Carry-Over Barrier Game: Build What I Describe
Two players, one screen between them. The speaker describes a hidden scene in their own words until the partner's drawing matches, which forces spontaneous speech, repair and specificity at the same time.
Session summary (SOAP)
Stays on this screen. Nothing is saved or sent.
Mark a card Correct, Correct with cue or Incorrect and the summary writes itself here.
How to run it
Put a real barrier between the players, a folder or a turned laptop, so the listener cannot see the card. Before starting, agree which target sound the speaker is monitoring and point out a few loaded words in the scene: strawberries, squirrel, scooter and striped umbrella for /s/, or barn, farmer and purple for /r/. Let the description run, then compare drawings and talk about which details got lost. Twenty minutes allows two or three scenes with a review.
Cueing ladder
Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.
- IndependentThe student works through the card on their own, listening for their target sound.Log as correct
- SignalUse a silent signal you agreed on, such as a tap on the table, when their target sound slips.Log as cued
- AskAsk 'Did that sound right?' and let the student try the word again.Log as cued
- ModelSay the word correctly; the student repeats it, then carries on.Log as cued
Adjust it
Slow the pace: the student plans each sentence before saying it.
Fade the signal. Record the student and have them count their own errors afterwards.
Matching IEP goal
During this activity, Student will produce their target sound correctly in structured conversation, self-correcting any error, in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than a nonverbal signal.
Send it home through the parent portal →About this activity
Ten hidden scenes, each described until the partner's drawing matches: a red barn with three brown horses and a farmer carrying a bucket; a purple backpack under a chair; a tall lighthouse on a rocky shore; a robot with one long arm and one short arm holding a flashlight; a birthday cake with seven candles, four of them blown out. The student has to choose their own words, fix misunderstandings and be precise, all while keeping their sound in place.
What to listen for
The interesting moment is repair. When the partner draws the sailboat on the wrong side of the lighthouse, the speaker has to rephrase quickly, and that is where a target sound usually slips. Note whether errors cluster in the corrections compared with the first description. A student who simplifies vocabulary to avoid a hard word, saying cat instead of squirrel, is avoiding the target, which is worth naming out loud.
Carrying it home
Families can play this at the kitchen table with any picture and a sheet of paper. The child describes, the adult draws, and both compare at the end. Ask the adult to listen for one target sound only and to mention it once afterwards rather than interrupting.
What's in this activity
- Hidden scene: a red barn, three brown horses in front of it, and a farmer carrying a bucket. Describe it until your partner's drawing matches.
- Hidden scene: a purple backpack under a chair, with a sandwich and a water bottle sticking out of the top pocket.
- Hidden scene: a tall lighthouse on a rocky shore, a small sailboat to the left of it, and clouds covering half the sky.
- Hidden scene: a kitchen table set for two, with a bowl of soup, a folded napkin, and a spoon on the wrong side.
- Hidden scene: a robot with square feet, one long arm and one short arm, holding a flashlight that is switched on.
- Hidden scene: a park bench with a squirrel underneath, a scooter leaning against the armrest, and an acorn in the middle of the path.
- Hidden scene: a birthday cake with seven candles, four of them blown out, and a plate of strawberries beside it.
- Hidden scene: a bedroom shelf holding three books, a soccer trophy, and a picture frame turned face down.
- Hidden scene: a rainy street corner with a yellow taxi, a person under a striped umbrella, and a puddle by the curb.
- Hidden scene: a treehouse with a rope ladder, a bucket hanging from a branch, and a cat halfway up the trunk.
Questions
- Which sounds does this work for?
- Any sound the student is carrying over. The scenes are full of everyday vocabulary, so most targets appear naturally in the descriptions.
- Can I use it in a group?
- Yes. Pair students and rotate who describes. Listeners can also tally the speaker's target sound, which gives them a job.
- Do I need an account?
- No, all ten scenes play free in the browser. An account adds session data, goal scoring and assignment.
Use this board with your caseload
With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.
Track progress freeFree for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.