07/05/2025
🧠🏀 DID YOU KNOW?
Young kids aren’t wired to sit still for long, and that’s not a flaw, it’s a feature! Research shows that children ages 3-7 can typically focus for just 2-5 minutes per year of age (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). So, a 4-year-old might only sit still for 10–20 minutes before their body needs to move.
At Sahuarita Speech Spot, we embrace the wiggles! Movement-based activities aren’t just fun- they’re backed by research to help kids make more progress in speech and language therapy.
Here’s how movement supports speech sound development:
🔹 Boosts attention and engagement: Physical activity increases arousal and alertness, improving attention and working memory (Ratey & Hagerman, 2008).
🔹 Supports motor planning for speech: Many children with phonological disorders benefit from whole-body movement to build motor sequencing and coordination skills (Maas et al., 2008).
🔹 Strengthens brain connections: Movement enhances multisensory integration and the auditory-motor mapping required for accurate speech production (Iverson, 2010).
🔹 Builds stronger therapy outcomes: Studies show that pairing movement with phonological tasks can improve retention and generalization of speech sounds (Skelton, 2004).
So next time your child is leaping, spinning, catching, or balancing during speech time- know that each movement is helping build essential speech and language skills!
