S & Z

How to make these sounds:

  • Tongue tip UP on alveolar ridge (bumps behind upper front teeth)

  • Sides of tongue touch upper teeth (like when you're saying "EEEEE")

  • Air through small groove in center of tongue tip

  • "S" is quiet (voice off), "Z" is loud (voice on)

Tips:

  • If "S" sounds short (like "tee" for "see"), try prompting them to make the sound long.

  • If "S" sounds like "SH," show them how you are smiling (with your teeth showing) and see if they can follow the cue to let "only a tiiiiiiiny bit of air out"

  • If "S" sounds distorted, check with your child's speech therapist for individualized tips!

  • Contrast the error with the target. Ex: "You said see, like seeing with your eyes. I think you meant she. Did you hear me add more air?"

Ways to make this homework easier:

  • Decrease the speed (keep your voice on, but say the sounds in the words slowly)

  • Decrease length of utterance (ex: If they can't say "miss" correctly, have them just say "s"

  • Model the word before each of their attempts.

  • Say the word at the same time as them, with them watching your mouth.

  • Give more feedback, after each production (ex: "Try again, don't forget to make the sound long" or "You said miss with a good "S" sound!)

  • Switch to modeling the practice words (and emphasizing the target sound) instead of having them produce the word.

Ways to make this homework more challenging:

  • Increase the speed (no speed-talking necessary, but add natural intonation and speed to their productions)

  • Increase length of utterance (if they can say the word, see if they can use the word in a phrase, then small sentence, then short sentence, then in conversation)

  • Give less feedback; wait until they are done (ex: "You said 7 out of 10 of those words with a great "S" sound!")

  • Expand beyond these relatively simple words. Find more words here or here or while reading out loud together. (If you practice in other ways than the weekly assignments above, that's great! You can still click on the homework above and just add a couple words about what you did in the optional "comments" section.)