/b/ in the final position

Practice /b/ in the final position with these words:

"bib" and...

"tub."

To practice phrases, have your child tell you what kinds of bibs she sees.  Targets may include, "dinosaur bib," "white bib," and "baby bib."

To practice sentences, ask your child what foods come in tubs.  This can be a fun activity, because you and your child can walk around the store looking for foods that come in tubs.  It will increase awareness, and also give the little ones a chance to move around.  Targets may include, "Sherbet comes in a tub," "Butter comes in a tub," and "Ice cream comes in a tub."

To practice conversation, ask your child what would happen if a baby didn't wear a bib.  Remind her to use the word "bib" in each sentence.  Targets may include, "A baby would get messy if he didn't wear a bib.  Food would get on him, not on the bib.  A baby might cry without a bib."

A good way to cue for the /b/ sound is to provide the instruction, "Pop your lips."  Model this for your child.  You may want to start just by making the /b/ sound itself.  When a child needs to practice a sound at the end of the word, it is important to remind her of such.  For example, "Pop your lips at the end of the word."  After saying this, you should exaggerate the /b/ sound at the end.

/b/ in the initial position

Practice /b/ in the initial position with these words:

"bacon," and...

 "bananas."

A good way to cue for the /b/ sound is to provide the instruction, "Pop your lips."  Model this for your child.  You may want to start just by making the /b/ sound itself.

To elicit a phrase, ask for descriptions.
Q: What colors are the bananas?
A: Yellow bananas; green bananas.

To elicit a sentence, you can ask the same question but require that your child that respond in sentences.  A good model for sentences is to begin with the subject, followed by a verb: "The bananas are yellow."

To stimulate conversation, ask open-ended questions.
Q: What kind of bacon do you like?
A: I like crispy bacon.  I do not like fatty bacon.  I like bacon-lettuce-and-tomato sandwiches.
Cue your child to use the target word in her responses.

Tip: Be upfront with your child and let her know that you are practicing speech therapy at Giant Eagle.  This will build awareness of the task, and help serve as an explanation as to why you are requiring certain targets (/b/, sentences, etc.) be used.