About this activity
Ten words starting with /s/: sun, sock, sit, soup, seed, sail, soft, sand, safe, soap. All single syllables with simple structures, which is what a young child needs — initial /s/ is where the sound is usually first targeted, and the word should not be harder than the target.
How to use it in a session
Hold the /s/ before the vowel. Sssssun gives the airstream time to be established and lets you hear whether it is going down the middle of the tongue or over the side. Ask for the word, then a two-word phrase — my sock, the sun. Five minutes covers the ten, which makes this a good short activity paired with something else.
What to listen for
Listen for where the air goes. A frontal lisp — the tongue too far forward, giving a /th/ quality — is the commoner pattern and the easier to fix; a lateral one, where the air escapes over the sides, sounds slushy and is harder. Watch soup and soap, where the following vowel rounds the lips and can pull the tongue out of position.
Carrying it home
Sun, sock, soap and sand are ordinary words. Modelling them clearly rather than requesting corrections is the right approach with a young child, since correction reduces how much they say.
Questions
- What ages is this for?
- Kindergarten through third grade.
- Is it free?
- Yes, all ten cards play with no account.
- What is the difference between a frontal and a lateral lisp?
- A frontal lisp sends the air over a tongue that is too far forward, sounding like a /th/. A lateral one sends it over the sides of the tongue, sounding slushy. The second is generally harder to change and starts with listening work.