Guided Practice Script

Hey! Today we are going to practice the /z/ sound! This sound is heard at the beginning of the word zoo which has all the cool animals! Can you say zoo with me? [1] Great!

Now to make this sound we have to make sure your tongue is in the right place. (grabbing a mirror, gloves and Q-Tip’s). Okay, I am going to put these gloves on my hands and take a Q-Tip to show you where to put your tongue. I want you to look in the mirror when I show you so you can copy what I did, okay? I am going to take the Q-Tip and have it touch one spot towards the front at the top of your mouth. Now look in the mirror at the spot the Q-Tip is at and put the tip of your tongue there. [2] Great!

Great, now close your teeth but not your lips and try to push air out. Nice! The sound you just made was /s/ which is almost like /v/. [3] Now I want you to try and make a noise instead of just air without moving your tongue. That was a very nice try!”

Target Techniques and Considerations

Elicitation Techniques

1. Modeling
2. Phonemic placement
3. Facilitating context

Common /z/ Errors

• Error pattern: substituting /d/ for /z/. Why, because for the sound /z/ the child would need to keep a consistent flow of air but with /d/ the air is short. This makes /d/ an easier phoneme to produce.

Accent or Dialect Variation

• Individuals where Spanish is their first language and English is their second may say /s/ for /z/. Example: saying “soo” for “zoo”.