/s/ Auditory Bombardment List
14 words that start with /s/, read aloud one card at a time for listening: the student hears the sound many times and does not have to say it.
14 cards — tap to deal
0 / 14
How to run it
Read the whole list at the start of a session, and again at the end if there is time. Say each word clearly at a natural pace, a little louder than usual, and let the student look at the card. Do not ask the student to repeat the words: the point is to listen. The cards are never scored and record nothing, which is correct for listening input.
Cueing ladder
Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.
- IndependentRead each card at a natural pace, a little louder than usual. The student listens and looks; no reply is needed.Log as correct
- Stretch itStretch the first sound a little, as in sssun, without breaking the word apart.Log as cued
- Point to itPoint to your mouth as you say the first sound, so the student sees it as well as hears it.Log as cued
- Closer and quieterSit closer, turn off background noise, and say the list again more slowly.Log as cued
Adjust it
Use half the list, and say each word twice with a short pause between.
After the list, say a few words and ask the student to clap for the ones that start with the sound.
Matching IEP goal
Given spoken words, Student will identify whether a word begins with /s/ in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than one repetition.
Send it home through the parent portal →About this activity
An auditory bombardment list of 14 words that start with /s/: sun, sock, soap, seal, saw, sink, seed, sand, sail, soup, six, sofa, circle and cereal. The adult reads each card aloud and the student only listens, so they hear the sound many times in a short burst without being asked to say it. Circle and cereal start with the letter c, a reminder that the list is built on the sound, not the spelling.
What to listen for
Notice whether the student watches your mouth and the card as you read. Some students start to say the words along with you, which is fine if it comes on its own. Over a few sessions, listen for whether the student begins to notice /s/ in other words, such as pointing out that sun and sock start the same way.
Carrying it home
Read the list aloud at bedtime or in the car, slowly and clearly. Point out /s/ things you see during the day: soap at the sink, socks in the drawer, sand at the park. There is no need to ask the child to say the words. Hearing the sound often, in a calm voice, is the whole activity.
What's in this activity
- sun
- sock
- soap
- seal
- saw
- sink
- seed
- sand
- sail
- soup
- six
- sofa
- circle
- cereal
Questions
- What is auditory bombardment?
- It is listening practice: the student hears a short list of words with the same sound, here /s/, read aloud, without being asked to say them.
- Why are these cards not scored?
- The student is only listening, so there is no answer to mark right or wrong. Note attention and interest yourself if they matter for a goal.
- Is it free?
- Yes. The cards play free in the browser with no login.
Use this board with your caseload
With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.
Track progress freeFree for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.