Off Topic Speech therapy anyone???

[bogwoppit]

I do remedial reading in our local elementary school as a volunteer. This morning the teacher asked if I would work with a 10year old girl who is an amazing reader, but she just cannot make the SH sound. It is definitely a problem with how she places her tongue and lips, so I played around with some faces and making sounds. I sent her home with ideas of what she can do in front of her mirror to help her understand what she needs to do versus what she is doing now.

Do any of you have any experience with this, I'd love some more ideas for her and her parents to work on at home.

There is no longer a speech therapist availble to the school here and the options are few and far between. I'd love to help her more and she is so bright and very keen to fix her issue.

Thanks ahead of time.

 

[gymgal]

I am a speech path. Are you in the US? If so, she should have access to a public school therapist, even if she is in a private school. She wouldn't qualify for services with just one error but she could still get services through an indirect plan (some districts use 504, some use other methods to get assistance.

The best way to teach "Sh" is to start with "s". Make sure it's a good clear "S" (not a lateral sloshy one). Have her say it with wide smiling lips. While continuing to make the "s", slowly transition to a pucker face and ease the tongue back a little. Having her do a continual sound from the s to the sh helps to feel the difference. Once she has the sound, then it's a matter of building sounds around it. It's usually easier to say the sound either at the beginning or end of words. trial and error. Once you find the easier one, then provide words for her to practice. When successful, put the words in sentences. Then monitor conversation. Obviously, that is a very basic plan but it will get you started.


I would also talk to her family about this. The child could go to a private therapist after school. A sound like this on a child that age is usually very easy to correct with just a few sessions and lots of home practice.

 

[bogwoppit]

Thanks so much, we are in Quebec and though our school board has a ST the girl is not even on the list as we have so many kids with speech issues, they whole French?ENnglish thing really doesn't help here!

I love your ideas, she has a great s sound with a smiling face, in fact that is her problemt, she tries to do the sh sound like that too. I told her to practice making smiling them pouting faces in the mirror and also to practice all different kinds of noise the she can make breathing over her tongue. Your way takes this so much further, I can't wait for next week now to try this.

I worked on a paper today to send home with her, just explaining what we are trying to do, the parents are very receptive, but do not have the resources to go private. The little girl is very bright and will work hard.

Thanks again, you have really helped me, just doing that exercize myself I can see how it works!

 

[gymgal]

glad I could help. Feel free to email me in a few weeks if you need more input

[email protected]

 

[bogwoppit]

The tongue sliding backwards trick really helped, she actually made a kind of sh, the look on her face was priceless. She has a hard time making a pouty face, she is working on it at home for the week.

Thanks so much, you made a little girl very happy.

 

[gymgal]

glad to hear it worked! Now all she needs is practice!!!

 

[bogwoppit]

GYmgal we had a great session today she can now use the sh at the beginning of words, she needs a reminder to slide back her tongue. I sent a note home to ask her poarents to remind her when she slips up.

I guess next will be working on the sh in the middle and end of words. Amazing how happy she was, in fact I was so happy too, it was like getting an xmas gift!!!