Our Speech Helpers

In order to speak we use six different speech helpers. Eyes Ears Nose Mouth Voice Box Lungs

Eyes Our eyes help us to ‘see’ what other people are saying. By watching peoples mouths to see how they move we can learn new sounds or words.

Using Our Eyes We use our eyes to have fun, like playing baseball, or any game. We use our eyes when we are working at our jobs or doing homework. We use our eyes to keep us safe when we are crossing the street or maybe riding a bike. Can you read lips? This is one thing that all of us do to a certain degree. People who have hearing problems are often quite good at reading lips. By using your eyes and ears you can learn new sounds and discriminate between words that are similar.

Take Care of Your Eyes If you are having trouble seeing things close up or far away, make an appointment to see your doctor. Be sure to wear your glasses as prescribed by your doctor. Read with correct lighting to reduce eye strain. Wear safety glasses when doing dangerous work. Get a vision test at least once a year.

The Ear The ear is a vital part of our speech abilities. We use our ears to hear sounds all around us. Our ears help us learn new sounds. There are five parts to the ear.

The Five Parts of the Ear. The outer ear. The ear canal. The eardrum. The 3 bones of the ear. The cochlea.

1. The Outer Ear The outer ear collects sound waves and sends them to the ear canal.

2. The Ear Canal The sound waves in the ear canal make the eardrum vibrate.

3. The Ear Drum or Tympanic Membrane A thin semitransparent, oval- shaped membrane. Often called the eardrum because is resembles the skin stretched across a drum. The ear drum is only a fraction of an inch in size. The sound waves makes the “drum” vibrate.

4. The Three Bones of the Ear. The malleus (hammer) The incus (anvil) The stapes (stirrup) The bones are named for their shapes and are the smallest bones in the human body. The three bones connect to form a bridge between the tympanic membrane and the oval window. These bones work with a system of membranes to convey sound vibrations to the inner ear.

1. The Malleus The Malleus or the hammer is the first of the ear’s three bones. The sound vibrations move the hammer which in turn activates the incus.

2. The Incus The incus or anvil is the second bone of the inner ear. Its’ vibration moves the stapes.

3. The Stapes The final and smallest bone of the ear is the stapes or stirrup. The stapes passes the vibration through the oval window and into the inner ear.

The oval window is 20 times smaller than the tympanic membrane or ear drum and has liquid on its inner side. This liquid stimulates the cochlea.

5. The Cochlea A minute, bony, spiral shaped tube that looks like a snail shell. It houses many microscopic hairs. Pressure waves cause these hair cells to bend. The bending activates the nerve impulses to the brain.

Our brain then “interprets” the impulses into the sounds we hear.

Can you hear the differences in sounds Can you hear the differences in sounds? Say each sound out loud, decide if it is a long sound or short.

How did you do? The long sounds are in pink.

Nose When we breath air comes into our body through the nose and mouth. Three things happen in your nose. 1. The air is cleaned by the tiny hairs inside your nose. 2. The air is warmed by your nose. 3. And last, the nose makes the air wet as it passes through.

These are the nose sounds: m n ng The air goes into the nasal cavity to help give these letters special sounds. Try holding your nose and making them. You’ll see that without proper resonance in the nasal cavity the sounds cannot be made.

The Mouth The parts of the mouth that help us with speech are: 1. Lips 2. Teeth 3. Tongue 4. Palate 2 4 1 3

1. Lips The muscles in our lips help us to make many different speech sounds. You can push your lips out for /sh/ or close them fast for the /p/ sound.

2. Teeth Our teeth help us chew food but they also help us make certain sounds. The /f/ and /th/ sounds are good examples.

3. Tongue The tongue is made up of many muscles. It moves your food around in your mouth. It helps you taste and swallow your food. But it also helps you to make many sounds, such as, /l/, /t/, and /r/.

4. Palate Your palate is the top and back part of your mouth. Often referred to as the ‘roof’. The hard palate is the front portion and the soft palate is the back area. You can feel the differences between these areas with your tongue. The palate and the tongue work together to make speech sounds such as /k/ and /g/. hard soft

Can you tell the mouth parts needed to make these sounds Can you tell the mouth parts needed to make these sounds? (Teeth, lips, tongue, palate) f m k p th t s r v

How did you do? f - teeth and lips m - lips k - tongue, palate p - lips th - tongue, teeth t - tongue, palate s - teeth, tongue r - tongue, palate v - teeth, lips

Take Good Care of Your Mouth and All its’ Parts Take Good Care of Your Mouth and All its’ Parts. A Clean Mouth is a Healthy Mouth. Brush your teeth at least two times a day. Floss every day. Eat healthy foods. See your dentist every six months.

Lungs We use the air that we breath for speech. Speech sounds are made as air is breathed out of our body. The air goes up from the lungs to the windpipe and then through the voice box.

Good Breath Support is Important. If you do not have good breath support you would not be able to finish a sentence without running out of air. Lack of good breath support can also make your speech difficult for others to hear. Good breath support is needed for every single thing we do, from running and playing to sitting in front of the computer and of course talking on the phone.

Healthy Lungs Never ever smoke. Stay away from strong chemicals, vapors, and dust. Keep our air pollution free so everyone can be healthy. Exercise regularly. See your doctor if you become short of breath frequently or suddenly.

Voice Box The voice box or larynx houses the vocal cords and is located at the top of our windpipe. The air we breath vibrates the vocal cords which make the sounds of speech.

Turn it on - Turn it off Some sounds are made with the voice turned on. Put your hand on your throat and say this sound /b/. You can feel when your voice is turned on. Some sounds are made with the voice turned off. Put your hand on your throat and say this sound /p/. There is no vibration to feel, your voice is turned off.

Say each sound and determine if your voice is on or off. p sh g z t m ch r s v k h

How did you do? p - off sh - off g - on z - on t - off m - on ch - off r - on s - off v - on k - off h - off

Taking Care of Your Voice Your best voice is the right voice for your age, sex, and size, use it at all times. Do not yell, scream, or talk loudly. This strains your voice . If you have severe colds or allergies, your throat may become sore or you may lose your voice. Always check with your doctor for treatment. Don’t smoke, and always try to breath clean air.