Hear a practice song
Hear a practice song
This /R/ song repeats the target in rhythm, with a cue in the chorus.
Tongue up and back, Sides touch your back teeth, Talk like a pirate, arrrrrgh!
More R practice: The R sound /ɹ/ · All public samples
Research guide
Music and speech practice: what the research says
Songs for speech sounds look promising, but the evidence is early. The firmest finding is simpler: children improve more when they practice more often.
The evidence
What the best review found
A 2023 systematic review looked at music in treatment for childhood speech sound disorders. Most studies reported gains. Most were also small or weak in design.
Systematic reviewOpen access
Music and musical elements in childhood speech sound disorders
8 studies met criteria; 7 reported better speech production, but only 1 had sufficient methodological quality. Promising, not yet proven.
van Tellingen, M., Hurkmans, J., Terband, H., Jonkers, R., & Maassen, B. (2023). International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 25(4), 549-565.
Read the source (opens in a new tab)ASHA Evidence MapFree
ASHA’s summary of the same review
ASHA notes positive outcomes but says music-based speech therapy is not yet sufficiently supported, given small samples and limited rigor.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Evidence Map summary of van Tellingen et al. (2023).
Read the source (opens in a new tab)
Practice
Why practice frequency matters
The stronger evidence is about how often children practice, not about music itself. Frequent, spaced practice is where songs can help.
Dose · RCTAbstract
Practice frequency matters for preschool speech sound disorder
54 preschoolers randomized: the same 24 sessions given 3 times a week beat once a week on consonant accuracy. Not a music study; it supports frequent practice.
Allen, M. M. (2013). Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 56(3), 865-877.
Read the source (opens in a new tab)Motor learning tutorialAbstract
Principles of motor learning for speech practice
Reviews practice amount, variability, schedule and feedback; concludes these principles hold promise for speech motor learning, with limited direct evidence.
Maas, E., et al. (2008). American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 17(3), 277-298.
Read the source (opens in a new tab)
Theory
Why music might help
Music may train the same sound networks speech uses.
The OPERA hypothesis says music can sharpen speech processing when practice is precise, emotional, repeated, and focused. It is a hypothesis, not a treatment trial. Patel, 2011 (opens in a new tab)
What the five OPERA conditions mean
- Overlap: music and speech share brain networks.
- Precision: music asks for finer listening than speech usually does.
- Emotion: the activity is enjoyable.
- Repetition: it is practiced again and again.
- Attention: the listener is focused.
Young children
Studies with preschool children
Two small studies with children aged 3 to 6 point the same way. Neither is large enough to prove an effect.
Pilot study · ages 3.5 to 6Open access
Music therapy for children with delayed speech development
Observational ABAB study of 18 children aged 3.5 to 6: phonological capacity and speech understanding improved during music-therapy blocks. Small, uncontrolled pilot.
Groß, W., Linden, U., & Ostermann, T. (2010). BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 10, 39.
Read the source (opens in a new tab)Controlled study · ages 3 to 5Abstract
Song-based training vs. spoken training for target words
50 children with autism aged 3 to 5: both music and speech training improved production of target words; lower-functioning children gained more with songs. Autism sample, vocabulary targets.
Lim, H. A. (2010). Journal of Music Therapy, 47(1), 2-26.
Read the source (opens in a new tab)
Roles
Practice songs are not music therapy
Music therapy is a clinical service from a board-certified music therapist. AMTA scope (opens in a new tab)
A practice song chosen by an SLP is a home practice tool. The SLP still sets the target, the level, and the cues.
SLPs and music therapists also work together. ASHA Leader guide (opens in a new tab)
For SLPs
How SLPs can use songs for carryover
A simple loop keeps songs tied to the treatment plan.
- 01
Pick the target
One sound and one word position.
- 02
Match the level
Choose a song at the child’s current level.
- 03
Teach it in session
Model the cue the song uses.
- 04
Assign home replay
Short and frequent, at least 3 times a week.
- 05
Probe and move on
Check accuracy, then change the song.
Questions
Does music therapy help children with speech sound disorders?
It may. A 2023 systematic review found 8 studies, and 7 reported better speech production. Only 1 had strong enough methods, so the evidence is promising but not yet proven. Review (opens in a new tab)
Can songs replace speech therapy?
No. Songs are a way to practice. The child’s SLP chooses the target, the level, and the cues. Songs help the practice happen more often between sessions.
How often should my child practice at home?
Follow your SLP’s plan. In one trial, preschoolers who had sessions 3 times a week improved more than those seen once a week. That study did not use music. Allen, 2013 (opens in a new tab)
Is singing the same as music therapy?
No. Music therapy is a clinical service from a board-certified music therapist. Singing a practice song at home is not music therapy. AMTA scope (opens in a new tab)
Why would music help speech at all?
One idea, the OPERA hypothesis, says music can train shared sound networks when practice is precise, emotional, repeated, and focused. It is a hypothesis, not a treatment result. Patel, 2011 (opens in a new tab)
Sources
All sources (12)
- van Tellingen, M., Hurkmans, J., Terband, H., Jonkers, R., & Maassen, B. (2023). Music and musical elements in the treatment of childhood speech sound disorders: A systematic review of the literature. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 25(4), 549-565. Full text (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- Same review on PubMed. PubMed (opens in a new tab)
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Evidence Map: summary of van Tellingen et al. (2023). ASHA Evidence Map (opens in a new tab)
- Allen, M. M. (2013). Intervention efficacy and intensity for children with speech sound disorder. JSLHR, 56(3), 865-877. PubMed (opens in a new tab)
- Maas, E., Robin, D. A., Austermann Hula, S. N., Freedman, S. E., Wulf, G., Ballard, K. J., & Schmidt, R. A. (2008). Principles of motor learning in treatment of motor speech disorders. AJSLP, 17(3), 277-298. PubMed (opens in a new tab)
- Patel, A. D. (2011). Why would musical training benefit the neural encoding of speech? The OPERA hypothesis. Frontiers in Psychology, 2, 142. Full text (opens in a new tab)
- Groß, W., Linden, U., & Ostermann, T. (2010). Effects of music therapy in the treatment of children with delayed speech development: Results of a pilot study. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 10, 39. Full text (opens in a new tab)
- Lim, H. A. (2010). Effect of “developmental speech and language training through music” on speech production in children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Music Therapy, 47(1), 2-26. PubMed (opens in a new tab)
- American Music Therapy Association. Scope of music therapy practice. AMTA (opens in a new tab)
- ASHA Leader. SLP and music therapy collaboration: the dos, the don’ts, and the “why nots?” ASHA Leader (opens in a new tab)
- ASHA Leader (2025). An SLP and music teacher integrate strategies in elementary schools. ASHA Leader (opens in a new tab)
- ASHA Practice Portal: Speech Sound Disorders: Articulation and Phonology. ASHA (opens in a new tab)
Links go to third-party sites and are not endorsements. Last checked October 17, 2026.
For clinics
Testing songs in practice
CantaLingo is a 20-song pilot for /R/, /S/, and /L/, ages 4 to 6. It is testing whether families keep up home replay. It does not claim to treat.