/t/ Initial Flashcards
Conventional word-initial /t/ targets at the single-word level.
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
Start with the one-syllable words: toy, tub, tie, tag. /t/ is made with the tongue tip on the ridge behind the top teeth, then a quick release with a small puff of air and no voice. A tissue held in front of the mouth shows the puff, which makes a good visual check. Take the longer words last — tomato and table ask the child to keep the tip placement while the word goes on. Six minutes covers the twelve with a second pass on the misses.
Cueing ladder
Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.
- IndependentShow the card and wait 3 seconds for the student to say it.Log as correct
- Visual cuePoint to your mouth, or show the mouth picture for /t/, before the student tries again.Log as cued
- Verbal modelSay the word; the student says it right after you.Log as cued
- Placement cueTongue tip up on the bumpy ridge behind your top teeth, then drop it with a quick, quiet puff. Voice off.Log as cued
Adjust it
Drop to syllables ('ta' and 'tee'), or use fewer cards.
Put each word in a short carrier phrase with no /t/ in it or mix in /t/ words from another position.
Matching IEP goal
Given picture cards, Student will produce /t/ in the word-initial position in single words 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
Twelve words starting with /t/: toy, tub, tent, tape, tie, toad, table, taco, tomato, tummy, tag, tooth. Most are one syllable; table, taco and tummy add a second, and tomato a third, for when the short words are steady.
What to listen for
Listen for /k/ replacing /t/ — koy for toy — which means the back of the tongue is lifting instead of the tip. A /d/ in place of /t/, doy for toy, means the voice is on too early. Tent and tooth are worth watching separately: tent has a /t/ at both ends, and tooth ends in /th/, which pulls the tongue forward and can blur the first sound.
Carrying it home
Toys, tummy and tooth brushing give daily chances. Model the word back clearly — your tooth, yes — and let the child watch your mouth, rather than asking them to say it again.
What's in this activity
- toy
- tub
- tent
- tape
- tie
- toad
- table
- taco
- tomato
- tummy
- tag
- tooth
Questions
- What grades is this for?
- Pre-K through second grade.
- Is it free?
- Yes, the twelve cards play in the browser with no login.
- My child says 'koy' for 'toy'. What do I cue?
- The tongue tip. Show in a mirror that the tip goes up behind the top teeth; a light touch on that spot with a finger or a lollipop can help the child find it.
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.