Fluency Barrier Game: Explain the Build

A barrier game run for fluency rather than for vocabulary: the partner will misunderstand, and the repair has to happen without abandoning the technique or speeding up.

Use with a student — free
Card 1 of 10
Hidden build: three blocks stacked with the red one in the middle. Describe it using your technique on every first word.
Say it out loud
This pass0 correct · 0 cued · 0 incorrect · 0/10
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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

Before the first card, agree the technique being practised, easy onset on first words or light contact, and write it down where the student can see it. The listener should misunderstand on purpose at least once per build, putting the red block on top or turning the staircase the other way. That repair moment is what the activity is for. Afterwards, ask the student to rate their technique during the first description and during the repair separately. Twenty minutes covers three or four builds.

Cueing ladder

Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.

  1. Step 1IndependentThe student uses their fluency technique on their own. Listen without reminding.Log as correct
  2. Step 2Visual reminderPoint to the picture or card that stands for the technique.Log as cued
  3. Step 3Verbal reminderSay a short reminder, such as 'Use your smooth speech.'Log as cued
  4. Step 4ModelSay it yourself using the technique; the student copies, then tries the card again.Log as cued

Adjust it

Easier

Go back to shorter turns: single words or two-word phrases.

Harder

Move to longer turns, a new listener, or a little time pressure.

Matching IEP goal

Student will use their fluency technique in structured conversation in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than a visual reminder.

Send it home through the parent portal →

About this activity

Ten hidden block builds described to a partner who cannot see them: three blocks stacked with the red one in the middle; a pyramid three levels high with the top block turned sideways; a staircase of four steps facing left; a bridge with two supports and a block underneath. The point is not the blocks. The partner will get something wrong, and the student has to repair the misunderstanding without speeding up or abandoning their fluency technique.

What to listen for

Compare rate before and after the misunderstanding. Many students use their technique well while calmly describing, then rush once the partner gets it wrong. Watch for word switching, where alternating between two colors becomes something vaguer to avoid a feared word. Note secondary behaviours during repair, such as eye contact dropping or extra movements, which are often the first sign that pressure is building.

Carrying it home

Any building toy works at home. The student builds something hidden and explains it to a parent or sibling, who should ask one question the student has to answer again. Keep the focus on using the technique during that answer, not on how smooth the speech sounded.

What's in this activity

  • Hidden build: three blocks stacked with the red one in the middle. Describe it using your technique on every first word.
  • Hidden build: a square of four blocks with a fifth balanced on one corner. Repair any misunderstanding without rushing.
  • Hidden build: two towers of different heights joined by a flat piece across the top.
  • Hidden build: a line of six blocks alternating between two colors, with a gap in the middle.
  • Hidden build: a pyramid three levels high, with the top block turned sideways.
  • Hidden build: a rectangle lying flat with one block standing upright at each end.
  • Hidden build: a staircase of four steps facing left, with a small block underneath the bottom step.
  • Hidden build: a bridge with two supports, a flat span, and a block resting underneath the middle of it.
  • Hidden build: a circle of blocks with exactly one of them a different color from the rest.
  • Hidden build: two blocks side by side, a third on top of the join, and a fourth leaning against the stack.

Questions

Why would the listener misunderstand deliberately?
Because real conversation includes misunderstanding, and that is when technique tends to fall apart. Practising the repair in a low-stakes game makes it more familiar.
Do I need real blocks?
No. The partner can sketch the build on paper. Real blocks make the comparison at the end quicker.
Is it free?
Yes, all ten builds 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 free

Free for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.