Eliciting Challenging Sounds in Isolation

Sounds: /s,z/__

Most typical errors seen on these sounds: Students carry their front tongue area down and it sounds more like a /th/ (considered a frontal lisp); or air comes out the sides of the mouth and sounds slushy (considered a lateral lisp)

Some specific features of articulator placement/position, manner, and voicing component:

Articulator placements/positions are the same for these two sounds:

*Lower jaw is down very slightly while upper and lower dentition very slightly apart

*Front part of tongue is up and the sides of the front part of the tongue are touching the alveolar ridge. The very front tongue tip area is down slightly and does not touch the alveolar ridge (it is down and produces a small groove to let air out front); sides of middle part of tongue are curled up against gum area/side dentition area (similar to /sh,ch/ sounds); middle part of tongue is down

Articulator placements/positions do not move during the production of these sounds

*Lips are relaxed with no specific position or movement

Manner of airflow is severely constricted by the position of tongue-air coming out sounds somewhat like a “whistle”

Voicing component is on for the /z/ and off for the /s/

Some typical changes in articulator placement/position, manner, and/or voicing that students make which cause errors in this sound:

*Students drop the front part of their tongues down to the midline of the mouth, producing more of a /th/ than an /s,z/

*Students use their tongue tips and push against the alveolar ridge, causing the sides of the tongue to drop down and then the air comes out the side of the mouth

*I have also seen a shifting in the lower jaw during the production of these sounds, that cause airflow shift and then the sound is distorted.

Ideas for eliciting this sound in isolation:

*Having the student put the back teeth together, almost always causes the front part of the tongue to go up (as in swallowing)

*Teach the /s/, then the /z/ will generalize over—teach /s/ sound, by having the student gain awareness of long /e/ tongue placement—make an /e/ to an /s/ (bring back teeth together on the /s/ sound)

*”Work for the whistle”

*If they can do a good /sh/--then have them do an /sh/ to /s/ sound (on the /sh/ remember the front of the tongue is up and the sides are too!)

*Use small candy or food for the student to hold in the middle of the tongue area (bowl) and make the /s/ sound. This encourages the sides of the tongue to go up to hold food in

*If they lateralize air or if they want to make a /t/ for an /s/, desensitize this by working on a combination of /t/ to long /e/ to /s/

*If lower jaw is shifting, stabilize it with “v” fingers or put a small pretzel between the lower and upper dentition as you work on the sound—both to give student feedback on if their jaw is shifting or staying stable.