Using Playmats & Smash Mats for Speech & Language Development

(For Children with Hearing Deficits, Hearing Aids, or Cochlear Implants)

What Are Playmats & Smash Mats?

• Playmats: Themed mats with pictures or interactive elements that encourage language learning through play.
• Smash Mats: Mats with pictures where children "smash" playdough, stickers, or small objects on targets as they practice words or sounds.

General Tips for Success

✅ Ensure Hearing Devices Are On & Functioning – Check that your child’s hearing aids or cochlear implants are working properly.
✅ Minimize Background Noise – Choose a quiet area to help your child focus on listening.
✅ Start With Visual Cues, Then Remove Them – Begin by letting your child see your mouth movements, then cover your lips to encourage pure listening.
✅ Use Visual & Tactile Cues – Point to pictures, use gestures, and encourage hands-on interaction.
✅ Encourage Listening First – Before giving visual support, ask them to try listening alone.
✅ Praise Effort, Not Just Accuracy – Reinforce attempts and progress, not just perfect speech.

1. Phonological Awareness (Rhyming, Syllables, Beginning Sounds)

🎯 Goal: Help your child recognize sounds, break down words, and understand rhymes.

Visual Activity: Rhyming Smash

🟢 Use a smash mat with pictures of rhyming words (e.g., cat, hat, bat).
🟢 Say two words aloud and ask, "Do these rhyme?"
🟢 If correct, let them smash playdough on the picture or place a sticker.
🟢 If incorrect, model the correct answer and have them repeat.

Auditory-Only Activity: “Mystery Rhyme” (Lips Covered)

🟢 Cover your mouth and say a word (e.g., “cat”).
🟢 Say another word (e.g., “bat”) and ask, “Do these words rhyme?”
🟢 Your child listens and responds by placing a token or smashing playdough on the correct answer.

Visual Activity: Syllable Clapping

🟢 Pick words from a playmat (e.g., elephant, tiger, apple).
🟢 Say the word and clap out syllables together.
🟢 Have your child place a token or jump for each syllable.

Auditory-Only Activity: “Guess the Word” (Lips Covered)

🟢 Cover your mouth and say a word syllable by syllable (e.g., “ba-na-na”).
🟢 Your child claps or jumps for each syllable and then guesses the word.

2. Articulation (Practicing Speech Sounds)

🎯 Goal: Improve speech clarity by targeting difficult sounds.

Visual Activity: Smash the Sound

🟢 Place pictures of words with the target sound on a smash mat (e.g., “S” words: sun, snake, sock).
🟢 Say the word and encourage your child to repeat after you.
🟢 If correct, they get to smash playdough on the word!
🟢 If they need help, give a model: “Try again, watch my mouth.”

Auditory-Only Activity: “Find the Sound” (Lips Covered)

🟢 Cover your mouth and say a word with the target sound (e.g., “sun” for /s/).
🟢 Your child listens and points to the correct picture on a playmat or smash mat.
🟢 If unsure, repeat with a slight pause between syllables (e.g., “s...un”).

3. Sound Discrimination (Hearing & Identifying Sounds)

🎯 Goal: Help your child recognize differences between similar sounds.

Visual Activity: Same or Different?

🟢 Say two words aloud (e.g., “bat” and “pat”).
🟢 Ask, “Are these the same or different?”
🟢 If correct, let them smash playdough on a picture.

Auditory-Only Activity: “Same or Different?” (Lips Covered)

🟢 Cover your mouth and say two words (e.g., “bat” and “pat”).
🟢 Your child listens and points to “same” or “different” on the smash mat.

Visual Activity: Loud vs. Quiet

🟢 Use a playmat with animals or objects.
🟢 Say a word loudly or softly, and have your child sort the words into "loud" or "quiet" categories.

Auditory-Only Activity: “Quiet or Loud?” (Lips Covered)

🟢 Cover your mouth and say words in different volumes (loud/soft).
🟢 Your child sorts them into “loud” or “quiet” by placing tokens on a playmat.

4. Receptive Language (Following Directions, Understanding Words)

🎯 Goal: Strengthen listening and comprehension.

Visual Activity: Follow the Path

🟢 Use a playmat with a road, maze, or themed scene.
🟢 Give directions like, “Drive the car to the red house” or “Put the ball next to the tree.”

Auditory-Only Activity: “Follow the Clue” (Lips Covered)

🟢 Cover your mouth and give a one-step direction (e.g., “Touch the dog.”).
🟢 If correct, increase to two-step (e.g., “First, find the apple, then touch the car.”).

5. Expressive Language (Expanding Words & Sentences)

🎯 Goal: Encourage your child to use more words and sentences.

Visual Activity: What’s Happening?

🟢 Use a scene playmat (e.g., a zoo, a park).
🟢 Ask WH-questions: “What is the boy doing?” or “Where is the cat?”
🟢 Encourage full sentences instead of one-word answers.

Auditory-Only Activity: “Tell Me More” (Lips Covered)

🟢 Ask your child a WH-question (e.g., “What do you see on the mat?”).
🟢 Encourage them to describe it using at least two words (e.g., “big house”).

Making It Fun & Engaging!

🎉 Use Rewards: Give small rewards or high-fives for participation.
🎉 Switch It Up: Try different themes (farm, ocean, transportation).
🎉 Take Turns: Let your child "be the teacher" and give you directions!
🎉 Use Everyday Items: Apply these skills during play with toys, books, or meals.

By incorporating both visual and auditory-only exercises, you can help your child with hearing deficits maximize his listening, speaking, and language skills in a fun and interactive way! 🚀

Instrucion How to Use Playmats or Smash Mats for Speech and Language Development

What You’ll Need:

✅ A playmat or smash mat with pictures (these can be themed, like animals, food, or emotions)
✅ Small objects, stickers, a dry-erase marker, or playdough (optional, depending on your activity)
✅ Your child’s preferred reinforcer (snack, toy, bubbles, etc., if needed for motivation)

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Introduce the Playmat/Smash Mat

🗣 Say: “Look! We have a fun mat with pictures on it! Let’s play together.”
👀 Show your child the mat and talk about what’s on it. If it has animals, name a few: “Here’s a dog! Here’s a cat!”

2. Choose a Target Skill

Decide what you want to work on based on your child’s level:
🔹 For Labeling Vocabulary: Ask, “What’s this?” and help them name the pictures.
🔹 For Imitation: Model the word and encourage your child to repeat it.
🔹 For Expanding Sentences: Add words (e.g., “Big dog!” or “The dog is running!”).
🔹 For Making Choices: Let them pick between two pictures (“Do you want the apple or banana?”).
🔹 For Using AAC/GoTalk: Help them find the correct button or picture to match the mat.

3. Make It Fun with Actions!

Depending on the type of mat, encourage interaction:
🎯 Smash Mat (for playdough, stickers, or smashing objects)

• Say a word, then squish playdough or place a sticker on the picture.
• Example: “Say ‘apple’—smash the apple!”
  🎲 Playmat (for movement or placing objects)
• Place small toys or tokens on the pictures when your child names them.
• Example: “Put the car on the road!”

4. Keep It Interactive

✔️ Use gestures, facial expressions, and sound effects to keep your child engaged.
✔️ If they struggle, model the correct response and encourage them to try again.
✔️ Praise all efforts! “Great try!” or “You said ‘cat’—awesome!”

5. Wrap Up and Reinforce Learning

🎉 Dear Parent! Celebrate your child's effort by playing with a favorite toy or giving a high-five.
🔄 Review the words one last time: “Wow, we talked about so many animals today! We saw a dog, a cat, and a bird!”

How Smash Mats and Playmats Support Language, Communication, and Social Skills Development

"How do you feel when..." or " When do you feel + feeling?"

Smash mats and playmats are engaging, hands-on tools that can help parents teach language, communication, articulation, comprehension, and social skills. These mats provide structured yet playful opportunities for learning, making them particularly useful for children who need visual and tactile reinforcement. Below, we explore how parents can effectively use smash mats to support different areas of language development and provide free resources to get started.

Benefits of Smash Mats & Playmats for Language Development

Vocabulary Building & Language Expansion

Themed smash mats, such as a farm animal-themed mat, help introduce words like “cow,” “sheep,” and “barn.” Parents can model phrases like “This is a cow. The cow says moo.” Categorization mats encourage children to sort animals, foods, or household items, reinforcing classification skills. For example, parents can prompt, “Find all the things we eat!” Expanding sentences is another key benefit; if a child says “dog,” the parent can extend it to “Yes, that is a big, brown dog.”

Communication Skills

Smash mats support requesting by allowing children to point to or say, “I want the red car.” Turn-taking is reinforced as parents and children alternate placing objects on a playmat, promoting patience and interaction. These mats also serve as visual prompts for children using AAC devices, with parents modeling AAC use by pressing “I want” before selecting a picture.

Articulation Practice

For speech development, target sound mats focus on specific sounds like /s/, /r/, and /l/, encouraging clear articulation. An example activity includes saying “sun” before smashing the picture. Minimal pairs mats help differentiate similar sounds, such as “ship” vs. “chip.” Repetitive drills make articulation practice engaging, requiring the child to say a word five times before placing a marker.

Comprehension & Following Directions

Smash mats help children follow two-step and three-step directions, such as “First, smash the apple, then touch the banana.” Wh-question mats encourage responses to queries like “Who eats bananas?” or “Where do birds live?” Sequencing mats guide children through everyday tasks, such as brushing teeth, with step-by-step visual prompts.

Social Skills Development

Emotion recognition mats feature pictures of different expressions, helping children identify and discuss feelings. A parent might ask, “How does this person feel? When do you feel that way?” Perspective-taking mats, such as a playground scene, encourage children to consider what characters might be thinking or feeling. Problem-solving mats present social dilemmas like “Your friend took your toy. What do you do?” with multiple possible solutions.

Smash Mats for School Age Students

Older students benefit from more complex mats that focus on sentence-building, social communication, and critical thinking.

Conversation Starters Smash Mat

Students can respond to prompts such as “What was the best part of your day?” or “If you could have any superpower, what would it be?” This activity encourages answering questions and asking follow-ups to build conversation skills.

Problem-Solving & Social Situations Smash Mat

Scenarios such as “You see someone being left out at lunch. What do you do?” help students practice empathy and decision-making. After selecting a scenario, they provide two possible solutions, reinforcing social problem-solving skills.

Sentence Expansion Smash Mat

Students complete sentence starters like “One reason I like…” or “I believe that…” and expand their responses using “because” or “for example.”

Inferencing & Predicting Smash Mat

Situations such as “You see dark clouds in the sky. What might happen next?” encourage students to make logical predictions and support their inferences with reasoning (“I think __ because __”).

Idioms & Figurative Language Smash Mat

Students match common idioms like “spill the beans” or “break the ice” to their meanings and use them in sentences, reinforcing figurative language comprehension.

Free Printable Smash Mats & Resources

Parents can access free printable smash mats from these websites:

1. Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT) – Search “free smash mats” for downloads. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com
2. Speech Therapy Store – Free articulation and language mats. https://www.speechtherapystore.com
3. Boom Learning – Interactive digital smash mats. https://wow.boomlearning.com
4. Twinkl – Offers free speech materials with a basic account. https://www.twinkl.com/sign-up
5. LessonPix – Create customized smash mats with a free trial. https://www.lessonpix.com