Proper speech is formed in early childhood. Unfortunately, speech therapy problems are not rare. Articulation gymnastics, which mom can do with the baby on her own, helps prevent the formation of incorrect pronunciation of sounds, helps the child to speak faster.
What is articulation gymnastics?
Articulatory gymnastics refers to a set of exercises that is specifically aimed at developing the tongue, lips, soft palate, and facial muscles. The goal is to teach the baby to make the right movements necessary to pronounce a sound.
An articulating apparatus is a thin instrument, and it can and should be tuned to the correct sound. In the future, this will help the child learn to read and write without problems. It is clear that social success, which means emotional stability and emotional comfort, is also not least dependent on the ability to speak correctly.
There are two types of gymnastics for the development of the articulation apparatus:
1. passive, in which the direction of the correct movement of the baby’s speech apparatus is set by an adult;
2. active, in which the child, on his own, without significant help from an adult, does the exercises.
In the first case, the specialist who deals with the child can help him physically. For example, correcting the wrong position of the tongue and lips with either a spoon, or with clean hands, or with a special spatula. Mom can do the same on the recommendation of a speech therapist.
Activities with the smallest
No need to wait for a certain age to start the first classes. Already from 3-4 months of the life of a newborn, mother should actively communicate with him, drawing attention to her facial expressions while pronouncing various sounds. The process of dressing for a walk, and babies massage can be turned into a game. Reading fairy tales or telling stories, you can pronounce sounds exaggerated, emphasizing both the sound and the movements of the muscles of the face.
You can play with an older baby, attracting him to active participation. Imitate playing the pipe or the hum of a steam train. Learn to express different emotions with your face: here the bunny was scared, and the fox was surprised. The bear became angry, and a squirrel was formed. But the fish got water in her mouth, it became tasteless - she spat out and grimaced. In general, any physical activity for the muscles of the lips, tongue and face is suitable.
How to conduct classes
The game form is the only acceptable for young children. From 2-3 years old, you need to start focused exercises with the aim of developing and staging the correct articulation. If the baby pronounces some sound incorrectly, indistinctly, then you need to pay attention to it and work purposefully. If, however, it did not work out on its own, and after four years of age some sounds still fail to the baby, you need to involve a speech therapist in solving the problem.
Self-conducted articulation gymnastics in the home format is not only acceptable, but also highly desirable. But, of course, you need to know how to do articulation gymnastics for children correctly. The more often and more mother will deal with the baby, the faster he speaks, the easier and easier it will be to cope with speech defects. Regular training is the key to success.
Class Rules:
• during the day to practice the exercises three, and preferably four times;
• training duration no longer than five minutes;
• one training session is two, maximum three complete exercises;
• if the child is in a bad mood or is ill, there is no sense in the classes, they need to be transferred;
• start classes with simple exercises, gradually complicate them;
• at each lesson, you can learn only one new exercise, all the rest should be known, we simply fix them.
Classes are held in a relaxed atmosphere. It is better for the baby to sit, relaxing, but concentrating on the face of mom. And she, in turn, needs to cheer up the baby, even if he doesn’t succeed in something, and it is imperative to say how well done he is. It is very good if the baby will see his face in the mirror. So he will be able to observe the work of muscles and better understand what is required of him.
Articulatory gymnastics is aimed at solving three main problems:
1. develop language mobility;
2. develop lip mobility;
3. To consolidate the skill of holding the lower jaw in the correct position.
The tongue should easily take the desired shape and position in the mouth: become narrower or wider, fit completely behind the teeth, and pull towards the throat. The lips should be rounded, create a gap, stretch forward, stretch to the sides. The simplest exercises are aimed at training these skills.
If the mother decided to deal with the baby herself, for the prevention of speech disorders or the development of the articulation apparatus, it is important to understand the sequence of work. With a child who has no speech or is slurred, you first need to do static exercises, and only then move on to dynamic ones:
• static exercises - this is fixing the muscles in a certain state for 7-10 seconds. For example, pulling the tongue into a tube, creating a "cup";
• dynamic exercises - this is an active movement of the tongue or lips in a certain rhythm (7-8 movements at once). For example, lick your lips, show the "clock".
Be sure to see how a practitioner conducts articulation gymnastics for children. Photos that capture static exercises will help to understand the correct position of the tongue and lips.
The simplest articulation exercises for children
For the proper development of the speech apparatus at the beginning of training, you do not need to do anything special. All exercises are very simple and clear.
Repeat each exercise 6-7 times. Daily short workouts are healthier than long but rare ones.
1. Show how hot it is around - open your mouth as wide as possible. Wet your lips - it became cold.
2. “Pity” the teeth: stroke them with the tongue from side to side.
3. Show the "fence": expose your teeth with tension, grin.
4. Roll the “ball” in the mouth: puff out cheeks, then puff out.
5. "Eat" jam, which is supposedly coated on the face. The tongue should touch both cheeks, stretch to the nose, chin.
6. Imitation of drum roll, but not with your fingers on the table, but with the tongue on the upper lips.
7. Imitation of the movements of the tongue of a cat licking its bowl.
8. “The elephant drinks water”: to stretch your lips far ahead, imagining that this is the trunk of the elephant, and “pick up some water” (slurp and smack).
9. "Horse": she snorts, pranks (to clap a tongue).
10. "Where is the nut": tongue rests alternately on the cheeks, as if walnut is hidden in the mouth. Do the exercise with maximum tension of the tongue and cheeks.
11. "Calyx": stick out the tongue, bent it in the shape of a cup.
12. Turn the tab into the tube.
13. “Show the clock”: move the tongue from one corner of the mouth to another, simulating the movement of the pendulum.
14. Show "bagel", rounding lips.
15. Buzz like a steamboat and a steam locomotive: pull the sounds “Y”, “U” for as long as possible.
It is difficult to overestimate the importance that even such a simple and understandable articulation gymnastics for children has. The description, as well as the implementation, is simple, any mother can master it. Muscles with regular exercises will quickly strengthen, and motor skills will be strengthened.
The most effective articulation exercises for children
More complex exercises are aimed at solving specific problems. The complex must be selected so that the necessary articulation processes are formed, a certain position of the tongue and lips is developed. Be sure to look at how articulation gymnastics is performed for children. Videos that can be found in the public domain will help to avoid annoying mistakes and really help your child.
We strengthen lips
Alternating static exercises, which are mastered in the simplest block, will help develop the muscles of the lips: “Tubule”, “Bagel”, “Fence”, “Elephant”. We complicate the work, sequentially alternating all these exercises, we do 3-4 cycles.
To develop lip mobility, we master several exercises:
1. "Curious piglet": to extend your lips and move them in different directions, then in a circle, as if a piglet sniffs the air.
2. "Kusaka": bite the lips (lower and upper) with teeth, make scratching movements.
3. Alternate the stretching of the lips-tubes and a smile-fence.
4. "Fish": imitate the movement of the lips of the fish, easily collapsing the upper and lower lips.
5. Grab the nasolabial fold in the upper lip area with the fingers of one hand and grab the lower lip with the other hand and stretch them vertically.
6. “Duck”: place the thumbs under the lower lip, place the rest over the upper lip, stretch out the lips and massage, trying to give the characteristic shape of a duck beak.
7. Pulling the cheeks firmly, open your mouth sharply. There should be a sound like a kiss.
8. Snort like a horse, creating lip vibration with an air stream as you exhale.
Static exercise strengthens the lips very well: inflate your cheeks with all your strength and hold this position for as long as possible. You can pick up a pencil and draw figures or letters in the air. Or hold the lips with a napkin and not give it when mom pulls the tip.
We strengthen the language
1. "Mushroom": you need to make the tongue stick to the sky, and hold this position for several seconds.
2. "Angry cat": bend the middle of the tongue with a little bit, so that the tip rests in the center of the lower row of teeth.
3. "Wasp sting": narrow the tongue so that it looks like a thin wasp sting, and stretch it forward.
Develop the lower jaw
Much depends on the mobility of the lower jaw whether the child will articulate hissing sounds correctly. The simplest thing you can do is make chewing movements with your lips closed. The following exercises are effective.
1. “Chick” is afraid: to open his mouth wide, leaving his tongue to rest calmly - “sit in the nest”. The corners of the lips should go down. Then close your mouth. Repeat 5-7 times without losing rhythm.
2. “Monkey teasing”: maximally lower the jaw, while protruding the tongue and trying to touch the chin.
3. "Shark breathes": count to seven. Each count is one smooth, cautious, slow motion. Lower the jaw (once), move it to the right (two), return it to the lower position (three), move the jaw to the left (four), return it to the lowered center position (five), push it forward (six), return to the original natural state (seven).
Starting from the age of three, the child must be brought to the level of conscious exercise. Mom should explain that the lessons are important, and teach the baby to control the process, that is, try to do everything correctly by comparing her actions and mother's in the mirror. Exercise learned if performed flawlessly, without prompts and corrections.
