The Connection Between Articulation Disorders and Literacy: Practical Tips for SLPs

Hi, SLP friends! 👋🏼

As a mom, speech therapist, and resource creator, I’m always looking for ways to be as efficient as possible. My days are often a whirlwind of meeting the needs of my four kids, managing tech hiccups in my business, and running a household—all while ensuring my clients’ speech and language needs are met. Like many of you, I’m also constantly thinking ahead, anticipating milestones, and preparing for the academic challenges our kiddos might face as they grow.

One area I’ve been diving into lately is the connection between articulation (speech sound) disorders and literacy. The research here is fascinating and has significant implications for how we support the children we work with. Let’s unpack this a bit and explore how we can make a meaningful impact.

What Does the Research Say? 🔍

Did you know that children with speech and language difficulties are disproportionately represented among those with reading disorders? (Adlof, 2017; Adlof & Hogan, 2018; Cabbage et al., 2018; Catts et al., 2005). Research also suggests that up to 25% of children receiving speech-language therapy for speech sound disorders may concurrently receive reading supports (Gosse et al., 2012; Tambyraja et al., 2020).

This overlap is a big deal for us as SLPs. It means that by addressing phonological awareness during our sessions, we’re not just working on speech sounds—we’re setting these kids up for future success in reading, too. But how do we do that without overwhelming ourselves or our already-packed schedules?

Tips for Embedding Phonological Awareness in Therapy 👇🏼

Here are a few simple strategies that have worked well for me. Give them a try, and tweak them as needed to fit your therapy style!

1. Use Visuals for the Letter-Sound Connection While working on specific sounds, display the target phoneme alongside its corresponding letter. If you’re using picture cue cards, include the letter as well. This passive exposure helps kids start linking the sound to its grapheme without adding extra steps to your session. Make it easy by checking out my Drill Card Bundle which is a great visual support for your entire caseload! 

2. Incorporate Books with Target Sounds Bring a book into your sessions that features your target sound. As you read, ask your client to let you know when they hear the sound. Point out the target phoneme in the text to reinforce the connection between what they hear and what they see. You can make your picture book time more hands-on with my Apraxia Interactive Picture Scene Activities!

3. Identify Sound Positions During drill practice, ask kids to identify whether the sound appears at the beginning, middle, or end of the word. At the phrase or sentence level, have them identify which word contained the target sound and its position. This simple question promotes auditory discrimination and phonological awareness.

4. Get Hands-On with Manipulatives Kids love hands-on activities, and these can be a great way to make learning fun. Use manipulatives like Learning Resources’ Alphabet Acorns or AlphaPops to practice identifying grapheme pairs or matching words based on sound. For added versatility, check out tools like my Articulation Dot and Smash or Articulation Drill Dots, which provide visual cues while practicing sounds.

Why It Matters

By embedding phonological awareness into our therapy sessions, we’re doing more than just helping kids produce specific sounds. We’re giving them the tools they need to succeed in reading and beyond. These small changes can have a big impact, and the best part is that they don’t require a total overhaul of your therapy plans.

So, let’s make it a goal to integrate these strategies into our work. Our kids deserve evidence-based supports that are easy to implement and can help set them up for a bright future. Together, we can make a difference—one sound at a time.

Sources

• Adlof, S. M. (2017).

• Adlof, S. M., & Hogan, T. P. (2018).

• Cabbage, K. L., et al. (2018).

• Catts, H. W., et al. (2005).

• Gosse, C. S., et al. (2012).

• Tambyraja, S. R., et al. (2020).