basis for the formation of speech sounds - phonemes - and the correction of sound pronunciation disorders of any etiology and pathogenesis; it includes exercises for training the mobility of the organs of the articulatory apparatus, practicing certain positions of the lips, tongue, soft palate, necessary for the correct pronunciation of both all sounds and each sound of a particular group.
To develop a methodology for speech therapy gymnastics, it is important to take into account the characteristics of age-related motor skills. Thus, the method of educating speech movements in a small, not yet speaking child is based on the following principle: the work of the sound-pronunciation apparatus is developed and streamlined by educating rhythmic movements on the basis of the automatic movements already existing in the child, with which the speech function is physiologically connected. These non-speech movements, formed from unconditioned reactions, turn into speech, into conditioned ones.
Guidelines for performing gymnastics
Classes are conducted according to the following scheme: first, rough, diffuse movements of the exercised organs are developed. As the child masters them, they move on to developing more differentiated movements in the same area. Inhibition of incorrect movements is achieved by using visual control, as well as introducing a rhythm into the work: individual movements are limited to a certain duration and are interrupted by pauses of the same duration according to the beat beat out by the hand. In this way, the movements of the actual sound-pronouncing organs are trained: lips, tongue, soft palate, pharynx, vocal cords, respiratory muscles.
The principle for selecting articulation exercises each time will be the nature of the pronunciation defect and the appropriateness of the recommended movements for the correct pronunciation of a given sound. You need to practice only the movements that need correction, and only those necessary for the sound being developed. Exercises should be targeted: it is not their quantity that is important, what is important is the correct selection of exercises and the quality of execution. Exercises are selected based on the task of achieving correct articulation of sound, taking into account the child’s specific disorder. For each child, a set of exercises is compiled individually by a speech therapist.
It is not enough to just select the movements that need correction; you need to teach the child to correctly use the appropriate movements, develop accuracy, purity, smoothness, strength, pace, stability of the transition from one movement to another.
The accuracy of the movement of a speech organ is determined by the correctness of the final result, which can be assessed by the final location and shape of this organ.
Smoothness and ease of movement involve movements without jolts, twitching, or trembling of the organ (muscle tension always disrupts the smoothness and softness of movement); the movement must be performed without auxiliary or accompanying movements in other organs.
Pace is the speed of movement. At first, the movement is performed somewhat slowly, the speech therapist regulates the pace by tapping with the hand or counting out loud, gradually speeding it up. Then the pace of movement should become arbitrary - fast or slow.
The mouth is open. Lips in a smile. Raise your wide tongue up to the palate and pronounce distinctly yes-dy one by one. When pronouncing the syllable yes, the tongue is retracted to the center of the palate; when pronouncing dy, it moves to the tubercles behind the upper incisors. At first the exercise is performed slowly, then the pace accelerates. When pronouncing, an exhaled stream of air should be felt. Make sure that your lips do not stretch over your teeth. The lower jaw should not move. The pronunciation of yes-da should be clear, not squelching, and the tip of the tongue should not curl up.
Speech is a complex process in which various organs are involved. Articulatory gymnastics for children helps to train the muscles of these organs, as a result of which speech development occurs faster and the child develops correct pronunciation. There are various sets of exercises. Some are aimed at general speech development, others help cope with diction problems.
A speech therapist will help you choose the right set of exercises. After examining the baby and talking with him, he will select an individual lesson program. If there is a significant delay in the development of speaking skills, it is advisable to consult a neurologist, since problems in speech development may be associated with serious diseases.
There are exercises designed to induce active speech, and if the child is healthy, then the mother can work with him on her own. Although a consultation with a speech therapist will still be useful: a special program may be needed. Exercises train certain muscles and help the baby begin to actively talk. They develop mobility and dexterity of the articulatory apparatus:
- language;
- bridles.
Gymnastics for children should be made colorful and interesting. If the exercises are presented in the form of a game, the little fidget will practice with pleasure and quickly master the subtleties of the world of sounds. It is good to reinforce verbal descriptions with visual images, preparing colorful pictures with images for each exercise.
What else needs to be taken into account: the child does not see his own language, and therefore it is difficult for him to understand the requirements of adults if something goes wrong. Therefore, it is good if he can perform the exercises in front of a mirror and see the position of his lips and tongue. If he still can’t cope, you need to help him by guiding his tongue with a spatula, the handle of a spoon or another clean, oblong and non-sharp object.
At the beginning of classes, you need to invite the child to perform several exercises, and add the rest gradually, no more than one new exercise per lesson. If there are problems in performing old ones, then new exercises should not be introduced. It is better to let the child get comfortable and feel that everything is working out for him.
Complex for children 1-4 years old
It’s hard for kids to concentrate on something for a long time, and they get tired quickly. Therefore, gymnastics should last no more than 10 minutes a day, and it should start with two or three, gradually increasing the time.
Dynamic exercises for children under 4 years old:
- "Snake";
- “Kneaded the dough”;
- “Brushing our teeth”;
- "Watch";
- "Swing";
- "Fed hamster";
- "Balloons".
Static exercises:
- "Hippopotamus";
- "Smile";
- "Proboscis";
- "Pancake";
- "Hungry Hamster"
Alternate static and dynamic exercises, then the child will not get bored. Accompany your explanations with elements of fairy tales or stories about animals. For example, during the “Proboscis” exercise, you can tell that the child is pretending to be a little elephant learning to stretch out its trunk.
A set of exercises for children 4-7 years old
Children at this age are already more prepared for classes, so their duration increases. Articulation gymnastics for children can last 15-20 minutes. This will be enough for the development of the corresponding muscles, and the child will not have time to get tired during this time. The exercises can be performed in any order, but it is better to start with lip exercises. One exercise should last about 5-10 seconds or be repeated 5-7 times. All elements from the complex described below are suitable for this age group.
It is not clear to the child how long he should do the exercise, so the adult should count out loud to 5 or 7 while doing it.
A block of exercises for developing lip muscles.
- "Smile". The child should be asked to smile without showing his teeth. This muscle position is maintained for up to 5 seconds.
- "Proboscis". The lips need to be folded into a tube and pulled forward as much as possible.
- "Hippopotamus". The child should be asked to open his mouth wide and sit in this position for 5 seconds.
- "Fence". We explain that you need to smile so that the upper and lower teeth are as open as possible. This facial expression also lasts for about 5 seconds.
- Alternating exercises “Smile” and “Fence”. Performed 5 times.
Block for developing tongue muscles.
- “Pancake” (spatula). The relaxed tongue should be placed on the lower lip (without sticking out). Lasts 5 seconds.
- "Angry Pussy". The tip of the tongue rests on the lower teeth, the lateral ones rest on the molars, and the middle part imitates a slide. The child should lightly bite the “slide” with his teeth. The exercise is performed with your mouth open.
- "Swing" . The mouth opens and the tongue alternately rises up and down.
- "Snake". The tongue sticks out as far as possible, while the child should try to make it as narrow as possible. After this, the tongue is hidden. The action is repeated up to 7 times.
- “Brushing our teeth.” The tip of the tongue needs to be brushed across the upper and then lower teeth from the left to the right edge. Perform 2 times from above and below.
- "Sail". The end of the tongue rests on the upper teeth and is held in this position for 7-10 seconds.
- "Painter". We run our tongue across the palate in the direction from front to back (from teeth to throat). You can tell your child that the tongue is a paint brush that paints the sky.
- "Turkeys". The tip of the tongue should be moved quickly back and forth along the upper lip.
- "Watch". The child should open his mouth slightly and alternately touch the left and right corners of his mouth with the tip of his tongue. To make it more interesting, you can explain that this is an imitation of a clock pendulum. You need to make 5-10 movements back and forth.
- "Cup". With your mouth wide open, you need to keep the tongue up, but not touching the teeth.
- "Delicious jam". The upper lip is licked with a wide tongue (licking off the jam), after which the tongue is hidden. The exercise must be repeated several times.
- "Woodpecker". Use the tip of your tongue to quickly and forcefully tap the back of your upper teeth for 5-7 seconds.
- "Motor". The position is as in the previous exercise - the mouth is open, the tongue knocks behind the upper teeth. At the same time, you need to exhale strongly to make the sound “dyn-dyn-dyn.”
- "Kneaded the dough". The tongue rests on the lower lip (pancake position), while the mouth opens and closes.
For the sublingual ligament of the tongue.
- "Horse". The child should click his tongue, voicing the clatter of hooves.
- "Fungus". The tongue is firmly applied (sucked to the palate) and held in this position for 5 seconds.
- "Accordion". Holding your tongue in the “mushroom” position, you need to open/close your mouth 5 times.
Exercises for the cheek muscles.
- "Balloons" . The cheeks are puffed out, then the child should hit them with moderate force to force the air out.
- "Fed hamster". First, both cheeks are inflated, then the right and left ones alternately.
- "Hungry Hamster". The cheeks are drawn in and held in this position for 5-7 seconds.
Parents or teachers?
Children with poorly developed speech apparatus will not demonstrate dizzying success. Gymnastics is difficult for them, and it is the parents’ responsibility not to give up, despite failures. At the same time, you should not show your dissatisfaction to your child. It is not in vain that speech therapists study the basics of pedagogy. Parents will also have to become a little teacher and a little psychologist to work with their child.
Be kind and patient with your child, behave calmly. What an adult perceives as the norm for a little person is a whole new world that takes time to master. Patience will definitely be rewarded and your baby will delight you with correct diction.
