Frequently asked questions
1. Who is Kokolingo made for?
Kokolingo was primarily created for preschool and grade school children (ages 4-10) with articulation or phonological speech sound disorders.2. Can older children use Kokolingo too?
Absolutely! Kokolingo was designed to motivate younger children with the use of silly storylines, themes, and prizes. Older children can focus on the practice drills and may be more internally motivated to complete the levels. Speech language therapists will appreciate the curated word banks for each sound, applicable to a wide range of ages. Try a free trial of Kokolingo to see if it works for the person you have in mind!3. What are the speech sound disorders?
Speech sound disorders refer to the difficulty some children have in forming sounds correctly in words and connected speech. The speech of these children will be hard for others to understand. A speech sound disorder may be classified as an articulation disorder, meaning that one or more specific sounds are hard for them to pronounce (that darn “r” is the classic example). Children may omit (“ike” instead of “bike”), substitute (“lellow” instead of “yellow” or distort (“thun” instead of “sun”) the target speech sound. A speech sound disorder can also be classified as a phonological disorder, meaning that multiple sounds are affected by a pattern of mispronunciation. Speech sound disorders are relatively common for the school aged population.4. Can children with other communication, language, and speech disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorders, stuttering, hearing impairments, etc.) use Kokolingo?
Kokolingo was primarily created for the correction of speech sound disorders. A child with multiple diagnoses may be a good candidate for Kokolingo. Some cognitive and fine motor prerequisites are important to maximize the benefits of Kokolingo. The child’s speech and language therapist is the most competent person to assess whether this tool should be used therapeutically for other types of disorders as well.5. What is the recommended frequency for use of Kokolingo?
Ideally, we recommend using Kokolingo every day for at least 15 minutes. Depending on your child’s attention span and ability to concentrate, you can use it longer and more frequently or shorter and less frequently. Be attentive and notice when your child’s interest starts to wane and build up usage over time. Improving a speech sound disorder is a marathon, not a sprint. Part of why Kokolingo works so fantastically is because it is fun! A child is more likely to make progress from short and consistent practice than from one long sit-down.6. Can using Kokolingo without the supervision of a speech and language therapist harm a child’s speech?
Practicing the activities in Kokolingo cannot harm a child’s speech sound production. Kokolingo does require 1:1 adult supervision to rate the success of each speech attempt. Often parents and caregivers gain more confidence rating their child’s speech attempts from consulting with their child’s speech language therapist before they start using Kokolingo. We strongly recommend supervision and consultation with an expert in speech and language therapy to ensure the child’s difficulty with communication has been thoroughly evaluated and any additional factors taken into account.7. Which speech sounds can be practiced with Kokolingo?
Kokolingo provides practice for the most commonly mispronounced sounds: F, G, J, K, L, R , vocalic R, S, V, Z, CH, SH, and TH as well as consonant blends including L blends, S blends, and R blends. Full practice levels for additional sounds B, D, T, H, P, M, N, W, Y are not yet available, but will be soon! If the child is having difficulties with a speech sound target which is not yet available on Kokolingo, a speech and language therapist should be consulted for advice and materials for the correction of that speech sound.8. At what age should the correct production of these speech sounds be acquired?
According to the Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation-3rd Edition, an industry standard for evaluating speech sound disorders, the following are some basic guidelines for when 85% of children tested could produce a sound correctly at the beginning position in a word:2 years: B, D, H, M, N, P
3 years: F, G, K, T, W
4 years: KW
5 years: CH, J, L, S, SH, Y, BL
6 years: R, V, BR, DR, FL, FR, GL, GR, KL, KR, PL, ST, TR
7 years: Z, SL, SP, SW, TH
9. When should we begin exercises for these speech sounds?
We actually expect younger kids to simplify and mispronounce the sounds of their language as they are first learning to talk. Speech therapists call these mistakes “developmentally appropriate” errors. These speech sound errors are expected and not a reason to panic. Use the chart in the previous FAQ to determine if your child is missing any sounds expected for their age, and target those first.10. If my child is having difficulties with multiple speech sounds, which sound should we tackle first?
A plan for the correction of multiple speech sounds is not one-size-fits-all and is therefore best made by the child’s speech and language therapist. If several speech sounds are affected, you should target a maximum of two speech sounds at a time. With simultaneous correction of two sounds, it should be emphasized that these should not be two similar speech sounds. As a rule of thumb, make sure all sounds expected at earlier ages are correct before working on a higher-age sound. If your child is intermittently making a correct production of one of the target sounds (they can say the sound correctly in one word but not another) or if they can produce a sound in isolation (alone, outside of a word), speech language therapists call this “stimulability.” If your child is stimulable for a sound, that is a great first target to work on in Kokolingo.11. Why is it important to follow a certain sequence, gradually working through activities in Kokolingo?
If a child is just beginning to work on correct pronunciation, it is important to go step by step. The child should start with auditory discrimination (Listen Carefully) and practice the most basic mouth movements needed to produce a single sound (Make a Sound). When these skills are mastered, they will continue to work on perfecting the production of that speech sound by repeating short syllables with a variety of vowel sounds (Funny Words). After that, they will move on to slightly more difficult tasks – sound production in single-syllable words and multi-syllable words (Words), and then sentences (Sentences). Finally, putting sentences together to form entire paragraphs (Stories) will be the final step in generalizing their success with that particular sound! It is important to start with simple exercises that the child can complete successfully. Kokolingo introduces more complex exercises over time, so that the child can grow toward success from a solid foundation of skills.12. Can Kokolingo help encourage first words or stimulate speech if my child is not speaking yet?
Kokolingo is not designed to stimulate production of first words. Usually, children who are not yet speaking will do better focusing on social interaction. Each delay in speech and language development is a reason to worry. If you are not certain whether your child’s speech and language skills are developing normally it is best to consult an expert in the field-- a speech and language therapist. They will assess your child's overall communication abilities (including speech and language skills) and suggest appropriate next steps, which may be therapy and/or at-home strategies that you can embed in your daily routine to help your child begin to talk.13. Should I be concerned about my child’s screen time using Kokolingo?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published the most widely accepted screen time guidelines in 2016. For children ages 2-5, an hour or less of high-quality screen time is recommended each day. They recommend parents co-view this media with their children to ensure age appropriateness and help their children apply the information to the real world through conversations. For children ages 6 and older, the AAP tell parents to place consistent limits on the time spent using screens. They warn of the danger of screen time taking the place of adequate sleep, physical activity, and other behaviors essential to health. Kokolingo is designed for co-viewing and co-use with your child, which puts it into the category of high-quality programming. Set limits for your child’s screen time and then stick to them!14. Can English-speaking children living abroad use Kokolingo?
Yes, children living in non-English-speaking countries can certainly use Kokolingo. Keep in mind, mispronunciations in one language might be correct pronunciations in another language. Each language has its own set of sounds that we must master to sound fluent in that language. Most children learn to distinguish the unique sounds of their native language by 6 months of age, and they will imitate these sounds when they begin babbling and then one day speaking words. This is why receptive (listening) exposure is so important when learning a first, second, or third language.15. Why is Kokolingo free? Will it always be free?
We know that Kokolingo is the best and most comprehensive online tool for articulation therapy in English and want everyone to start using it no matter if they can afford it or not. Also, due to the unprecedented impact COVID-19 has had on some children’s ability to attend in-person therapy, we are giving Kokolingo for free to families until June 2022. This is our gift to you! In June 2022, paid subscriptions will go back into effect. Take advantage of this free period to see if Kokolingo is a good fit for you and your family.16. If I sign up for a free trial, will I be charged anything if I cancel before the trial ends?
No, there are no strings attached to the free trial! After the expiration of the free trial period, you are not required to pay anything unless you wish to continue the subscription. Right now, Kokolingo is free for everyone until June 1, 2022.
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