Speech Therapy Homework: Should We Be Giving Homework in Speech Therapy?
My Thoughts on Speech Therapy Homework
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Do you send speech therapy homework home with your students? Do you make speech therapy summer packets for your students? I have mixed feelings when it comes to speech therapy homework and summer packets. I have SEEN the benefits of home practice for speech therapy targets. However, as a mom, I can understand not wanting one more thing on your plate. And as a therapist I’m worried about children practicing incorrectly…
Homework in speech therapy has long been the status quo, and it is often seen as a key component of successful therapy. Many speech-language pathologists (SLPs) regularly send home practice assignments to reinforce the skills targeted during sessions. The idea is that homework helps bridge the gap between therapy sessions and real life, encouraging children to practice and carry over their skills outside of the clinic or school setting. But let’s break down the pros and cons of speech therapy homework, shall we?
What Are the Benefits of Speech Therapy Homework?
There are definitely benefits to giving homework in speech therapy, particularly when it comes to improving carryover of speech sound production. Consistent practice at home can significantly speed up progress, helping children to solidify their skills outside of the therapy room. Homework provides additional opportunities for repetition, which is absolutely necessary in mastering speech sound production. We all know that coming to see us once a week is not going to make for an expedited therapy process!
What Are the Negatives of Speech Therapy Homework?
However, assigning homework is not without its challenges. One major concern is the time constraint faced by busy families. Many parents are juggling work, school, and other extracurricular activities, leaving little room for “regular” homework, let alone speech homework! Additionally, when it comes to speech sound disorders, there’s the risk that the child may practice incorrectly without the guidance of a trained therapist, reinforcing errors rather than correcting them. We don’t want a child to engage in “negative practice” of speech sounds (incorrect practice) which they will then have to unlearn.
If I’m Going to Give Speech Therapy Homework…
It is my personal opinion that homework in speech therapy should sometimes be given, but with careful consideration to maximize its effectiveness. I believe homework is essential to help with the carryover of speech sound production, particularly because 1-2 sessions per week is often not enough to make the most progress.
However, it’s super important that homework only includes targets we know the child can produce correctly. This ensures that practice at home reinforces accurate speech sounds rather than unintentionally reinforcing mistakes. If I don’t think a child is going to be able to practice correctly without the SLP present, then I won’t assign homework! But we will continue to work towards more independent productions in therapy so that homework can be given at some point! We need to move practice outside of the therapy room at some point.
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Also, if I’m going to give speech therapy homework, it has to be EASY on my part to get it together! I mean let’s be real. We as SLPs are all strapped for time, and we don’t want to waste any of it curating a huge packet of materials that may or may not get completed!
And lastly, if I’m going to give speech therapy homework, it has to consist of activities that don’t take too long to complete. These activities should be engaging and simple for families to do. Homework should be a productive part of the therapeutic process and not just “one more thing” for families to do!
Easy Speech Therapy Homework
To make your SLP life easier and to help families manage homework, I’ve created these worksheet bundles that focus specifically on a particular speech sound. These packets are designed to get high trials of speech sound practice while also being quick to complete, hands-on, and engaging. They provide clear, easy-to-follow instructions to help families know what to do without feeling overwhelmed. With each packet containing a BUNCH of activities for each sound, you will never run out of homework for your clients!
