DAILY ACTIVITIES

 Topic: Clam Cram (Challenging Tongue Twister for Clarity)
 Lesson Focus: Improving articulation precision and speed by mastering the tongue twister “How can a clam cram in a clean cream can,” with emphasis on tongue placement and over-articulation.

Day 1: Watch & Break It Down

Activity: Watch the video and practice the slow, segmented breakdown of “How can a clam cram in a clean cream can,” focusing on isolating each consonant cluster to feel tongue movement.
What You’ll Do:

• •  Watch the full tongue twister demonstration.
  • Speak each word slowly, pausing between: “How… can… a… clam… cram… etc.”
  • Note how your tongue moves for “cl,” “cr,” and “can,” and notice any spots of difficulty.

Day 2: Over-Articulate Reps

Activity: Emphasize exaggerated mouth movements to build muscle memory, repeating the full phrase at half speed with clear, deliberate articulation.
What You’ll Do:

• • Position in front of a mirror and overdo each consonant and vowel.
  • Say the full phrase at half your normal speed, 5 times.
  • After each rep, relax your jaw and tongue before the next.

Day 3: Speed Builder

Activity: Challenge yourself by gradually increasing pace in controlled increments, ensuring clarity is maintained before each speed increase.
What You’ll Do:

• • Start slow until you can get through the tongue twister accurately and clearly for 3 reps.
  • Increase to slightly faster for 3 reps, making sure you are still clear.
  • Try it on the fastest tempo you can produce while maintaining clarity.

Day 4: Cluster Focus Drills

Activity: Isolate tricky clusters (“clam cram,” “cream can”) and loop them to target tongue agility on repeating consonant sounds.
What You’ll Do:

• • Repeat “clam cram” 10 times slowly.
  • Repeat “cream can” 10 times slowly.

• • End with a full-phrase run-through at comfortable speed.

Day 5: Rhythm Remix

Activity: Add rhythmic patterns to the twister for fun coordination practice, shaping articulation within a beat structure.
What You’ll Do:

• • Clap a medium speed, steady rhythm and speak the twister in time to each beat.
  • Keep it fun—try a couple of speed variations.

Day 6: Phrase in Context

Activity: Embed the tongue twister into a short spoken paragraph or song lyric to practice transition from isolated drill to real speech.
What You’ll Do:

• • Write a 2-sentence context (e.g., “During my lunch break…”) and insert the twister.
  • Read the combined text slowly first, then at normal speaking pace.
  • Note where clarity dips and practice that segment.

Day 7: Performance Run & Reflect

Activity: Perform the full tongue twister three times fast, then journal improvements and remaining challenges.
What You’ll Do:

• • Warm up with 2 slow segmented reps.
  • Say the full phrase 3 times quickly, aiming for clarity.
  • Journal: What got easier this week? What still needs work?

 BONUS FEATURES

 Science Behind It All

• Muscle Coordination: Tongue twisters strengthen intrinsic tongue muscles and coordinate neural pathways for rapid, precise movements.
• Articulation Accuracy: Over-articulation engages both tongue tip and blade, reinforcing the exact shaping required for consonant clusters.

 Cue Cards

• “Slow to fast: clarity comes first.”
• “Mirror check: tongue, not jaw.”
• “Overdo it, then smooth it out.”