Spider on the mirror
Make spider on the mirror (a language practice activity).
When a child has started to pronounce a sound in isolation, for example the l sound, but struggles to say it together with vowels (la, le, li etc.), we sometimes seek out the nearest mirror and take bring out the whiteboard marker.
I start by drawing an L in the middle of the mirror, and around this I draw a ring. This marks the actual body of the spider. Around the body I draw eight vowels, preferably A-E-I-O-U-Y-Ø-Å. These are the feet of the spider. Then it's ready to train.. ??
Draw a line from the body towards the foot A. L thus connects with A, and becomes the syllable LA which we say out loud together. The line that makes up the spider's leg visualizes that the sounds should be connected. Then draw a line between the L and the vowel E, and you get the syllable LE. Continue until all eight legs are drawn. Not only have you said 8 syllables - you have a giant spider on the mirror!
The point is not that the children should learn to read letters here, but to pronounce the sounds. One can use other symbols in the "legs" if letters seem distant or confusing.
This activity can be done on paper. But one can arouse commitment and we like to remember a little better when we go outside the usual sheet-at-the-table form. Another reason for using mirrors is that we can observe our mouths while articulating movements and sounds.
Please see the picture of what the spider might look like in the end. This activity can be varied and developed in many different ways.
