Do Not Fear The Vocalic R

Feeling stuck when it comes to that pesky vocalic R? In this episode, Hallie sits down with Karen Krogg of The Pedi Speechie, a school-based SLP with a serious R obsession, to talk through everything from tongue shape to carryover. Karen breaks down her hand gesture analogies, favorite tools, and how she keeps kids motivated through the long haul of R therapy.

Bullet Points to Discuss: 

• Determining when R work is warranted for older students in schools
• Retroflex R vs. bunched R, and how to tell the difference
• Hand gesture analogies and tools like the typodont and Sketchfab
• Making practice fun without turning it into straight drilling
• Carryover strategies that actually get used at home
• Advice for SLPs and CFs new to treating vocalic R 

Here’s what we learned: 

• Progress often comes down to problem-solving, not repetition — no single method works for every student
• The quicker a student masters R in isolation, the more predictable the rest of therapy tends to go
• A baseline screener at the start of the year makes progress easier to track
• Patience is part of the clinical skill set — R therapy can take well over a year
• New SLPs don’t need to have it all figured out — CEU courses and online resources help fill the gaps

Learn more about Karen Krogg: 

Website: https://thepedispeechie.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepedispeechie/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thepedispeechie_slp 

Teachers Pay Teachers: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/the-pedi-speechie

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thepedispeechie4227 

Speech Therapy Tools

Learn more about Hallie Sherman and SLP Elevate:

📝 Website: https://speechtimefun.com/

🎲✨ Check out the Secondary Secret Podcast here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/secret-podcast-signup

📘✨ Grab your copy of The Secondary SLP Roadmap here! https://www.speechtimefunpd.com/stf-book

🎤✨ The Speech Retreat is Back! Learn more and register here!

https://www.speechretreat.com ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 

Freebie:

https://thepedispeechie.com/speech-therapy-tools 

Subscribe today and get access to my secret podcast filled with my juicy secrets for planning with ease for secondary speech students. 6 quick episodes that you can quickly listen to and feel refreshed and inspired! https://speechtimefun.com/secondarysecrets