How Tongue Twisters Sharpen Communication Skills?

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What is your favorite  Tongue Twister?
Write your reflection/opinion in a "Post a Comment" section at the end of the page. Thank you - Urszula

What Are Tongue Twisters?

Tongue twisters are words, phrases, or sentences which are difficult to pronounce properly and result in fun and humor. Why is that? It is because of a varying combination of similar sounds in them. They can be very challenging as well as motivating. They can be also fun to learn. Evan adults want to repeat tongue twisters to impress the others.

What Can Tongue Twisters Help With?

• Language: The child learns meaning, synonyms, antonyms, or homonyms, correct form of the word and how to use it in context.
• Auditory Discrimination: The child listens and identifies correct or incorrect productions.
• Articulation: The child practices using articulators (lips, tongue, jaw), proper breath support and vocal cords.
• Fluency: The child practices a smooth rate and rhythm of speech by increasing mean length of utterance, and improving self-monitoring skills.

You Can Use Tongue Twisters In The Following Ways:

• Language: Have the child complete sentences, answer “Wh” questions, and identify regular and irregular past tense verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. You can also use the target words to teach or reinforce rhyming, synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms.
• Auditory Discrimination: The parent purposefully misarticulates a word(s) while saying the tongue twister. The child listens and identifies the incorrect productions.
• Articulation: Have the child practice using articulators and proper breathing to the microphone or in front of a mirror.
• Fluency: Give a model so the child can practice a smooth rate and rhythm of speech.

Examples Of Tongue Twisters For Kids

You can start with the one with visual cues:

Which witch wished which wish?
Or
If two witches were watching two watches,
Which witch would watch which watch?

Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?

A noisy noise annoys an oyster.

Six sticky sucker sticks.

Silly sheep weep and sleep.

If  Stu chews shoes, 

Should Stu choose the shoes he chews?

Then go to the one which rhyme:

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear,
Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair,
Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't very fuzzy,
was he?

Why do you cry, Willy?
Why do you cry?
Why, Willy?
Why, Willy?
Why, Willy? Why?

Whether the weather be fine
Or whether the weather be not.
Whether the weather be cold
Or whether the weather be hot.
We'll weather the weather
Whether we like it or not.

Continue with the one without rhyme:

She sells seashells by the sea shore. 

The shells she sells are surely seashells. 

So, if she sells shells on the seashore, 

I'm sure she sells seashore shells.

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,

How many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?

For more tongue twisters go to:

http://www.indianchild.com/tongue_twisters.htm

http://tonguetwistersforkids.com/

http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/tongue-twisters

http://www.momsandkids.co.uk/kidstonguetwisters.tpl

Tongue Twisters in Speech Therapy

Since I’m a speech-language pathologist (SLP) I use the tongue twisters with my clients. I apply them exactly the way as presented above.

Here are the steps in the therapy:

1. I begin by saying the tongue twister completely so as to emphasize the targeted sound. Next, the child identifies the target sound. If I see that it is too difficult I help the child to do that. At last the child says the words, producing the target sound correctly.
2. Then the child says the tongue twister by either repeating after me, one line or phrase at a time, or by choral reading (reading the same thing at the same time).
3. When accuracy improves, I encourage the child to read a little faster. Each repetition of a complete tongue twister is a little faster than the one before. The child tries to keep the words from becoming “twisted.”

How to help a child to manage Auditory Processing Disorder

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There are many suggestions how to help a child to deal with 

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD), also known as 

Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD).
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Basically a caregiver or teacher should:

1.      Treat a child with APD as you would treat a child with a hearing loss.

2.      Help a child to avoid breakdowns in auditory processing by 

setting the environment to be friendly for him/her.

3.      Teach a child to use some strategies independently.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1557047251/ref=asc_df_15570472512001468?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=pg-1583-17-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395097&creativeASIN=1557047251 

Suggestions for the parents and teachers how they can set the environment and help the child:

• Seat a child away from visual, auditory, and motor distractions, such as fans, heaters, windows, doors, and pencil sharpeners.
• Make sure light is on a speaker’s face, not child’s.
• Allow a child to move to a quiet area when doing silent reading and independent work.
• Wait for the room to become quiet before giving instructions or directions.
• Enforce appropriate speaker-listener manners for all children when together – one person talks at a time; others listen quietly.
• Gain child’s attention before giving new work or directions.
• Speak clearly, with a moderate rate, and stand in one place, facing child.
• Give child a longer time to respond, beyond what you might consider normal, when asking questions.
• Simplify/explain new vocabulary; encourage child to ask questions for clarification.
• Give concrete, interesting examples, demonstrations, and written or pictorial information when presenting new concepts orally.
• Break complicated directions into fewer parts and give child time to complete the first step before going on to the next part.
• Prior to a discussion, write down two or three main points for child to listen for; then check for memory and understanding of those points.
• Use child’s strengths to convey information (e.g., if your child is a good reader, give reminders in writing; use closed captioning during TV or video programs.)

Go on

http://specialchildren.about.com/od/auditoryprocessing/tp/capdbooks.htm

to see more books of interest to parents of children with

Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD)

Instructions for a child to follow to avoid auditory processing breakdowns:

• Keep your eyes on the speaker, and try to get eye contact.
• Use good listening behavior - quiet body and closed mouth.
• Ask to have directions repeated or clarified when you feel confused or unsure of what to do.
• Repeat information quietly to yourself, after directions or information are presented orally.
• Ask someone to explain what words mean, or use a dictionary or electronic thesaurus, when you aren’t sure.
• Visualize – make a picture in your mind, to help you remember important points.
• Wait until your parent or teacher finishes giving directions and answers questions before starting a task.
• Write down your assignments at school to help you remember what you’re supposed to do when you get home.

http://www.amazon.com/Get-How-John-Figures-Out/dp/0984738002/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1336069125&sr=8-2

A parent/care giver can also reach for other type of intervention, such as:

1.      Speech therapy provided by a therapist experienced in Auditory Processing Deficits.

2.      Environmental aids, such as Auditory Trainers or Assistive Listening Devices, either individual or group, which can be used at home or in classrooms.

3.      Phonemic Training and other reading methods.

To learn more about Auditory Processing Disorder please see below webs:

http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/disorders/understand-apd-child.htm

http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/ears/central_auditory.html

http://www.ldonline.org/indepth/processing