You may find yourself translating for your child constantly. Maybe family members ask your child to repeat themselves several times, teachers have trouble understanding them, or other children seem confused during conversations. As a parent, it can be difficult to tell whether your child is still developing speech skills normally or if they may need extra support.
Some children naturally take longer to develop clear speech, but difficulty pronouncing sounds can sometimes be connected to deeper challenges. The good news is that children can strengthen the skills they need for clear speech with the right support and practice. In this article, we’ll explain how.
What Are Oral Motor Skills, and Why Do They Matter?
Oral motor skills are the movements of the tongue, lips, jaw, and throat needed for speech and feeding. These muscles work together to help children speak clearly, chew safely, drink from cups and straws, and manage saliva appropriately.
Speech requires very precise coordination between these muscles. Children must learn how to move their mouths in specific ways to produce different sounds and combine those sounds into understandable words.
Because so many small movements happen so quickly during speech, some children need extra support developing the strength, coordination, and motor planning skills they need for clear communication.
Signs Your Child May Be Struggling with Oral Motor Skills
Children develop speech at different rates, but some signs may suggest your child is having difficulty coordinating the movements needed for speech. You might notice your child:
- Is difficult for unfamiliar listeners to understand
- Slurs words or leaves out sounds
- Has trouble pronouncing certain sounds consistently
- Speaks less clearly than other children their age
- Moves their mouth awkwardly when trying to speak
- Gets frustrated when others cannot understand them
- Has difficulty chewing certain foods
- Drools more than expected for their age
- Struggles to use straws or blow bubbles
Why Oral Motor Skills Affect Speech Clarity
Speech is not only about knowing what to say. Children must also coordinate the physical movements needed to produce speech sounds accurately and consistently. When oral motor skills are still developing, children may have difficulty:
- Positioning their tongue correctly
- movements smoothly
- Transitioning between sounds quickly
- Controlling airflow during speech
- Maintaining the strength and stability needed for clear speech
For some children, these challenges affect only a few sounds. For others, speech may be difficult to understand more often, especially during longer conversations or when speaking quickly.
Simple Activities You Can Use at Home to Support Your Child’s Speech Development
Children often build oral motor skills best through playful, engaging activities that encourage mouth movement and coordination naturally. Here are some of our favorite suggestions you can try at home:
1. Blow Bubbles
Blowing bubbles helps children practice breath control, lip movement, and coordination. Activities that involve blowing can help strengthen the muscles used during speech.
You can also try:
- Blowing cotton balls across a table
- Blowing pinwheels
- Blowing through straws during water play
2. Practice Using Straws
Drinking through straws encourages lip strength and coordination. Using thicker liquids like smoothies or applesauce can increase the challenge gradually as your child builds strength. Different straw sizes can also provide opportunities for practice with oral motor control.
3. Sing Songs and Repeat Rhymes
Songs, nursery rhymes, and repetitive phrases encourage children to practice sounds and mouth movements in a fun, low-pressure way. Repetition also helps children build awareness of how sounds are formed.
Simple, repetitive songs often feel easier and more motivating for children than direct speech practice alone.
4. Encourage Face and Mouth Imitation
Making silly faces together can help children become more aware of how their mouths move. You can practice:
- Smiling
- Puffing cheeks
- Sticking out the tongue
- Blowing kisses
- Making exaggerated speech sounds
5. Read Books That Encourage Sound Play
Books with repetitive sounds, rhyming patterns, or animal noises encourage children to experiment with speech sounds naturally. These playful interactions can support sound awareness and speech practice during shared reading time.
How Speech Therapy Can Help with Oral Motor Skills
Our speech therapists can evaluate how your child’s oral motor skills affect their communication. Then, in therapy, we focus on helping children strengthen coordination, motor planning, and speech clarity in ways that feel fun and easy.
Depending on your child’s needs, therapy may include:
- Practicing speech sounds
- Improving coordination of mouth movements
- Building breath support and airflow control
- Strengthening oral awareness
- Supporting feeding and chewing skills
- Using play-based activities to encourage speech practice
Our therapists also provide guidance and activities families can continue practicing at home to support progress between sessions.
When to Reach Out for Extra Support
If your child is difficult to understand, becomes frustrated when communicating, or struggles with speech clarity compared to peers their age, additional support may help.
At Tender Ones Therapy Services, our speech therapists help children develop the oral motor and communication skills they need to express themselves more clearly and confidently. Contact our team today to schedule an evaluation and learn how we can support your child’s speech development.
