Importance of Homework Practice
Written by: Anna Pasternak / Treatment / September 20, 2023 / 8 minutes read
A speech pathologist will always assign homework after every session, so that the client can continue with practice until the next meeting. Practice outside of sessions is an essential component when receiving speech therapy. This practice helps with maintenance of skills learned during the session, as well as to progress and see improvements before your next therapy session. Homework can also help to generalize the skills learned during a session, to more personal type contexts such as social and professional settings.
Practice that is consistent will allow the client to develop the skills learned in clinic to reach their ultimate communication goals. It is recommended that the client practice daily. Daily practice is a key component of achieving generalization of goals. That being said, daily practice does not have to be exaggerated. As a clinician I often recommended at least 15 minutes of practice a day. That daily practice, though not long, allows for consistency of practicing goals. This consistency helps clients reach their goals faster as we use our language and speech throughout the day. Because we use our speech daily, it should also be practiced daily. If you want to improve your enunciation, for example to sound more clear, then a conscious effort needs to be put in daily, where you are practicing your speech how you would like it to sound consistently in the end.
Sometimes clients come saying that they do not have time to practice as they are very busy. It is completely understandable and a reasonable problem to have. Our lives get very busy with family and work, and sometimes even the 15 minutes may feel like a hassle. In these situations, I always let clients know that something, even if it is 2 minutes of putting a mental effort towards their goals, is better than doing nothing at all. Small steps will gradually get you to where you want to be. Often in these cases I recommend that if clients feel they are too busy to look at the specific homework sent by the clinician, to try to incorporate their practice into their daily tasks. Some of these opportunities for practice may be ( of course depending on goals): reading an article or email out loud while focusing on the specific speech goal, and when talking to anybody, making a point to become conscious of the goal for at least 1 minute in the conversation. Incorporating practice into your daily life will allow for homework practice to not seem like an additional task to do on top of an already busy schedule. Remember every little bit of practice you add in will help you reach your goals faster.
Homework should be clearly discussed during the therapy session so that the client understands the goals they need to be targeting. As a clinician I always tell clients to take a few notes when specific instructions are being given, that may not be written out on the homework material. This allows the client to have a clear understanding of what they should be working on for the week. As a client if you are unsure, always ask questions and get clarification from your clinician. You can also always send an email to your clinician if any questions arise, or discuss the difficulties you may have had during your next therapy session. Open communication is key to seeing successful results.
It is recommended that the client practice daily. Daily practice is a key component of achieving generalization of goals.
It is also recommended when possible to set a clear schedule and put time aside for practicing speech therapy homework. Maybe you have some time in the morning or you often have a chunk of time you can put aside in the evenings. Scheduling will ensure that practice is incorporated into the clients day. Once time is set aside and the client can begin to work on a specific schedule, they develop a routine, which helps maintain client motivation to practice, especially when they begin to see results! To help support and keep up with practice of speech goals check out some of our online courses that can be completed and used for additional support and maintenance of your speech goals.
Practicing speech therapy goals can also help increase client independence, as practice outside of the clinic allows clients to take responsibility for their own progress, and not only relying on seeing progress during therapy sessions that are time limited. As most therapy sessions are usually around 50-55 minutes, practice outside of therapy sessions will allow for continuous gains to be seen throughout the week.
Another reason practicing outside of sessions is important is because it allows for the therapy session to continue outside of the clinic, and allows for continuous learning to take place. Since the goal is to improve communication in your daily life, then the skills learned also have to be applied to your daily life. Often practicing outside of the clinic can also allow for the client's family to become involved in the whole process. Speech therapists encourage clients to have communication partners outside of the clinic to help them work towards their goals. This can allow for parents, partners, or caregivers to be actively involved in the whole therapeutic process.
Speech therapy practice outside of the clinic is very important in order to see a noticeable improvement during the speech therapy process and once the recommended number of sessions is completed. Practice will ensure that learning is taking place after the sessions, and help promote generalization of skills learned.
To speak with a psychotherapist or one of the speech-language pathologists at Well Said: Toronto Speech Therapy, schedule an initial consultation by clicking the link below or calling (647) 795-5277.
