What Speech Therapists Want You to Know About Straw Drinking

Straw drinking might seem like a small milestone, but to speech therapists, it is one of the most important oral-motor skills your baby will learn in the first two years. It supports safer swallowing, strengthens oral muscles, and lays the groundwork for speech development. And unlike sippy cups, which can hold babies back, straw drinking helps babies learn the correct tongue, lip, and jaw movement patterns for future eating and talking.

This guide breaks down what speech therapists want all parents to know about why straw drinking matters, when to introduce it, and how StarTouch™ makes learning easier.

Why Straw Drinking Is So Important for Oral Development

According to Speech Therapist Cherlyn Tan, straw drinking isn’t just a drinking method, it’s a developmental tool that supports four major areas:

1. It builds lip closure strength

When babies drink through a straw, they naturally activate the orbicularis oris - the circular group of muscles around the mouth responsible for strong, coordinated lip movement. Strengthening these muscles is important for several reasons:

- supporting clear speech sound production

- reducing drooling by improving lip seal

- helping babies manage saliva more effectively

- supporting safer chewing and swallowing as solids progress

Straw drinking encourages babies to close their lips firmly and use controlled suction, which engages the lips, cheeks, and tongue together. This coordinated muscle activation does not occur with soft-spout sippy cups, which often promote a more passive sucking pattern. Because straw drinking requires active lip closure with resistance, it helps build the foundational oral-motor strength needed for later feeding and speech development.

2. It strengthens the tongue for speech and feeding

Straw drinking requires the tongue to stay low and inside the mouth while the lips and cheeks work. This is the opposite of the “pushing tongue forward” pattern seen with bottle teats and spout cups.

Speech therapists highlight that straw drinking supports:

- improved tongue retraction

- reduced tongue-thrust

- better chewing patterns

- clearer articulation later

3. Straw drinking supports safer swallowing

Speech therapists note that straw drinking helps babies naturally coordinate sucking, swallowing, and breathing - the essential trio for safe feeding. When these movements work together, babies are less likely to cough or gag and more confident as they move toward thicker purées and early solids.

4. Straw drinking is a key milestone that supports speech clarity

Straw drinking reinforces key oral-motor patterns by engaging the orbicularis oris (lip muscles), buccal muscles (cheeks), and the tongue in a forward-upward motion. These movements directly support the production of early speech sounds including /m/ (nasal, lip closure), /p/ and /b/ (bilabial plosives requiring pressure and release), and /t/ and /d/ (tongue-tip elevation).

In other words, the same strength and coordination needed to drink from a straw are the same foundations children use when learning to form clear, articulate speech.

When Should Babies Start Straw Drinking?

Speech therapists generally recommend introducing straw drinking from six months onwards, once your baby can:

- sit upright with support

- show interest in drinking

- manage small sips safely

Many clinicians also note that starting earlier can be beneficial, as babies tend to learn the skill more easily before they develop strong preferences for bottles or spout cups.

Why Traditional Sippy Cups Aren’t Recommended by Speech Therapists?

Both videos emphasise avoiding spout-style sippy cups because they:

- encourage tongue-thrust

- prevent normal lip closure

- mimic bottle sucking

- do not promote oral-motor development

can impact future speech clarity

Straw cups, on the other hand, support a more natural drinking pattern.

How the StarTouch™ Drinking Cup Supports Speech-Healthy Drinking

Co-developed with Speech Therapist Cherlyn Tan, the StarTouch™ Drinking Cups solves the biggest barriers babies face when learning to drink from a straw.

1. Short Straw for Swallowing

The StarTouch™ straw is intentionally short, designed to reach only the tip of your baby’s tongue. This encourages tongue tip elevation, a key movement for developing a mature swallow pattern, rather than the low, forward tongue posture often seen with prolonged bottle or spout use.

2. Sensory Bumps for Lip Rounding and Closure

Textured sensory bumps on the cup provide a tactile guide for where your baby’s lips should rest. This helps promote proper lip rounding and closure, strengthening the lip muscles needed for sounds like “oo”, “w”, and “b”, while also supporting better saliva control and cleaner sipping.

3. EasyDrink Valve for Safe, Spill-Resistant Sipping

The EasyDrink Valve allows liquid to flow smoothly without your baby needing hard suction or biting on the straw. This controlled, spill-resistant flow makes it easier for babies to coordinate sucking, swallowing, and breathing, while giving parents confidence that drinking practice is both safe and mess-minimising.

Shop the StarTouch drinking cups.

StarTouch™ vs Traditional Straw Cups

Speech-Therapist Approved Benefits of StarTouch™

1. Helps prevent tongue thrust

Straw sipping encourages correct tongue retraction.

2. Strengthens lip and cheek muscles

Important for speech sound production.

3. Encourages safer swallowing

Regulated flow promotes swallow coordination.

4. Supports oral development for future speech

Speech therapists emphasise early introduction for best outcomes.

Other Relevant Reads

- Bottle Acceptance Tips

- Is Your Baby’s Cup Helping or Hindering Their Oral Development?

- SofTouch vs StepUp - Which one is right for your baby