Tongue Strengthening Exercises

1. Encourage your child to keep his/her tongue tip up and resting lightly
on the ridges behind his/her front teeth with lips closed. This is called
the “resting posture”. We call it the “Sweet Spot”. Have him/her
practice this posture when watching T.V., playing games, doing
homework or anything else that does not involve speaking.

2. When drinking, have him/her use a straw. The smaller in diameter the
better. The key here is to keep the straw in the middle of the lips,
directly below the nose. Just the tip of the straw should be in the
mouth. Your child’s head should be facing forward, sitting up straight.
(a bendy straw is great!) Try having him/her suck yogurt and /or
pudding through the straw. The tougher it is to suck, the more the
tongue will strengthen itself to pull backward and up.

3. When eating, remind your child to chew with the lips closed and
swallow with his/her tongue in the same resting posture from #1.

4. Swallowing exercises can be done anytime during the day (while

brushing teeth is a good time). With the tongue in the “resting posture”
and lips closed, have your child swallow and keep his tongue tip
resting on the ridges behind his front teeth. Do this 5 times every time
he/she brushes.

5. With the mouth open, have your child practice placing his/her tongue
tip on the ridges behind the front teeth and then down behind the
bottom teeth. Up and down 30 times 3 times a day.

Thank you for taking an active role in your child’s speech therapy!