This guide provides an overview of S-blend speech therapy and how it can help your child's language development.
If your child has issues pronouncing certain “s” words, they may have difficulty mastering “consonant clusters.” S-words with consonant clusters combine s with other consonants such as k, l, n, p, t, m, w. Mispronunciation of these words can make it difficult for people to understand the child and impede their communication ability.
As a result, children can fall behind both academically and socially. Unfortunately, many schools are not fully equipped to manage issues with speech adequately. However, many children see significant improvements through S-blend therapy. Here we discuss S-blend therapy or
S-word speech therapy to help you decide if it suits your child.
S-blends refer to words combining two consonants with an s, such as
scope, or three consonants, such as
scrape. Some children have difficulty coordinating the sounds to articulate the words correctly. Common examples of consonant clusters mispronounced would be saying “poon” for
spoon or “cool” for
school. Children are expected to articulate s-blends by the time they begin school. The longer they mispronounce s-words, the more difficult it becomes for them to develop proper articulation skills.
S-blend therapy is a form of articulation or speech therapy to improve a child's communication skills. It is meant to be fun, allowing children to naturally develop proper articulation by talking and playing with the help of books, pictures, or flashcards. Treatment is based on their age, particular pronouncement issues, and strategies that include therapy at home.
The goal is to make treatment fun so children are motivated to participate and gain confidence in their communication skills. As they enjoy new success, they continue to progress to new levels. As a result, they become more capable in everyday conversation and increase their ability to participate in social and academic settings.
S-blend therapy works by practicing sounds, syllables, and phrases until your child can complete sentences. To improve their progress, therapy continues at home. You can help your child succeed with these tips:
While it takes time and patience for your child to become used to new speech patterns, S-blend therapy and ongoing practice at home will help them perfect their articulation skills.
Does your child struggle with pronouncing s-blend words? Learn more about s-blend and other articulation treatment options with Nobles Speech Therapy.
Contact
Nobles Speech Therapy LLC
info@noblesspeechtherapy.com