The /l/ at the end of “ball”, or before a consonant in “milk”, is made with the back of the tongue raised toward the soft palate as well as the tip up. A student with a clear initial /l/ may still need practice on this final form, so the final flashcards are a board of their own.

What cue helps with /l/?

A visual cue usually works: show the tongue tip lifting to the bump behind the top teeth, and have the student hold the sound (“llll”) before adding the vowel. Log the attempt as cued while you are still giving that model.

What if a student says /w/ for /l/?

Pair the word practice with contrast work, so the student hears that swapping the sounds changes the word: “lake” and “wake”, “light” and “white”. Once they hear the difference, the flashcards give them the production practice.

Free /l/ articulation activities and games

10 free activities · no sign-up

/l/ is made with the tongue tip raised to the ridge behind the top teeth while the air flows around the sides of the tongue. A frequent substitution is /w/ (“wamp” for “lamp”). The /l/ at the end of a word, as in “ball”, is often a separate step, because that “dark” /l/ is made with the back of the tongue raised as well.

Work through the word-position flashcards, then the phrases and mixed sentences, and finish with the conversation starters. The l-blend board (bl, cl, fl, gl, pl and sl) is there for students who are steady on single /l/, and the auditory bombardment list gives a listening warm-up before production.

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Word level 5

Games, stories and more 2

Questions

What is a dark /l/?: The /l/ at the end of “ball”, or before a consonant in “milk”, is made with the back of the tongue raised toward the soft palate as well as the tip up. A student with a clear initial /l/ may still need practice on this final form, so the final flashcards are a board of their own.
What cue helps with /l/?: A visual cue usually works: show the tongue tip lifting to the bump behind the top teeth, and have the student hold the sound (“llll”) before adding the vowel. Log the attempt as cued while you are still giving that model.
What if a student says /w/ for /l/?: Pair the word practice with contrast work, so the student hears that swapping the sounds changes the word: “lake” and “wake”, “light” and “white”. Once they hear the difference, the flashcards give them the production practice.

Keep the data from every board

With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal. Assign any board as home practice through the parent portal.

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