/s/ Carry-Over Conversation Starters

Open-ended topics whose obligatory content words carry /s/, for carry-over into connected and spontaneous speech.

Use with a student — free
Card 1 of 10
Describe your school schedule from the first bell to the last. Say which class is hardest and why.
Say it out loud
This pass0 correct · 0 cued · 0 incorrect · 0/10
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Session summary (SOAP)

Stays on this screen. Nothing is saved or sent.

Mark a card Correct, Correct with cue or Incorrect and the summary writes itself here.

How to run it

Before the student answers, name two or three /s/ words the topic will need, schedule, class and first for the school card, and agree on a signal you will use when you hear an error. Then let them talk for a minute or two without interruption, and review afterwards. The sell me your snack card works well with a timer. Fifteen minutes allows four or five topics with review time.

Cueing ladder

Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.

  1. Step 1IndependentGive the prompt and let the student talk. Listen for /s/ without interrupting.Log as correct
  2. Step 2Visual cueUse a silent signal you agreed on, such as a tap on the table, when /s/ slips.Log as cued
  3. Step 3Verbal modelRecast the word that slipped, correctly, and have the student say just that word before carrying on.Log as cued
  4. Step 4Placement cueTeeth close together, tongue tip just behind your top teeth without touching them, sides of the tongue against your top side teeth. Send a thin stream of air down the middle.Log as cued

Adjust it

Easier

Go back to sentences: the student plans one sentence with a /s/ word before speaking.

Harder

Fade your signal. Record a minute of talk and have the student count their own errors afterwards.

Matching IEP goal

Given conversation prompts, Student will produce /s/ in all word positions in structured conversation in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than a visual cue.

Send it home through the parent portal →

About this activity

Ten open-ended topics whose key words carry /s/: describe your school schedule from the first bell to the last; explain how to make a sandwich step by step; talk about a season you like and one you cannot stand; describe the safest way to cross a busy street; sell me your favorite snack in six sentences. The student cannot talk about these without school, sandwich, season, street and snack, so /s/ appears in spontaneous speech without being planted.

What to listen for

Compare the planned words with the unplanned ones. A student who gets schedule and school right but misses first, class and science is monitoring the words they were told about, not the sound. Listen for /s/ in clusters, like street, snack and surprise, and in final position, like class and famous, which often slip later than initial /s/. Note whether errors increase as the student gets more interested in the story.

Carrying it home

Ask the family to use one of these topics in the car or at dinner, the sandwich or favorite snack ones are easy, and to listen to just a minute of the answer for /s/. One gentle reminder at the end is plenty.

What's in this activity

  • Describe your school schedule from the first bell to the last. Say which class is hardest and why.
  • Tell me about the best surprise someone has given you. Set the scene first.
  • Explain how to make a sandwich, step by step, so somebody who has never made one could follow it.
  • Somebody asks what your city is famous for. Describe six things worth seeing.
  • Talk about a season you like and a season you cannot stand. Say what each one smells like.
  • Describe the safest way to cross a busy street. Say each step out loud.
  • Tell me about a science class experiment you finished. What surprised you, and what would you say to the next class doing it?
  • Your sister or your best friend needs advice about starting at a new school. Say what you would tell them.
  • Describe your favorite snack and sell it to me in six sentences.
  • Talk about the last time you saw something you did not expect. Set up the story so I can picture it.

Questions

Should I correct every error during the conversation?
No. Interrupting breaks the conversation you are trying to build. Use an agreed signal, or tally and review afterwards.
What if my student's /s/ is fine in sentences but not here?
That is exactly the gap this set is for. Try one topic with a planned word list, then the same topic without it.
Is it free?
Yes, all ten topics play free in the browser. An account adds session data, goal scoring and assignment.

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 free

Free for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.