Introduction to Oral Motor Exercises
Oral motor exercises and oral exercises are techniques designed to enhance the foundational skills required for speech and feeding development, even though they do not involve actual speech production. These exercises focus on improving awareness, strength, coordination, movement, and endurance of key oral structures, including the lips, cheeks, tongue, jaw, and soft palate.
The activities suggested here provide a simple yet effective way to develop these skills. You can easily integrate them into your daily routine or even turn them into playful games at home. Examples include blowing bubbles or horns, tongue pushes/wags/curling, puckering and smiling exercises, and other engaging mouth movements. Keep the activities fun and interactive to maintain your child's interest!
However, it's important to remember that these exercises should not replace professional therapy. A speech-language pathologist (SLP) can properly assess your child's needs, recommend targeted exercises, and guide you through the process. By consistently practicing these oral and oral motor exercises, your child's oral muscles will become stronger, and their movements will become smoother and more coordinated. Over time, this will lead to clearer and more intelligible speech.
Basic Oral Motor Exercises
To help your child better understand and perform these exercises, place a mirror in front of them for visual feedback. Aim to practice these activities 2 to 3 times daily, with each session lasting 10 to 20 minutes. Ensure your child attempts all the exercises listed below for comprehensive development:
• Slow Jaw Movements: Open and close your mouth slowly several times, making sure lips fully close each time.
• Kissy Lips: Pucker your lips (like a kiss), hold briefly, then relax. Repeat multiple times.
• Big Smile Stretch: Spread your lips into a wide smile, hold, then release. Repeat several times.
• Lip Alternation: Alternate between puckering (kissy lips) and smiling, holding each position before switching.
• Open-Mouth Pucker: Keep your mouth open while trying to pucker your lips—avoid closing your jaw. Hold, relax, and repeat.
• Lip Press & Release: Firmly press your lips together, hold, then relax. Repeat the motion.
• Saliva Control Exercise: Close your lips tightly and use your tongue to gather saliva onto the tongue's surface.
Tongue Strengthening Exercises
Tongue Extension: Open your mouth and stick your tongue straight out (avoid sideways movement). Hold, relax, and repeat, gradually increasing how far your tongue extends while keeping it centered.
Side-to-Side Tongue Reach: Extend your tongue and slowly move it from one corner of your lips to the other. Hold briefly at each side, ensuring your tongue makes full contact with each corner before relaxing. Repeat this motion several times.
Downward Tongue Stretch: Stick out your tongue and attempt to touch the tip to your chin. Hold for a few seconds at the farthest comfortable point, then relax and repeat. Focus on gradual progress in flexibility and extension over time.
Tongue Push-Ups: Press tongue firmly against the upper gum ridge (just behind teeth) and hold for 3-5 seconds before releasing. Repeat 5-10x.
Tongue Pops: Create a suction by sticking the tongue to the roof of the mouth, then pull back sharply to make a 'pop' sound.
Quick Strength Resistance: Gently pull the tongue forward with gauze while the child resists by pulling it back.
Jaw Strengthening Exercises
Gum Chewing Drills: Chew gum in up/down & circular motions to build jaw endurance.
Jaw Curls: Resist gentle downward chin pulls while closing the mouth to strengthen jaw closure.
Jaw Aerobics: Move jaw side-to-side and up/down at varying speeds to increase range of motion.
Muscle Watch: Clench teeth and observe bulging masseter muscles in a mirror to improve jaw proprioception.
Masseter Tapping: Lightly tap the jaw muscle (near cheeks) while relaxed and clenched to stimulate muscle activation.
Jaw Massage: Gently massage the masseter muscle in circular motions to relieve tension and improve mobility.
Lip Strengthening & Palate Development
Wide Mouth Grog Pulls: Gently pull outward on the corners of the mouth while the child resists by puckering their lips.
Cotton Hold Challenge: Place a small cotton pad between the upper lip and gum, hold for 5 seconds. Repeat with lower lip.
Water Balloon Cheeks: Hold warm water in the mouth with cheeks puffed out for increasing durations (start with 3-5 seconds).
Whistle Training: Practice sustained puckering and controlled blowing to attempt whistling.
Icy Lip Wake-Up: Gently rub ice/popsicle from center of lips outward, then prompt an immediate smile response.
Chapstick Sensory Drill: Apply/remove chapstick while consciously rubbing lips together to heighten tactile sensitivity.
Practice Tips
• Always pair exercises with mirrors for visual feedback
• Turn drills into games (e.g., 'hold the cotton longest' challenge)
• Progress gradually: Start with 3-5 reps, build to 10
• Celebrate small victories to maintain motivation
• Always supervise exercises for safety
• Keep sessions fun and turn drills into games!