February 17, 2026
Lip Rounding: Give Mom a Kiss
An observation I made this week is the resting posture of some of my little friends, which impacts their awareness and ability to lip round. I was struck by how the lips influence and help with the “R” sound and the “Sh” sound. I then observed how difficult it was for them to pucker, similar to giving a kiss or blowing bubbles. The first time I really understood and applied the learning was through Graham Speech Therapy’s training on R and her course on lateral lisps. For many of my little friends, lip rounding is the last step to learn the motor patter for “R.” Once they take a look in the mirror and see the difference lip rounding makes, a correct “R” is born!
Additional observations of my youngest friends with lip rounding difficulty shows they are unable to produce vowels (that also require lip rounding) such as “oh,” “oo,” “ow,” as well as the “W” sound. Their lack of awareness can lead to drooling and omissions of sounds that require the lips to produce sounds with p, b, and m. My last observation with lack of awareness is my littler friends who use and learn to talk around the pacifier. This results in an open mouth posture which results in limited sounds. A common word I hear is “uh-en” for the word “open.”
As I continue to observe my little friends, whether it is with “R”, “Sh”, or rounded vowels, using slowed, simultaneous productions helps to increase awareness of the motor plan and provides the support to create real change. Increase awareness and my little friends increase function.