/l/ Carry-Over Conversation Starters
Open-ended topics whose obligatory content words carry /l/, for carry-over into connected and spontaneous speech.
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
Let the student talk and keep your attention on the /l/ words without correcting mid-sentence. Agree beforehand on a quiet signal, such as a tap, for a missed /l/, and have them fix the word and keep going. Directions to the library is a good opener because left, right and library recur. The talk about a class you like and would drop card forces like, list and reasons several times. Fifteen minutes covers three or four topics.
Cueing ladder
Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.
- IndependentGive the prompt and let the student talk. Listen for /l/ without interrupting.Log as correct
- Visual cueUse a silent signal you agreed on, such as a tap on the table, when /l/ slips.Log as cued
- Verbal modelRecast the word that slipped, correctly, and have the student say just that word before carrying on.Log as cued
- Placement cueTongue tip up on the bumpy ridge behind your top teeth, and keep it there while your voice flows out around the sides of your tongue.Log as cued
Adjust it
Go back to sentences: the student plans one sentence with a /l/ word before speaking.
Fade your signal. Record a minute of talk and have the student count their own errors afterwards.
Matching IEP goal
Given conversation prompts, Student will produce /l/ in all word positions in structured conversation in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than a visual cue.
Send it home through the parent portal →About this activity
Ten open conversation topics where the words a student needs to answer carry /l/: the last movie you loved, your favorite lunch, the longest line you ever stood in, directions to the library with every left and right, a class you like and one you would drop, a holiday your family celebrates. This is carry-over work for students whose /l/ is solid in structured practice but slips once they are talking freely.
What to listen for
Listen for /l/ holding in the longer words like library, holiday and plot, and in clusters like plate and play. Placement is the tongue tip up on the ridge behind the top teeth with air flowing over the sides; a /w/ or /j/ sound, so like becomes wike, means the tip dropped. Notice whether errors increase as the student gets interested in the topic, which is the typical carry-over pattern, and whether they self-correct without the signal.
Carrying it home
Ask one of these questions at dinner and let the student answer at length. A parent can listen for the /l/ on just one word, such as like or lunch, rather than all of them, and mention it afterwards rather than interrupting.
What's in this activity
- Tell me about the last movie you loved. Explain the plot without spoiling the ending.
- Describe your favorite lunch. List everything on the plate and tell me what you would leave off.
- Explain the rules of a game you play well enough for somebody to play it with you.
- Talk about a place you would like to live someday. Tell me what a normal day would look like there.
- Describe the longest line you have ever stood in. Tell me how long you waited and what you were holding.
- Tell me about an animal you like and one you would leave alone. Explain both.
- Explain how to get to the library from here. Include every left and every right.
- Talk about a class you like and a class you would drop. List the reasons for both.
- Describe a holiday your family celebrates. Tell me who comes, what is on the table, and how long it all lasts.
- Tell the whole story of the last time you were really late. Leave nothing out.
Questions
- What grades is this for?
- Third through eighth grade, for students working on carry-over into conversation.
- Is it free?
- Yes, all ten topics play free in the browser. An account adds session data and goal scoring.
- Should I correct every error?
- No. Correcting every word stops the conversation, which defeats the purpose. Pick a signal, use it sparingly, and count accuracy afterwards.
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.