Parents often ask if they should be practicing speech therapy at home. It’s a good question, and the answer is usually yes… but not always in the way people expect.
Speech therapy homework rarely looks like worksheets. At least I don’t think it should. Most of the time it’s simple things like practicing a few words during play, repeating a speech movement / sound while reading a favorite book, or modeling language during everyday routines.
For some types of therapy, like therapy for childhood apraxia of speech CAS), it can also be important for parents to understand the cues and prompts the therapist uses. When parents know how to support those targets at home, practice can be more effective and less frustrating for the child.
That said, homework shouldn’t feel overwhelming.
It also shouldn’t be introduced too early. In many cases, therapists need time to figure out what works best for a child before sending practice home. Therapy is often about trial, adjustment, and learning how a child responds.
And one important rule: if a child can’t successfully produce a target in therapy, it usually shouldn’t become homework yet.
Practice works best when a child is already experiencing some success. Otherwise it can quickly become discouraging for both the child and the parent.
Final Thoughts
Good therapy should make home practice feel manageable and supportive, not stressful.