5 Ways to Use Pop Its in Speech Therapy

These little popper sensory toys are still all the rage with kids. And I LOVE incorporating motivating toys in my sessions. Even better? They are made of silicone which means they are easily washable. 

Here are 5 ways to use pop its:

1. Early Language

Words to model: pop, push, gone, bye, all done, my turn, again, wow, woah

*These toys are also perfect for practicing pointing skills because it has them practicing isolating their index finger.

2. Speech Sounds

Whether you are working on articulation, apraxia, or persisting phonological processes, these pop it toys offer an easy way to get a TON of trials! One word per push!

3. Phonemic Awareness

These toys can be used as a visual and tactile support for the following skills: syllable segmentation, phoneme identification, phoneme addition, phoneme deletion, and phoneme substitution. 

*Tip! If you need the added visual of letters, write on the toy with a dry erase and then wipe clean! 

4. Sequencing

Whether you are sequencing steps to daily living skills or recalling events in a story, use the buttons to 'push' as you indicate each step. This is also a great way to practice 'beginning, middle, end' concepts.

5. Phonological Processes Visual

For the process of final consonant deletion, have the child segment sounds in the word and make sure they 'push' the final consonant. For minimal pair practice, you can have the two sounds written in dry erase and have the student identify which sound they hear. For weak syllable deletion, the student can push the buttons in as they say each syllable of the word. 

These are just a few ideas but the options are endless! Let me know in the comments additional ways you like to use these fun toys.

Happy speeching!