Welcome to the first content of the year in our monthly series, The Talk with April Anderson—where we share practical, family-centered tools that support real-life carryover. This month, we’re starting with a simple reset to make speech therapy practice at home easier to follow through on.
Quick answer: The 5-Minute Home Program Reset helps families build consistent speech therapy practice (and feeding carryover) using one skill, one strategy, one time-of-day anchor, and one simple way to track it.
As a speech-language pathologist, I hear this all the time:
“We try to practice the strategies… but life gets busy.”
And you know what? That’s completely understandable.
Between busy schedules, most families don’t need more things to do—they need something that actually fits into their day.
That’s where the 5-Minute Home Program Reset comes in.
This is a start-strong, keep-it-simple, easy practice blueprint designed to support real caregiver carryover—without burnout, guilt, or overwhelming lists.
Why Most Home Programs Fall Apart
Traditional home programs and carryover strategies often ask families to:
- Practice multiple skills
- Use unfamiliar materials
- Set aside “extra” time in the day
- Track everything perfectly
That’s a lot.
Research and experience tell us that consistency beats intensity and perfection every time. Tiny routines done daily are far more powerful than big plans that don’t stick.
So instead of doing more, let’s ask our families to do less but better.
The 5-Minute Home Program Blueprint
Each routine includes just four parts:
- 1 Skill
- 1 Tool or Strategy
- 1 Time-of-Day Anchor
- 1 Simple Way to Track Progress
That’s it.
Let’s break it down.
1️⃣ One Skill (Not Five)
Choose one meaningful, functional goal at a time.
Speech Therapy Examples:
- Using 2–3 word phrases to make a request
- Imitating sounds or words during a play activity
- Asking for help or requesting during clean up
Feeding Therapy Examples:
- Tolerating a new food on the plate
- Touching or smelling a food
- Taking one supported bite or sip
👉 Focusing on one skill reduces pressure and helps the child feel successful.
2️⃣ One Tool or Strategy
You don’t need to lend out your full bag of therapy materials.
Pick one strategy the family already understands.
Examples:
- Modeling (parents say it first)
- Offering choices
- Food chaining
- Descriptive language (“This is crunchy!”)
- Visual supports
- Wait time
If you can explain the strategy in one sentence, you’re on the right track.
3️⃣ One Time-of-Day Anchor
Instead of adding therapy time, attach it to something the family already does.
Speech Therapy Anchors:
- During bath time
- On the drive to school
- While getting dressed
- During story time
Feeding Therapy Anchors:
- First 5 minutes of dinner
- Snack time
- Helping prepare meals or pack lunchbox
- Cleaning up after eating
This turns therapy into a routine, not a task.
4️⃣ One Tracking Method (That Won’t Burn Families Out)
Progress tracking doesn’t have to be complicated.
Skip the data sheets.
Try one of these instead:
- A quick checkmark on the calendar
- A shared note on the phone
- A weekly photo or short video
- A “yes/no” mental check-in at the end of the day
If it takes more than 30 seconds to document, it’s too much.
What a 5-Minute Home Program Looks Like in Real Life
| Routine | 1 Skill | 1 Tool or Strategy | 1 Time-of-Day Anchor | 1 Simple Tracking Method | Example Parent Script |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Speech therapy practice Requesting |
Use a 2 to 3 word request | Offer choices and model the phrase | Getting dressed, two choices each morning | One calendar checkmark | “Do you want red shirt or blue shirt?” Then model: “I want red shirt.” |
|
Feeding carryover Exploring a new food |
Touch or smell a new food | Descriptive language and no-pressure exposure | First 5 minutes of dinner | Quick phone note: “touched” or “smelled” | “This looks crunchy. You can touch it or smell it first.” |
Resources to Support Speech Therapy Practice
Resources to Support Speech Therapy Practice
If you want to make this 5-minute plan easier for families and simpler to implement across your caseload, these resources can help.
TalkTools Free Resource Library
Downloadables you can share with families for home routines, carryover, and support tools.
Explore resourcesThinking Outside the Fridge (April Anderson)
A practical course for strengthening caregiver coaching and routine-based implementation.
View courseThe Key to Carryover: Change Oral Postures
A step-by-step option for clinicians targeting carryover and consistent oral resting postures.
View bookOPT (Oral Placement Therapy) Homework Book
Ready-to-send practice sheets for daily speech therapy practice between sessions.
View homework bookThe Talk with April Anderson
Browse the monthly series for more family-centered strategies and clinical insights.
Browse the seriesASHA Practice Portal
Vetted clinical topics and guidance for SLPs, including speech and feeding resources.
Open ASHAReminding Families That a Reset Is Not a Failure
If your client’s home program hasn’t been consistent, that doesn’t mean that you or your client’s done anything wrong. It just means the plan needs to fit their life better.
As therapists, our goal isn’t perfection—it’s progress that feels possible.
Tiny daily routines build confidence.
Confidence builds consistency.
Consistency builds change.
And it really can start with just five minutes!