When children are working on their speech sounds, therapy sessions with a speech-language pathologist (SLP) are only one part of the journey. Most children attend therapy once or twice a week for 30 minutes. While these sessions are essential, they simply do not provide enough practice on their own for a child to make quick and lasting progress.

Think about it this way: learning new speech sounds is like learning to play a musical instrument or a sport. If a child only practiced piano for 30 minutes a week, it would take a very long time to improve. The same is true for speech. Children need consistent, repeated practice outside of therapy to strengthen their speech skills and build new habits.

Home practice bridges the gap between therapy and real life. It gives children the chance to use their new sounds in a comfortable, familiar environment and helps them generalize those skills into everyday conversations. Parents and caregivers are powerful partners in this process. Even a few minutes a day can make a significant difference.

Why High Trials Are Important

In speech therapy, you will often hear the phrase “high trials.” This means your child gets lots of opportunities to say their target word or sound in a single session.

Why is this important?

Repetition builds muscle memory. Speech sounds require coordination of the lips, tongue, teeth, and airflow. Repeating a sound over and over helps the brain and mouth learn the movement pattern.
More practice = faster progress. Research shows that children who get more trials in practice sessions improve more quickly.
Confidence grows with success. Saying the word correctly multiple times in a row builds confidence and helps reduce frustration.

As a rule of thumb, therapists often aim for 50–100 trials in a session. This may sound like a lot, but when broken down into fun, engaging activities, it’s very achievable. A child can reach 50 trials in just 10 minutes if they are motivated and the activity is designed well.

Making Practice Fun and Doable at Home

Parents sometimes feel unsure about how to practice speech at home. You may wonder:

Am I doing it the right way?
How can I keep my child from losing interest?
What if they get frustrated?

The good news is that home practice does not need to look like therapy “homework.” In fact, the most successful practice sessions often look like play. The trick is to blend practice into games your child already enjoys.

The activities below are designed to give you clear, simple steps. Each game keeps your child motivated, gives them ownership of the process, and makes high-trial practice feel fun rather than forced.

Activity Ideas with Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Play-Doh Snake Smash

What you need: Play-Doh, a marker cap, stamp, or coin

How to play:

Roll out a long snake from Play-Doh.
Have your child say their target word.
Each time they say it, they press down on the snake with the marker cap or stamp.
Keep going until the snake is flattened.

Script:
Parent: “Sun.You try.”
Child: “Sun!” (presses down)
Parent: “Awesome—make another stamp! Say it again.”

Why it works: Children can easily rack up dozens of trials as they work down the snake, and the hands-on sensory experience keeps them engaged.

2. Double or Triple Repeats with Blocks

What you need: Blocks, Legos, or Magnatiles

How to play:

Tell your child they must say the target word 2–3 times before earning one block.
Stack the blocks to build a tower, rocket, or castle.
Watch their excitement grow as the structure gets bigger.

Script:
Parent: “Cat…again….again…nice, here is a block.”
Child: “Cat, cat, cat!”
Parent: “Perfect! Now add a block to your tower.”

Why it works: The repetition boosts the number of trials, and building something motivates kids to keep going.

3. Pop-Up Pirate

How to play:

Each time your child says their word 3–5 times, they get to put a sword in the barrel.
Continue until the pirate pops.

Script:
Parent: “Bus, again, again.”
Child: “Bus, bus, bus!”
Parent: “Nice—pick your sword and see what happens!”

Why it works: The anticipation of the pirate popping keeps kids practicing without even realizing how many trials they have completed.

Don’t Break the Ice

How to play:

Take all the ice cubes.
Have your child practice a word and give then an ice cube to put in while setting up the game.
Once the game is set up you can continue to practice sounds and words.
Before tapping a block, your child practices their word.
The more words they say, the more blocks they get to knock out.
Celebrate when the ice finally breaks.

Script:
Parent: “Say fish.”
Child: “Fish!” (taps block)
Parent: “Great—let’s say it again for the next block.”

5. Beware the Bear

How to play:

After saying their target, your child gets to sneak a piece of food from the bear’s basket.
Keep playing until the bear pops up!

Script:
Parent: “Say top two times.”
Child: “Top, top!”
Parent: “Excellent—now you can steal from the bear.”

6. Jenga (or Mini Jenga)

How to play:

Before pulling a block, your child practices their target word.
They must say it 2–3 times before choosing a block.
Continue until the tower tumbles.

Script:
Parent: “Say zip two times before you pull.”
Child: “Zip, zip!”
Parent: “Awesome—now pull carefully!”

7. Memory Match

How to play:

Lay cards face down.
Before flipping, your child says their target.
Each time they find a match, cheer and keep going.

Script:
Parent: “Tell me duck before you flip a card.”
Child: “Duck!” (flips card)
Parent: “Great try—say it again for the next one.”

8. Quick Everyday Options (No Games Needed)

Not every practice session has to involve a full game. Some families find success with quick bursts of practice during daily routines.

Car practice: “Say your word before we buckle the seatbelt.”
Mealtime practice: “Say it three times before you get your spoon.”
High-five practice: Give a high-five each time your child says the word.

These mini-moments add up quickly and keep practice stress-free.

Parent Tips for Keeping Practice Successful

Aim for short bursts. Five to ten minutes is plenty. Consistency is more important than long sessions.
Stay positive. Cheer for effort and celebrate clear attempts. Avoid correcting too harshly, gentle reminders work best.
Pick the right time. Choose moments when your child is calm, not tired or hungry.
Use scripts. Simple phrases like, “Say it three times before your turn” make expectations clear.
Make it routine. Tie practice to daily habits, like right after school or before bedtime.
Track progress. Use stickers, checkmarks, or a simple chart so your child can see how much they have practiced.

The Big Picture: From Practice to Progress

Consistent home practice helps children do three things:

Strengthen their speech coordinations through repetition.
Build confidence by experiencing success in a safe, supportive space.
Transfer skills into real life, so that correct sounds start appearing in everyday conversations.

When parents create fun, high-trial opportunities at home, therapy goals are reached faster, and children feel proud of their progress. You do not need fancy materials or long sessions, just a few minutes of playful, structured practice each day.

Final Encouragement

You are not expected to be your child’s speech therapist—you are their biggest supporter. The goal of home practice is not perfection, but opportunity. Every time your child gets to practice their sound, they are one step closer to making it stick.

So roll out some Play-Doh, grab a game off the shelf, or sneak in a few quick words during your daily routine. With your support, your child can turn practice into progress.

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Disclaimer: This article offers general educational information. It is not a substitute for professional evaluation or treatment. Please consult a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist for personalized concerns regarding your child’s speech development.