Guided Practice Script

Hey! let’s jump right in to practicing the sound /l/. There are many words that have this sound like, lay or fall! I want us to say a few of these words; okay repeat them after me, “lay”, “like”, and “fall” [1] Wow! Great try!

Now we are going to use a mirror and Mr. Mouth (i.e., mouth puppet) to make sure our tongue is in the correct place. I want you to look at Mr. Mouth and see how I am lifting the tip of his tongue to touch the roof of his mouth right by these bumpy things. Okay, now I want you to do the same in the mirror! [2] Great!

Now I want you to try letting some air out. Nice try! Next, instead of air, I want you to try and make some noise. I know it is a little hard, so I will do it with you. Remember to keep your tongue in the place and try your best! [3] Great try!”

Target Techniques and Considerations

Elicitation Techniques

1. Modeling
2. Phonetic placement
3. Verbal Instructions (description)

Common /l/ Errors

• Gliding /w/ instead of /l/. Why? Because /l/ has the lifting of the tongue tip which is difficult, while /w/ has minimal movement of the tongue.

Accent or Dialect Variations

• In African American English /l/ is sometimes glided. Example: “baw” for “ball”