Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) Practice Exam

Which vowel-consonant combination should a music therapist focus on first to stimulate consonant formation in a child?

1. [ma]

2. [fa]

3. [wa]

4. [ra]

The correct answer is: [ma]

Focusing on the vowel-consonant combination [ma] is effective for stimulating consonant formation in children, especially in a music therapy context. This combination features the consonant ‘m,’ which is a bilabial sound produced by bringing both lips together. Bilabial consonants are typically easier for young children to articulate because the physical motion required is simple and often naturally occurs in early speech development. Moreover, the sound [m] is commonly found in early vocalizations that children produce and is often one of the first consonant sounds they can master. The combination also includes the vowel sound [a], which is open and allows for vocal freedom, encouraging children to experiment with sound production. This makes [ma] a practical choice to enhance speech and language skills through engaging musical activities. The other vowel-consonant combinations may present challenges that could hinder initial consonant formation. For instance, the combination of [fa] involves the use of the fricative sound [f], which requires a more complex articulation involving the teeth and lip. In contrast, the [w] and [r] sounds found in [wa] and [ra] are labio-velar and alveolar respectively, which may also be less accessible for children who