If we look for the dictionary of bucophonatory practices, so well known in the world of speech therapy, we do not find any results. The closest and most accurate answer that we find in the literature is that of praxia, which is defined as the “system of coordinated movements based on a result or an intention” (Cortes and Soprano, 1991).

It must be taken into account that the bucophonatory organs are the organs that intervene in speech: the tongue, lips, cheeks, jaw or the soft palate. These organs are muscles and need to be exercised to achieve the ideal tone, agility, mobility, coordination and strength to develop correct speech.

When a child has problems articulating a sound correctly, they tell us what it is because they do not correctly perform bucophonatory practices. And we, ignorant of the field, wonder what this means.

Thus, we can understand that, to achieve optimal speech, it is important to have agility and coordination of the bucophonatory organs and we understand that the praxias so desired are the different conscious, voluntary and directed movements that a person has to carry out. , to stimulate, learn or improve the movements that a person uses to speak, what we would understand as articulatory gymnastics. And how do we have to do to practice pràxies correctly? The most important thing is to let ourselves be advised by a speech therapist, who is a specialized therapist. However, once we have understood the necessary and appropriate movements, these will have to be carried out in the family environment and on an ongoing basis.

In this way we will previously exercise and streamline the organs that intervene in correct articulation. For this reason, the adult and the child should stand in front of a mirror, to facilitate observation of the movements that will be carried out and thus be able to compare them and adjust the models. Thanks to this position, the little one will be able to see how he evolves as he acquires greater agility, coordination and strength, achieving the desired articulation points.

It is important that these exercises are of short duration, to avoid muscle fatigue, tiredness and lack of motivation on the part of the child. Furthermore, different repetitions would have to be carried out, since, in this way, we will achieve the necessary associations between the exact sound of a phoneme and the corresponding movements, thus developing the relevant correlations of the articulation of the phonemes worked on.

Mariona Alsedà Florensa Speech therapist, Special Education and Psychopedagogy Teacher. Sources and links of interest: Tallis J and Soprano M (1991), Neuropediatrics. Neuropsychology and learning. Buenos Aires: New Vision. http://www.hablemosdeneurociencia.com/praxias-tipos-y-processes/ https://www.bebesymas.com/desarrollo/que-son-las-praxias What are oral practices and how can they help you? https://www.espaciologopedico.com/recursos/glosariodet.php?Id=234