Cued Articulation is an educational tool and system developed by speech therapist Jane Passy to teach phonetic sounds and their corresponding visual cues. This system is primarily used in speech therapy, language education, and early childhood education settings to help individuals, especially children, learn and produce speech sounds accurately. Cued Articulation is designed to be a multi-sensory approach to phonetic instruction, incorporating both auditory and visual cues to support speech development. Here are the key features and components of Cued Articulation:
Phonetic Sounds: Cued Articulation focuses on teaching the individual phonetic sounds of a language. These sounds are also referred to as phonemes, which are the smallest units of sound in a language.
Visual Cues: The system uses visual cues in the form of hand signs or gestures to represent each phonetic sound. Each sound is associated with a specific hand cue, which helps individuals understand how to produce the sound correctly. The hand cues illustrate the articulatory movements involved in making the sound.
Multisensory Approach: Cued Articulation emphasizes a multisensory approach to teaching speech sounds. By combining visual cues with auditory input, it helps learners connect the visual representation of a sound with its corresponding auditory perception and articulation.
Articulation Placement: The visual cues in Cued Articulation show the placement of the articulatory organs (lips, tongue, teeth, etc.) for each sound. This helps individuals understand where and how to position their mouth and tongue to produce the sound accurately.
Clear Pronunciation: Cued Articulation is particularly useful for individuals who struggle with speech sound production, including those with articulation disorders or phonological disorders. It provides a clear and systematic method for learning and practicing correct pronunciation.
Phonemic Awareness: The system can also enhance phonemic awareness, which is the ability to identify and manipulate individual phonemes within words. Phonemic awareness is a crucial skill for reading and spelling.
Educational Settings: Cued Articulation is commonly used in schools, speech therapy clinics, and early childhood education programs. Speech therapists, educators, and parents may employ this system to assist children in developing speech and phonemic skills.
Adaptability: Cued Articulation can be adapted to various languages and dialects by creating specific hand cues for the phonetic sounds unique to each language. This adaptability makes it a versatile tool for language instruction.
Integration with Literacy: The system can be integrated into literacy instruction to help children associate speech sounds with their corresponding letters or graphemes in reading and spelling.
In summary, Cued Articulation is a systematic and multisensory approach to teaching phonetic sounds. By using visual cues and hand signs to represent each sound's articulatory features, it assists individuals, especially children, in learning correct pronunciation and improving their phonemic awareness. This educational tool is widely used in speech therapy and language education to support speech sound development and enhance overall language skills.