Games are one of the most useful tools for building speech and language skills in kids, whether that happens in a therapy room or at the kitchen table at home. The right game keeps a child engaged long enough to produce meaningful language, adapts to different skill levels, and fits into a short time slot without setup overhead. Card games check all three boxes better than most alternatives.
W.I.T.S: What Is The Sentence is a card game by SFM International that fits well in speech therapy settings and in home practice sessions. It is fast, verbal, and adjustable, which is exactly what parents and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) both look for in a good speech therapy game. This article covers how the game format supports speech and language work, what is in the box, how to play, and how to use it well at home or in a session.
A quick note upfront. If your child has a diagnosed speech or language disorder, a game like W.I.T.S is something to use alongside professional therapy, not instead of it. Parents can absolutely do meaningful language work at home, but that home work supports the therapy programme rather than replacing it.
How W.I.T.S Works Well as a Speech Therapy Game
Verbal Production in Every Round
Every turn requires the child to speak. There is no writing, no drawing, no way to complete a turn without producing language aloud. That guaranteed spoken output is what most speech and language goals need most, and it means both a parent and an SLP know a session will include a real number of verbal attempts regardless of how the game unfolds. A short 15-minute session can deliver 20 or more spoken sentence attempts, which is a strong return for the time.
Adjustable Difficulty for Different Skill Levels
The four hourglass timers (15, 30, 45, and 60 seconds) let a parent or therapist scale time pressure to match the child. The dice roll also controls how many letter cards the active player draws, so complexity can be adjusted by ignoring the roll and dealing a fixed smaller number for younger or less confident kids. The same deck works for a preschooler just forming basic sentences and a school-age child working on more complex language.
Short Rounds That Fit Any Time Slot
W.I.T.S rounds are short, usually under a minute per turn including setup, delivery, and scoring. For parents, that means the game fits into the small pockets of time in a day (10 minutes before dinner, 15 minutes after homework) rather than needing a dedicated block. For SLPs, it means the game can slot into a 30 or 45-minute session as one activity without eating up the whole slot. Games can also stop at any point without disrupting anything, since scoring is cumulative and every completed round has value.
A Motivating Format Compared to Drills
Kids often push back against activities that feel like language drills, especially when the same practice has been going on for a while and they can spot repetition dressed up as novelty. Games sidestep that response because the child is trying to win, not trying to perform. The Steal card mechanic, where opponents can jump in when the active player fails, adds competitive tension that pulls attention in even when a child is starting to lose focus. That shift in motivation source is one of the biggest practical advantages of a game format for both home practice and formal therapy.
Practice for Word Retrieval and Sentence Formulation
Word retrieval and sentence formulation are two of the most commonly targeted language goals in speech therapy for school-age children, and they show up just as clearly in everyday parenting concerns ("my child struggles to get their words out" or "they know the answer but cannot express it"). W.I.T.S trains both directly. Each round requires the child to retrieve words that start with specific letters and then organise those words into a grammatical sentence. That is exactly the mental process that everyday conversation demands, which makes game practice highly transferable to real-world language use.
About the Game
W.I.T.S: What Is The Sentence is an award-winning card game developed by SFM International, suitable for ages 7 and up and designed for two or more players. It has been used by parents, educators, and homeschool families across the United States since its release and is available directly at sfmintl.com/products/wits-cards. A free browser demo of the core mechanic is available at sfmintl.com for anyone who wants to try it before purchasing.
What's in the Box
Every W.I.T.S: What Is The Sentence box contains:
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Blue Vowel Cards: one drawn per round, each carrying a point value
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Green Consonant Cards: quantity drawn is set by the dice roll, each with a point value
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Red Action Cards: read aloud each round, add a creative twist to each turn
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Steal Cards: used by opponents when the active player fails or runs out of time
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Four hourglass timers: 15, 30, 45, and 60 seconds
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One dice
How to Play
One player is appointed Card Guard to manage the deck, keep time, and track score. The active player rolls the dice, which sets both how many Consonant cards to draw and which timer runs that round. Those Consonant cards plus one Vowel card go face down. The player draws an Action card and reads it aloud.
All letter cards flip face up at once and the timer starts. The active player builds a sentence using the revealed letters as starting sounds for each word, then delivers it aloud before time runs out. Other players vote on validity. Valid sentences earn the points shown on the cards. If the active player fails or runs out of time, any opponent can play a Steal card and attempt the same letters within 15 seconds. First to 100 points wins.
Tips for Using W.I.T.S in a Speech Therapy Session or at Home
Match the Timer to the Child's Pace
Ignore the dice-driven timer selection and choose the length that suits the child. For kids working on fluency without time pressure, use the 60-second timer every round. For kids where speed of production is a goal, shorten the timer gradually over sessions. The timer becomes something the adult controls to match the child rather than a fixed game rule.
Use the Action Cards to Target Specific Skills
Action Cards add creative constraints to each round. Parents or SLPs can preview the deck and select Action Cards that match the language work the child is doing. If the current focus is adjective use, pull Action Cards that require adjectives. If the focus is question formulation, use cards requiring interrogative sentences. This turns the deck into a flexible tool for direct skill work.
Reduce the Letter Count for Younger Kids
For preschool or early elementary children, skip the dice and deal a fixed number of letter cards (two consonants plus one vowel is a good starting point). This lets a young child produce short valid sentences without being overwhelmed by more letters than they can manage. As the child grows, gradually add more letters back in.
Play as a Family or in Small Groups
Whether at home or in a small group session, playing with more than one child on the other side of the table makes a real difference. Siblings against parents, or a small therapy group of two or three children, adds a social communication layer on top of the sentence work. Kids also see peers or adults struggling occasionally, which normalises the effort involved and takes pressure off the child in the hot seat.
Keep the First Sessions Short and Positive
Ten or fifteen minutes of successful play beats a longer session that ends in frustration. Playing to a lower target score (50 points instead of 100) is a good option for shorter sessions. Two or three short sessions a week tend to build a positive relationship with the game, which is what keeps the child coming back to the practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can W.I.T.S replace speech therapy sessions with a professional?
No. If your child has a diagnosed speech or language disorder, professional speech therapy provided by a licensed SLP is not something a home game can replace. W.I.T.S is a game that supports language practice and can complement a therapy programme, but it is not a clinical tool. For children without a diagnosed disorder, it works well as a general language-building activity at home.
Is W.I.T.S designed specifically for speech therapy?
No. W.I.T.S: What Is The Sentence is a general card game designed for kids, families, and classrooms. Some of its features work particularly well in speech therapy settings and home practice, especially the guaranteed verbal production, adjustable timers, and short rounds, but it is not marketed or designed as a clinical tool.
What speech and language skills can W.I.T.S help with?
The game format works best for word retrieval, sentence formulation, and expressive language practice. With careful Action Card selection it can also support grammar work such as question formation, verb tense, and specific parts of speech. It is not designed for articulation, phonological process work, or receptive language goals, though creative adaptation can extend it to some of those areas.
What age range does W.I.T.S suit?
The game is recommended for age 7 and up. With the adaptations covered above (fewer letters, longer timer, adult reads the Action Cards), it can be used with children as young as 5. The game also scales upward well for older kids, teenagers, and adults.
Where can I buy W.I.T.S: What Is The Sentence?
The card game is available directly from SFM International at sfmintl.com/products/wits-cards. A free browser demo of the sentence-building mechanic is available at sfmintl.com for anyone (parent, teacher, or SLP) who wants to try it before purchasing.