when they can't say their "s"'s or "z"'s?

I felt like such an idiot for not noticing it before......it was actually the doctor who pointed it out to me during their 2 yr checkup. We were talking about their language & she asked me if ds had a hard time with the "s" sound......at the time, I thought about it & said he might. So she said to come back in 6 mos & we'd do a followup on that.

Since then, I've been paying more careful attention & he definitely has a hard time with the "s" or "z" or "sh" sounds. It's usually "y" or "j" instead. I've been just doing little "zzzzzz" games, like pretending to be bees or just making the sounds, which he thinks is great fun. But so far, he doesn't copy it. Should I be doing something else to practice?

 

I think it's really good that your Doctor is so on to it. My 3 year old DD has problems with s's and c's and has just been evaluated by a speech therapist after her childcare worker recommended it. For us she's in the normal development range so I would say not to panic and if you have some concerns to get a referral or pay for an evaluation. The speech therapist recommended to us just to repeat the mispronounced word after it's said - don't make a big deal of it just a reminder on how it's said correctly.

 

Mine are almost 4 and still have a few problem sounds. Mine dont say "F" instead they replace it with the "B" sound. But they can say it when they are doing the alphabet.
I think all you can do at this point is what you already are doing .. make a game out of it .. also, whenever mine say it incorrectly I just repeat the word correctly for them. Now they will actually correct each other ..

 

My boys don't really talk much, but they know their letters and go around saying "S", "ssssssss", "zzzzzzzz". I think when they go to put them together with words though, they'll have a lot more trouble

My boys don't really talk much, but they know their letters and go around saying "S", "ssssssss", "zzzzzzzz". I think when they go to put them together with words though, they'll have a lot more trouble

 

Hmmmm. My girls know all their letters and the sound for each letter but sometimes with certain words, they have a hard time making the letter sound. Personally, I think some of it is still quite normal. Some letter sounds are just harder to master than others, especially when there are blends and other various letter combinations.

 

Hello,
I am a speech therapist, and just wanted to lend a resource that might be helpful. As you can see by looking at the chart from the link, s,z, and sh sounds are later developing sounds. This chart is just a "range" guide- so don't panic if your child is on the early or late end of the spectrum. Just making fun games and encouraging the sounds is great. I also often just repeat the word using the correct sound in my questions or answers back to the children. Unless they are past the developemental range and we are actively "working" on the sound, I don't "correct" them- just offer a good model.


http://www.talkingchild.com/speechchart.html

 

Thank you so much for the information!!!!!!! I am a deaf Mom and I cannot tell if they are making the sounds but my husband says they both doing okay with some of them. I am still going to request EI just to be sure that they are within their stage process.

Thanks,
D, w/Rianna and Justin

 

This is apparently really common. Sarah can't say a whole lot of consonants, and the speech therapist basically told me to worry about the S/Z sound last.

She can actually do it, but only by itself -- she'll say "sssssss!" no problem, but can't start any words with S. However, she is (just this past week) starting to finish words with S -- mouse, house, etc. (It comes out as a cross between an S and a CH sound.)

I agree with making a game of it. In our case, it also helps that her name starts with S, because she is highly motivated to learn to say it.