/r/ Carry-Over Conversation Starters
Open-ended topics whose obligatory content words carry /r/, 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 track /r/ words quietly. Agree on a small signal for a missed /r/ and let them repair the word and carry on. The morning routine card is predictable, which makes it a good first topic; the compare two characters card is more open and more demanding. Mix prevocalic words like road and rule with vocalic ones like car, morning and worst. 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 /r/ without interrupting.Log as correct
- Visual cueUse a silent signal you agreed on, such as a tap on the table, when /r/ 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 cueSides of your tongue up against your top back teeth, tip either lifted and pulled back or pointed down with the tongue bunched up. Lips slightly rounded, and the tip never touches the roof.Log as cued
Adjust it
Go back to sentences: the student plans one sentence with a /r/ 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 /r/ 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 topics that force /r/ words into the answer: describe the rules of your favorite sport starting with how a player scores; tell me about a road trip or a car ride; recommend three things at your favorite restaurant; describe a room in your house well enough to draw; give directions from the front door to your classroom; the worst weather you have been out in; your morning routine from the alarm to the door. For students whose /r/ is reliable in drills but not yet in their own talk.
What to listen for
Listen for which /r/ contexts hold. Many students are solid on road and room but still distorted on vocalic /r/ in car, weather and alarm, or in clusters like driving and prefer. Placement varies by student; a bunched or tip-raised tongue with the sides against the upper back teeth both work, so judge by the sound. Note whether accuracy drops as they get engaged in the story, and whether they self-correct.
Carrying it home
Ask one topic in the car or at dinner, and pick one word to listen for, such as morning or restaurant, rather than every /r/. Mention it afterwards rather than interrupting the story.
What's in this activity
- Describe the rules of your favorite sport to somebody who has never watched it. Start with how a player scores.
- Tell me about a road trip or a car ride you remember. Where were you driving, and what made it worth remembering?
- Your friend wants to try your favorite restaurant. Describe three things on the menu and tell them what to order.
- Explain how to take care of a pet. Cover the food, the water, the exercise, and the part people forget.
- Describe a room in your house well enough that I could draw it. Start with the furniture.
- Talk about a rule at school or at home that you think should change. Give three reasons.
- You are giving directions from the front door of the school to your classroom. Walk me through every turn.
- Tell the story of the worst weather you have ever been out in. Where were you, and what did everybody around you do?
- Describe your morning routine in order, from the alarm to walking out the door.
- Compare two characters from a book or a movie you know well. Which one is more interesting, and why?
Questions
- What grades is this for?
- Third through eighth grade, for carry-over into conversation.
- Is it free?
- Yes, all ten topics play free. An account adds session data, goal scoring and assignment.
- The student is accurate in words but not here. Is that normal?
- It is the usual pattern at this stage. Conversation splits attention between content and speech, and that is what carry-over practice is for.
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.