84 Six Ways to Use Balls in Speech Therapy

Six Ways To Use Balls In Speech Therapy

By Speech Therapy Teacher

Balls can be a useful tool in speech therapy as they can be used to engage children and encourage them to participate in various activities. Here are a few ways balls can be used in speech therapy:

Language development: Use a ball to practice following directions, answering questions, and describing objects. For example, you could ask the child to throw the ball to you using different prepositions (e.g. "throw it over the chair," "throw it under the table," etc.) or ask them to describe the ball using adjectives (e.g. "it's round," "it's bouncy," etc.).

Following directions: Playing games with a ball that involve following directions, such as "roll the ball to me" or "bounce the ball twice and then pass it," can help children improve their receptive language skills.

Vocabulary development: Using a ball with pictures on it or labeling different colored balls can help children learn new vocabulary words and improve their expressive language skills.

Turn-taking and social skills: Playing games with a ball that involve taking turns and working with others, such as catch or hot potato, can help children develop social skills and learn the importance of taking turns and sharing.

Articulation practice: Have the child practice saying words or sounds while bouncing a ball or tossing it back and forth with the therapist. This can help to improve speech clarity and accuracy.

Fluency practice: Use the ball as a visual cue to help the child slow down their speech and reduce stuttering. For example, you could have the child bounce the ball once before saying each word or syllable.

Overall, using balls in speech therapy can be a fun and engaging way to help children improve their communication skills.