Melodic intonation therapy worksheet


(intermediate level)

What is the theory behind this Melodic intonation therapy worksheet?

Melodic intonation therapy is a treatment for people with language disorders, most suitable for people with aphasia that have damage to only the left hemisphere. This method uses intoning to improve the way people with aphasia express themselves. Basically, intoning refers to uttering words in a musical frequency. The treatment consists of three levels with thorough assessment regarding progress after every level. 

How will the worksheet help?

This worksheet, clients are assisted to talk by engaging areas of the brain that can process language through intonation  of basic phrases (2-4 syllables). Applying a rhythmic prosody will help the client to form words at a slower pace and the repetition of the technique can improve language articulation. 

How to use this worksheet?

A set of 10 phrases is provided in the worksheet below. The words with the higher dot () will be spoken in a higher note. The musical note should be of natural prosody pattern and not an exaggerated one. The facilitator will hum the phrase at the rate of 1 syllable per second. Then they will intone the phrase and tap the client’s left hand one time each syllable. 

Melodic intonation therapy worksheet

(intermediate level)

Thank   you                 
Love     you              
Cong——-rats                  
What’s     this?                   
Who’s       this?                     
Yes        please                    
Come        here                     
Continued..

Let’s          talk                      

I                  do                     
Take           this                     

Reference

Norton, A., Zipse, L., Marchina, S., & Schlaug, G. (2009). Melodic intonation therapy. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1169(1), 431–436. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.04859.x 

You can download this worksheet here.


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