Vowel therapy kit for apraxia & motor speech disorders
Don't skip the vowels.
The Motor Speech Vowel Kit gives SLPs a scaffolded, print-and-go path for 14 vowels, with real mouth-photo cues, syllable-shape word lists, photo flashcards, contrast pairs and built-in data grids.
Vowels are a core piece of motor planning therapy.
Most therapy decks focus on consonants. But for many children with apraxia, the vowel is where the word falls apart.
A core feature of CAS
Inconsistent errors on consonants and vowels are one of the three consensus features of childhood apraxia of speech.
Recommended early targets
Vowel distortions are common in CAS, and distorted vowels are recommended as targets early in treatment, practiced in words.
Key to being understood
Vowels carry much of what makes speech intelligible. When the vowel is off, the whole word is harder to understand.
14 vowels. 4 levels. One clear path.
Start with the vowels whose mouth shapes are easiest to tell apart, then move toward the ones that are close together or need movement.
Corner Vowels
Smile, open, round. The three most different shapes.
Mid Anchors
Fill in the space between the corners.
Close Neighbors
Small mouth differences, where contrast pairs matter most.
Glides
Two mouth positions in one vowel.
Every vowel climbs the same syllable ladder
Everything you need, ready to print.
A whole session on one page.
- A real child's mouth photo for the vowel
- See it, feel it, say it, and watch-for tips
- Word lists sorted by syllable shape, with early consonants
- Two contrast sets and a cueing data grid
A real photo for every word.
- Pink letters highlight the target vowel
- A mouth-shape photo in every card corner
- Organized by syllable shape, so you can climb the ladder
pie or pa?
- Vowel minimal pairs for every unit
- Lilac letters show the contrasting vowel, so children see the change as well as hear it
- Notes for dialect differences, like the cot/caught merger
Fade cues. Track progress.
Every unit's data grid follows the DTTC cueing hierarchy, so you can see exactly where each child is on every syllable shape.
Built on motor learning principles.
- Vowel targets practiced in words, not isolation
- Syllable shapes that build from simple to complex
- A shift from blocked to random practice as accuracy grows
- Corner vowels first, lax vowels later, following typical development
The kit includes a full research page with references. It's designed to be used within an evidence-based motor speech approach such as DTTC or ReST.
Made for SLPs. Easy to share with families.
Print and go.
14 vowel units with cue pages, word lists, photo flashcards, contrast cards and data grids. Use the whole kit, or pull a single unit for the vowel you're targeting this week.
Bring it to therapy.
If your child has apraxia of speech, share this kit with your child's speech-language pathologist to make vowel practice clear and consistent, in therapy and at home.
Motor Speech Vowel Kit
Everything included
- 14 vowel units in 4 levels
- Mouth-photo cue page for every vowel
- Word lists by syllable shape (CV, VC, CVC, CVCV)
- Photo flashcards for every word
- Vowel contrast-pair cards
- Cueing data grid for every unit
- Research summary with references
127-page PDF · instant download · single therapist license
Buy nowGood to know.
What format is it?
A 127-page PDF you can download right after purchase. Print it in color, or pull up pages on a screen. Each of the 14 vowel units is also clearly marked, so you can print just the unit you need.
Why work on vowels in childhood apraxia of speech?
Inconsistent errors on consonants and vowels are one of three core features of childhood apraxia of speech (ASHA, 2007). Vowel errors make words much harder to understand, so vowel accuracy is often an early treatment target (Strand, 2020). This kit gives you a structured way to practice them in real words.
Who is it designed for?
Speech-language pathologists working with children who have childhood apraxia of speech or other motor speech disorders that affect vowel accuracy. The photos and word lists are designed with young children in mind.
Do I need special training to use it?
No. The kit is a set of therapy materials, and every page explains how to use it. It's designed to fit within the motor speech approach you already use, such as DTTC or ReST.
I'm a parent. Can I buy it?
Yes. It works best when you use it together with your child's speech-language pathologist, who can choose the right vowels and cues for your child. It's a therapy resource, not a substitute for evaluation and treatment.
What about dialect differences?
The kit notes where regional speech patterns matter, like the cot/caught merger and glide differences common in Texas and the South, so you can match your student's community.
Can I share it with my team?
Each purchase is a single therapist license. For a team or school license, email thespeechsource@gmail.com.
References: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2007). Childhood apraxia of speech [Position statement]. · Kent, R. D. (2020). What acoustic studies tell us about vowels in developing and disordered speech. AJSLP, 29(3). · Strand, E. A. (2020). Dynamic temporal and tactile cueing: A treatment strategy for childhood apraxia of speech. AJSLP, 29(1).