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Initial S and Final S Words for Speech Therapy

Need initial s words speech therapy lists? If you’re a speech-language pathologist looking for a quick list of initial s words and final s target words to practice during speech therapy, make sure to bookmark this post. You’ll also find some great ideas for making therapy more fun with a variety of engaging games, resources, and speech therapy activities for teaching the s sound. Not only does this blog post provide a list of initial and final s words, but it also suggests a variety of strategies for teaching correct placement. SLPs will be able to have a list of words on hand to easily use in the therapy room.

Correct Production of S

This blog post focuses on the correct production of s, but the production of z can be mentioned in this section as well.

A lot of time, s and z are speech sounds that a speech therapist will need to target during articulation practice. The s sound is a lingua-alveolar fricative sound. It is a voiceless sound, meaning the vocal folds do not vibrate. The z sound is voiced. The soft palate is raised during both s and z production. S and z can be made with the “tongue tip up” or the “tongue tip down”.

The lateral sides of the tongue need to be elevated and touch the sides of the upper top teeth (the upper molars). This allows for sagittal grooving of the tongue.

The middle of the tongue creates a funnel for airflow. The tongue tip lowers just slightly to create a channel to let the airflow pass through. This takes a lot of practice and coordination!

The jaw is in a high position, but it shifts forward slightly during the production of s.

The airstream moves forward and out of the mouth. The airstream continues while the tongue remains in place.

Common S Sound Errors

Children with articulation disorders may demonstrate a frontal lisp or lateral lisp when trying to produce /s/ or /z/.

An interdental lisp can be more common in young children. In fact, it can be developmentally appropriate while children are young. When your student is demonstrating an interdental lisp, the tongue is forward and protruding past the front teeth. The result is a “th” in place of the “s” sound (example: “thun” for “sun”).

When a child is demonstrating a lateral lisp , the tip of the tongue may be lifted, but the sides of the tongue are flat. When the sides of the tongue don’t lift, it results in the air flowing freely into the cheeks and mixing with saliva. Hilda Fisher described this as a “slushy L”. It is important to note that a lateral lisp is never developmentally appropriate. Learn about the straw technique for a lateral lisp .

Learn more about the different types of lisps here (which may include an interdental lisp, addental lisp, lateral lisp, palatal lisp, or strident lisp).

A few phonological processes may result in s or z speech sound production errors. A child may demonstrate the phonological process of stopping if he or she has a phonological disorder. When this occurs, the airstream is “stopped”. An example of this might be saying “tail” for “sail” or “do” for “zoo”. A speech pathologist may find minimal pairs to be a helpful tool when the phonological process of stopping occurs. Initial consonant deletion or final consonant deletion of the s sound may also occur.

How To Teach the S Sound in Speech Therapy

Speech Therapy Suggestions

Learning how to say the s sound can be hard work for many people. Students in articulation therapy must learn how to move and place the tongue correctly. The next step includes learning how to control and maintain the airflow steam.

Teach Normal Lingual Resting Posture

A lot of times, a great way to start is by explaining the normal lingual resting posture of the tongue and articulators. The tongue tip needs to rest near the alveolar ridge. The body of the tongue needs to be up and lightly suctioned to the roof of the mouth. This is the starting point for speech. I love to use a typodont to provide a visual for this. I use my hand raised into an arch to demonstrate how the center of the tongue needs to be lifted instead of flat.

A simple way to figure out if your student has normal lingual resting posture is to ask them! This is especially beneficial for children in the upper elementary school years.

I ask, “When you aren’t talking… where is the tip of your tongue?” Many of my students who have interdental lisps tell me their tongue tip is touching the front teeth at rest.

Teach the Long T

It may be helpful to teach your student a “ long t” . This is a sneaky way to produce the s sound by shaping it from the /t/ sound. Your student will say /t/, then carefully add airflow to elicit an /s/ sound.

After your student can say a long t, it can also be helpful to then focus on /ts/ at the final positions of words. For example, you might practice words like “cats” and “hats”.

Read more ideas for correcting a lisp here .

Decrease Stopping of S Words (Speech Therapy)

If a speech therapy student is stopping , a speech pathologist might it beneficial to use minimal pairs . An example of this might be practicing picture cards with “Sue” vs “two”.

If I am practicing the s sound in a target word, I keep it simple at first. This may mean practicing the s sound in simple syllables . Words like “see” and “say” may be useful targets. Following this, a speech therapist could choose simple CVC target words, like “sip”. After a while, these words may be practiced in simple phrases or short sentences.

More General Tips for Eliciting the S Sound in Speech Therapy

Speech pathologists may benefit by having the child  keep the jaw in an elevated position .

Finally, speech therapists may want to address letter-sound knowledge while teaching articulation.

Speech Sound Word Lists for the S Sound

The following word lists contain words with the initial s sound, medial s sound, and final s sound. These  articulation word lists  allow the SLP to easily work on a target sound in speech therapy. Quickly pull these word lists up during your speech therapy session and pair them with the game or activity of your choice. These lists make it easy to practice this sound at the word level! SLPs could also use these lists for auditory bombardment listening activities.

Initial S Words Speech Therapy List

Here is a list of s occurring as the initial sound in words (s in the initial position of words):

Medial S Word List for Speech Therapy

Here is a list of s occurring as the medial sound in words (s in the medial position of words):

Final S Word Lists for Speech Therapy

Here is a list of s occurring as the ending sound in words (s in the final position of words):

Speech Therapy Activities for the S Sound

A school speech therapist has a busy schedule and needs effective activities to use in therapy. These initial s and final s articulation cards are very effective for children who have speech sound disorders. For each articulation sound, a  speech sound mouth placement visual is provided. These articulation cards are also easy to send home for home practice. Family members can easily review the articulation s words as a carryover activity. To assemble, simply print out the cards, laminate them, then cut them out. Assemble them together using a binder ring for easy storage.

Here is another fun articulation activity to try! Your students can create manicures using play dough, magnetic chips, or dry erase markers. Have fun practicing target speech sounds while creating a manicure. This is the secret to making articulation drill fun! If you are a speech therapist working with students in person, then simply print and laminate the cards. Or, try using an annotate button with students to use this material during distance learning!

Finally, these minimal pair no prep worksheets will definitely become a staple in your speech therapy room! The minimal pair visuals used help reinforce contrasts between target speech sounds. Use these stopping minimal pair activity sheets to decrease the phonological process of stopping. These no prep phonology pages feature a simple layout to help the speech session run smoothly. According to one SLP reviewer, “This is a handy resource to have on hand with a great variety of targets. It’s easy to get so many trials with the targets immediately accessible for your target. The instructions for use are also clear and easy to implement.”

Some other simple articulation drill ideas for teaching the s sound might include:

• play articulation tic tac toe
• place articulation cards in a sensory bin
• build “s” sound snakes out of play dough
• go on an s sound scavenger hunt at school
• hide articulation cards in a fun bin or container
• fingerpaint a “snake” while practicing the s sound in isolation
• do a simple “sink or float” experiment to practice the word “sink”

More Articulation Ideas for Speech Pathologists

If you are a speech pathologist in need of more articulation word lists, be sure to check out these f word lists and k word lists .

Read more about correcting a lisp and the biggest mistake I’ve made in speech therapy while correcting a lisp .

Finally, you can dig deeper into minimal pairs here.

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500+ Free SLP S Materials, Games, Activities, Flashcards, and more!

Virtual games and activities, freeslp offers tons of virtual slp materials for the s sound. to help target the s sound in the initial, medial, and final positions, we have created s tic-tac-toe, connect 4, virtual flashcards, virtual progression cards, battleship, spot-it, candy land, soccer, painting, and more to view our all free s sound virtual games and materials, click below:, s sound games and activities link.

Downloadable S Materials

We also have tons of free no-prep downloadable s sound materials. s sound printables that we currently have include: s flashcards, qr code scavenger hunt, progression cards, spot-it, word finds, tic-tac-toe, bingo, candy land, connect 4, battleship and more if you're looking for more engaging ways to teach the s sound, hopefully you find these materials helpful to view our all free s sound virtual games and materials, click below:, s no-prep downloadables.

S Sound Animated Videos

Animated videos for each sound teaching how to produce the sound as well as animated articulation adventures for each sound adventure across safaris, space, the world of minecraft, and more while teaching your child how to make awesome s sounds to view our all free s animated videos, click the link below:.

S Artic Hierarchy Activities

Virtual materials to target s from the isolation level all the way up to the conversational level whether you're targeting sounds at the word, phrase, sentence, paragraph, story, or conversational levels, we have free and engaging speech therapy materials for each to view our all free s hierarchy activities, click below:.

Over 1,000+ Flashcards that you can sort by target sound, position of sound, syllables, blends, and more! Add words to your custom word list and print out the flashcards! To view our all free S sound virtual games and materials, click below:

Filterable flashcards.

S sound overview page

What age should my kid be able to say the s sound.

Children typically are able to correctly produce the S sound around 4 years old.

Is the S sound a voiceless sound?

Yes, the S sound is a voiceless (unvoiced) sound.

Is the S sound a fricative?

Yes, the S sound is fricative.

How do I make the S sound?

• Tell the child to smile with their lips close together.  We want the lips to be  almost  touching each other and the top and bottom teeth to be  almost  touching each other.
• Have the child place the tip of their tongue super close to the bumpy spot (alveolar ridge) of their gums behind their front teeth,  but   not touching it!
• While still keeping the lips and teeth close to one another and the tip of their tongue close to the bumpy spot, have the child blow out a stream of air.
• Turn  off   your voice ( voice is the rumbling in your vocal folds.  Have your child/client place their hand on their/your neck during the production of “s” and “z”, and have them feel the difference between the two.  In the production of “s”, there should be no rumble or voicing.  While in the production of “z”, there should be a rumbling or voicing.)

Tricks and Tips for producing the “s” sound:

• To try and emphasize that we don’t want the tongue to be between our teeth during the production of “s”, tell the child that their tongue is a snake and their teeth are the snake’s cage.  We don’t want to let the snake out of the cage, so we should not see it during the production of “s”!
• A fun way to practice is to take turns and  see who can be the loudest or quietest snake in the jungle.
• Although we don’t want the tip of the tongue to be touching the bumpy spot during the production of “s’, having the child know exactly where the bumpy spot is located is helpful.  A fun and tasty way to teach the child where it is  production is to put some Nutella, peanut butter, sour candy gel, or any other spreadable food they enjoy on the bumpy ridge. (Rubbing a sucker on the target spot works as well)  Once the child has felt the spot a few times, have the child place their tongue super close to the bumpy spot and blow out air.
• If the child has siblings, they might be familiar with the phrase “I’m not touching you” where one of their siblings, in an effort to annoy them, puts their finger or hand close to them and says “I’m not touching you!”.  Tell the child to pretend their tongue is the finger and they are trying to get as close to the bumpy ridge as possible without touching it.  If we touch the bumpy ridge, we might get in trouble from our parents!

What are the four types of lisps?

The four types of lisps are: interdental lisp, lateral lisp, dentalized lisp, and palatal lisp.

What is the difference between S and Z?

The S and Z sound are produced exactly the same with one exception.  The difference between Z and S is that the S sound is voiceless and the Z sound is a voiced sound.

50 Initial S Words

50 medial s words.

• Grasshopper

50 Final S words

S sound overview.

If you are looking for tips and tricks on how to produce the perfect S sounds; click the link below:

Virtual Materials for Each Level of Artic Practice:

Target the S sound at the isolation level with 3 different activities: Isolation Animation, Pop the Bubbles, and Click the Button!

Target S at the syllable level with our virtual flashcards!

We have three activities for targeting S at the word level: 1.) Classic flashcards with initial, medial, final, and mixed sets. 2.) Minimal Pair Sliders 3.) Name the Photos (Have the computer give you feedback on your sound productions!)

S phrase flashcards with sets targeting S in the initial, medial, final, and mixed positions!

Target S at the sentence level with our rotating sentences activity!

Our S story is full of S target sounds and tongue twisters! Read it yourself or play it out loud and then repeat it back!

We have two ways to target S at the conversation level: 1.) Silly story scenes full of S target words. 2.) Conversation starter questions.

S Virtual Materials

List of All the Free S Sound Virtual Activities and Games

Progression cards, soccer shootout, escape from dragon's dungeon, fish's flight to freedom, witch's brew, summer sundae dash, fall apple quest, halloween candy chompers, thanksgiving treats, cupid's valentines candies, marshmallows' mad dash, unicorn artic derby, train track dash, flashlight finder, feed the bear, pumpkin carving, build-a-snowman, thanksgiving dinner, tic-tac-toe, artic ninja, volt runner, artic clicker, pizza jumper, artic cruiser, space invaders, spot the differences, treasure hunt, word find 1, word find 2.

S Boom Cards

List of All the Free S Sound Downloadable and Printable and Games

S artic qr scavenger hunt, s artic progression cards, s artic spot the match, initial artic s flashcards, medial artic s flashcard, final artic s flashcards, s articulation carrier phrases, s articulation word find, s articulationtic-tac-toe, s articulation coloring sheet, s cartoon character flashcards, s articulation dice, s articulation flipbook, s artic bingo, s artic candyland, s artic cariboo cards, s artic battleship, s articulation connect 4.

S Printables

Free no-prep, virtual, and downloadable options available!

Free SLP articulation word lists, flashcards with pictures, downloadable PDFs and more!

Materials target the S sound in the initial, medial, and final positions!

Whether you are looking for printable, no-prep, or virtual materials, FreeSLP offers free S sound activities for students of every level!

We hope these S articulation activities and exercises for speech therapy help your child / student learn how to make s sounds!

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A Guide to S Sound Speech Therapy for Helping Young Language Learners

This article will provide you with an overview of S sound speech therapy and how it can help your child's language development.

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If you notice your child can’t pronounce their S sounds properly, it is not uncommon to believe the problem will correct as your child’s language skills develop. However, by the age of 5 or 6, most children should be able to pronounce their S’s clearly. As your child enters school, you might be more inclined to try to correct their pronunciation.

However, this can make your child feel criticized, interfering with their self-esteem. This poses frustration for both you and your child. Luckily, there is a solution:  articulation speech therapy . Therapy is more likely to see positive results in helping your child learn how to pronounce S sounds,. This guide will provide you with an overview of S sound speech therapy and how it can help children improve their language development without breaking their confidence .

What is an Articulation Disorder?

An articulation disorder is related to the improper pronunciation of sounds and words. Considered “atypical production of speech sounds,” it is difficult for your child to express themselves, as people can’t understand what they are saying. When sounds come out wrong, your child can experience frustration because they are unable to communicate effectively. In the case of S sounds, your child has a lisp or sigmatism.

What is Sigmatism?

When a child pronounces their S’s as th, it is referred to as a lisp or sigmatism. The S sound is challenging because S’s are “unvoiced.” This means the vocal cords are not involved, and instead, it is a sound created by air traveling from the mouth through the teeth. Positioning can be harder to master because first, the tip of the tongue has to be placed just behind the front teeth and almost, but not quite touching, the roof of the mouth. At the same time, there has to be space for air to travel down the middle of the tongue with the sides resting against the side of the teeth. The teeth are also involved, as they need to be together to make the SSSSS sound.

What is Articulation Speech Therapy for Kids?

A speech-language pathologist (SLP) performs articulation speech therapy. SLPs are highly trained professionals who understand how to assess and provide treatment for your child’s speech issues. They use various methods to improve your child’s communication ability, using techniques targeting their specific challenges. S words speech therapy is specific to the proper pronunciation of the S sound. Speech-language pathologists use special exercises to teach your child how to move different parts of the mouth so their tongue and lips are properly positioned to produce sounds correctly.

What Therapy is Required for My Child?

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to speech disorders, and your SLP will first assess your child to determine what method will work for them. A few different therapies are often explored until your SLP learns what techniques your child responds to best. Games and activities make treatment fun, so your child looks forward to their sessions.

Why is S Sound Speech Therapy Important?

When your child has difficulty with pronunciation, it interferes with their confidence and ability to communicate clearly. As they enter their school years, improper speech can impact their social well-being. As a parent, it is natural to try to help your child correct them and show them how to pronounce words correctly. However, children might perceive this as criticism, no matter how well-intended.

As a result, they don’t respond well. An SLP provides a specific treatment using methods suited for your child’s needs. In many cases, the techniques and therapies change to best meet your child’s development rate to overcome their language challenges. Many methods include games and activities, so your child has fun. Their confidence isn’t impacted because they learn in a safe environment where they can progress at their own pace. Whether it is S sound speech therapy, R sound speech therapy, or a combination to address multiple pronunciation issues, improving a child's communication skills will boost their confidence and facilitate a sense of social well-being.

When Does My Child Need Speech Articulation Therapy?

Children typically master certain sounds based on their age. You might not even realize your child struggles with their speech because you become accustomed to their pronunciation. It is also common to assume your child’s speech will improve as they get older. However, if you notice your child pronounces S words with a “th” sound, they have not yet mastered their S’s. You can use these guidelines to see if your child’s speech is developing as expected:

• Toddler to age 3: p, b, m, w, h, t, d, k, g
• Age 4: ng, f
• Age 5: v, j, ch, sh, dj, l, s
• Age 6: z, r, r-blends, s-blends , l-blends

If your child has not met these milestones, a speech therapist can assess their language development to determine if treatment is recommended.

How to Teach S Sound Speech Therapy

There are two ways you can help your child learn how to pronounce the S sound:

1. Verbal Cues

Verbal cues help your child learn how an S should sound. You can sit with them and continue to pronounce the S sound slowly and clearly. Don’t draw it out too long, but instead repeat the sound in short little bursts: S, S, S to help them get a feel for the sound. Next, form simple syllables such as sa, su, se and have them try to repeat the sounds with you. You can then introduce single-syllable words such as sew, sea, sap, sit, etc. As they become more comfortable with the sound, you can move up to sentences.

2. Visual Cues

You can include visual cues with your exercises, showing your child what you do with your mouth. Although the tongue is hidden behind your teeth, you can put your fingers at the corners of your mouth, expose your teeth clearly, and have your child do the same. Your child might have fun watching themselves doing this in the mirror while making S sounds.

S Sound Activities Speech Therapy

Activities make practicing the S sound more fun. Games are an excellent way for a child to both say and hear the letter S. A straightforward approach is to think of ways to use S words as a game. For example, snake. Sit together and hiss, making hand movements mimicking the slithering of a snake. You can slither around the room together, making the hissing sound so they get a feel for the air against their teeth. Keep the game creative, such as finding things in the room that start with s to hiss at, or foods a snake might eat that start with s, or saying fun snake rhymes or descriptions such as slithery snake, slimy snake, silly snake, etc.

See who can come up with the silliest ideas, such as snake salad or snake soup. You can also play eye spy, focusing on either the word spy or see, or only spying things that start with S. This is an excellent game in the car to pass the time. When playing cards, have your child shout out Seven or Six when they spot the cards. Use the word face to make funny faces together or paint or draw faces. Get creative and come up with your own S-word games.

S Sound Speech Therapy Words

When we pronounce words, they contain an initial, medial and final sound. The sounds can be created by consonants, vowels, or digraphs like sh. The initial sound is the first sound we hear in a word like the S in snake. The medial sound is in the middle of the word, such as the S in western. And of course, the final sound is the last sound, such as the S in grass. Practicing variations of where the S appears is very helpful in learning proper pronunciation. Don’t always focus on words that start with S, but words with S throughout. This helps them become accustomed to using S in conversation.

How Articulation Speech Therapy Works

Before your child begins S sound speech therapy, you will have a brief call to discuss your concerns. Your therapist will discuss details about your child's communications skills, developmental milestones, and other assessment areas. An assessment evaluates your child using industry-standard speech and language development benchmarks. They provide a treatment plan specific to your child’s needs. Treatment is designed to be fun, in a safe environment where your child feels comfortable. Sessions are 30 minutes with their SLP.

Following each session, your child’s SLP will provide updates on their progress. A big part of therapy is practice, and your child will be sent home with supplemental materials for reinforcement. As your child progresses, you will see their confidence levels rise while their frustration levels decrease. Their treatment plan will be adjusted to meet their progress, so they continue to develop their communication and speech skills.

Learn more about how articulation therapy can help your child pronounce difficult words with S and other challenging phonemes.

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Nobles Speech Therapy LLC

8101 Sandy Spring Rd, Ste 300 [W-28] Laurel, MD 20707

(301) 615-2529

[email protected]

Speech Therapy S Sound Activities and Articulation Games

Jun 4, 2023

I still remember my first client in graduate school working on the /s/ sound. I spent hours preparing S Sound activities for our sessions. It’s genuinely wild to think about how long I’d spend planning for these sessions compared to the time I spend planning sessions now! Looking back at it now, this was just the start of my SLP Toolbox, and it will never stop growing. I’ve compiled a speech therapy S Sound activity list from my toolkit in this blog post! 

This blog post contains Amazon affiliate links for your convenience. I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Speech Therapy S Sound Resources for Elicitation

The goal of the very first treatment session? Elicit the /s/ sound in isolation. I spent so much time preparing activities and lists of cues to help him produce it! I still use the cue “lock your tongue up behind your teeth!” when helping my current students. Here are even more ideas.

• You can find tips for elicitation and picture cards for the S Sound on Speech & Language at Home . 
• Check out the The Marshalla Guide for loads of tips for producing many sounds including the S sound. 
• If you need visuals, word lists and tips for eliciting the S sound, check out this Speech Sound Handbook from Peachie Speechie
• Watch this video to show your students how to say S from Peachie Speechie .
• When working with lateral lisps, watch this video from Peachie Speechie and read this blog post from Amy Graham.
• Another favorite of mine for /s/ sound in isolation is super simple-yarn and space! Hold the spool of yarn while your students hold the end of it. As students make and hold the /s/ sound, walk and un-roll the spool of yarn. See how long your student can make the /s/ sound by cutting the yarn when they finish and measure the length of the yarn.  

S Syllable and Word Speech Therapy Activities

Once established in isolation, it’s time to think about S words for speech therapy. Here are some ideas to help you with sessions with your students.

• Check out this post for a FREE  S sound syllable practice sheet and therapy ideas for S sound syllable practice. Use dry-erase markers or post-it notes to practice S at the syllable level.
• Use these S word activities speech therapy digital folders to customize quick drill activities for in-person and teletherapy sessions. Keep everything in one place between links to websites, YouTube videos, Google Slides, progress monitoring tools, and PDFs.
• There are also stopping and cluster reduction digital folders for SLPs using a minimal pairs approach for the S sound. 
• Try these S and Z Words activities flipbook and the NO print version with your students.
• Speech and Language at Home have S word lists , and Mommy Speech Therapy has free picture cards for S words.
• Use these S speech word picture cards for I spy games, drills, sensory bins, and more.
• For kids who need movement or games that are sound-loaded, Home Speech Home has a few great suggestions. 
• Make an I Spy sensory bin with S mini trinkets and other sounds to pair with the free S sound mat printables . 

S Words for Speech Therapy

Here are even more activities for S words articulation practice.

• Home Speech Home has a word list for S  for words to use during your sessions.  
• For example, you can use the phrase “I see  ______.” Then, students think of different words. They don’t have to have an S because the word your student will be working on is “see.” When using mixed groups, give them a category group to name items. 
• If you’re doing a theme-based approach, you can do this activity but use the theme’s vocabulary. See this IG for more details . 
• Sam wants ________
• _____ is in the recipe.
• Pass _____ to _____.
• Put ____ on your face.
• Harre SLP has a free Fun zoo articulation map . Students can talk about what they see and like at the Zoo. You can pair this with fun toys to make it more interactive!

S Articulation Sentence Worksheets and Activities

• Compare and contrast similar nouns that contain the S sound. For example, soccer, baseball, popsicle, and ice cream would be great S words to compare. Check out the S and Z articulation carryover set if you need pre-selected compare-and-contrast flashcards . 
• Play a sentence articulation challenge game that keeps the student motivated to practice high trials in a short amount of time. 
• Have your students create tongue twisters with your word lists that they can practice. You can even have them illustrate their tongue twister to make a fun speech sound book. For example, you could use “The snake slithered silently through the grass” or “Sam’s silly socks are stylish.”
• Make alliteration S poems, and then students can draw their poems. 
• Play guessing games for secret words that only have the S sound. Add in carrier phrases for students to use, like “My best guess is…” or “Listen carefully before you answer.” 

Speech Therapy Crafts for the S Sound

Crafts are a great way to keep kids engaged during sessions, get repetition of their sounds, and a great way to show their caregivers what they’re working on in speech! Here are some craft ideas for S sound articulation.

• Make speech sound wallets they can store in their speech folders or practice at home. 
• This paper plate challenge craft is a low prep S sound speech therapy craft you can do!
• Create some popsicle stick snack crafts to use as a prop for visual cueing by Glued to My Crafts.

Articulation Games with the S Sound

“Are we going to play a game today?” is a phrase every pediatric SLP hears quite often. Here are some ideas for you when your students ask this golden question. 

• See if your students can decode your secret message on ABC Ya. 
• Play Snakes and Ladders on Toy Theater. Talk about the pieces , slides, snakes, and dice . 
• Make a house or treehouse on ABC Ya to work on /s/ in the final position. Talk about the house, outside, inside, scenery, their choice and more. 
• Use games with opportunities for S and S-blend words like Rattlesnake Jake or Soggy Doggy . 

S Sound Conversation Activities

At last, it’s time to work on the /s/ sound in conversation. The /s/ sound occurs so frequently in our language so ideas for this level are endless! Here are some more ideas for speech therapy s sound. 

• Try these S and Z Sound conversation activities to save yourself prep time and provide your students with a fun way to practice the /s/ sound. 
• Use sound-loaded non-fiction articles to read aloud and discuss. 
• You can find some non-fiction passages in the S carryover activities .
• Read about who invented the Super Soaker on Wonderopolis .
• Learn about Hawaii wildlife on Readworks with passages about the Albatross , Seals and Sea Turtles .
• Make sound loaded questions or play “Would You Rather?”
• Have students answer questions “Would you try…” and they can answer “Yes” or “pass.”
• Have students read the directions of a game, or read the cards while playing a game like Bubble Talk . 
• Create a list of words that start with the S sound ( city, sand, race, messy, whistle, mouse, sick ) then have students make silly sentences or create a story trying to get the sound-loaded words in the story.

It’s safe to say my toolbox s sound activities has expanded since my first client in graduate school, and of course it just keeps growing! What are some of your favorite activities when working on the /s/ sound? Leave a comment or tag us on social media!

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Word List & Materials

S blends can be quite difficult to learn for any child, especially a child with a speech disorder; however, I am here to help ease this task with some free and paid resources. My S Blends Word List page has a little something for everyone!

Available S Blends Resources

You have 3 options:

• Free (word lists and game ideas)
• Join our informative newsletter (also free!) and receive free Cariboo cards and smash mats
• Purchase our awesome full set of s-blends resources (smashmats and Cariboo cards)

Keep reading to explore and discover which resources best fit your needs today.

Paid Resources

By popular demand, I created a "blends edition" of our Cariboo cards and articulation smashmats.

Cariboo Cards - Blends Edition

• Cariboo cards for the following S blends: SK, SL, SM, SN, SP, ST, SW
• Cariboo cards for the following L blends: BL, FL, GL, KL, PL
• Cariboo cards for the following R blends: BR, KR, DR, FR, GR, PR, STR, TR, THR, SHR, SKR, SPR, TW
• 26 pages in total
• So...you get more than just /s/! Woohoo!

You can read more about it  here or buy your own copy by clicking the link below and adding it to your cart.

Smashmats - Blends Edition

• Articulation mats for the following L blends: BL, FL, GL, KL, PL
• Articulation mats for the following R blends: BR, KR, DR, FR, GR, PR, STR, TR, THR, SHR
• Articulation mats for the following S blends: SKR, SPR, SK, SL, SM, SN, SP, ST, SW, TW
• There is one mat with that combines all blends for each sound
• There are game boards for the all sounds listed above as well

Free Materials By Joining Speech Therapy Talk

If you simply need one free SK smashmat, then answer a few questions, join our FREE newsletter, and they are all yours. The materials will be delivered to your inbox instantly after confirming your FREE subscription.

21 free smashmats

Sign up below to receive your free materials.

S Blends Word Lists

Articulation games for s blends.

Take turns with your child saying the desired words during the games listed below. It is important to practice  hearing  as well as  saying  the words.

• Score  - This can be played with any game where points are tallied or a winner is named at the end. Just make sure to say "score" when appropriate. 
• Sleep  - You can play house and pretend to put toys down to "sleep." You can pretend to fall asleep and take turns telling others..."time to sleep."
• Smash  - You can smash playdough, slime, or balls of paper. Easy and fun!
• Snack  - Have your child practice "sn" while asking for a snack. It is best to practice with a "snack" that has a lot of "pieces" such as pretzels or goldfish. This way you get a lot of practice. You can pretend to feed toys snacks too.
• Start  - Instead of "ready, set, go" to start a game or race...say "ready, set, start." This can be adapted to fit many different games. 
• Switch  - Get out 2 toys that your child/student would be interested in playing and then play with them for a minute while giving the other to your child. When your child would like a turn with your toy, he/she has to say "switch."

Membership Site

f you are a parent and your child

• has trouble saying multiple sounds 
• needs to work on vocabulary development
• needs to improve grammar skills
• is working on following directions
• needs to work on narrative language
• needs to work on social skills

AND you want

• a step-by-step guide on how to help your child 
• ideas on how to improve all language skills at home
• functional games

Then, our  member's site might be just what you need. 

If you are a professional and you want: 

• Articulation Screening Tools
• Data tracking sheets
• Templates in Google Drive for easy data tracking and graphing
• Homework sheets/parent handouts on articulation therapy
• General flashcard games
• 36 flashcards for each sound: B, D, F, G, J, K, L, M, N, P, R, S, T, V, Z, SH, TH, CH
• 8-10 functional games for each sound
• Language-based worksheets to spice things up!
• Picture description tasks
• Short story stimuli

Our  membership might be just what you need.

• Word Lists For Speech Therapy
• S Blends: Word Lists and Materials

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S is for Spring, not Lisp! Speech Sheets for the ‘S’ Sound

Six Simple Worksheets for The Sound of “S”

Spring has sprung, and what better time to practice those “s” sounds! Did you know that the “s” sound is one of the most mispronounced sounds in the English language? According to Pronunciation Workshop, approximately half of all “s” sounds in English are pronounced as a letter “z” or “th.”  For a child with a speech impediment, the “s” sound proves particularly challenging. Common in articulation disorders , a child drops the “s” sound all together such as “and,” instead of “sand”. Or a child may mispronounce the “s” sound at the beginning or end of a word, giving him a lisp .

Get Rid of that Lisp: Seven Simple Sheets for the S Sound!

What can you do to help your child with the correct pronunciation? You can start by encouraging proper tongue placement. The correct production for an “s” sound is made with the teeth nearly closed in a natural bite position and the lips parted as though smiling. The sides of the tongue are in a raised position against the upper side teeth. The tip of the tongue may vary as to the position but is usually raised to a place behind the upper front teeth. The tongue should form a groove down the center, through which the breath is directed in a continuous stream. Generally, it is best to have your child watch you make the sound, then try to copy in the mirror. Detailed tongue placement information can be found in the University of Iowa’s The Sounds of English and Spanish .

We’ve put together a simple selection of worksheets to help your child practice the sound of “s.” These worksheets and printables are designed to make sound the “s” fun.  Please share your favorite with us!

• Speech TX has a large number of FREE activities to help engage and motivate children to learn speech, language  and communication skills – at every level. You can also choose worksheets specifically designed to help “s”  pronunciation problems at the beginning, middle, end of words or in blends.
• S Blends Tile Cards:  S” Blend Tile Cards are a fun, hands-on way for students to learn and practice reading/spelling common words beginning with “s” blends.
• Super Teacher Worksheets contains worksheets and loads of printables for students to practice the sound of “s” in every position.
• Kidzone Learning Letters offers a wide variety of games and activities to practice the sound of  “s” and is easily organized into age groups.
• Education.com   is a good website that help teach the child reading, writing and sounding out the letter “s”.  There is a large preschool selection that you and your child can do together.
• Phonics Worksheets for Kids:  a comprehensive website for printables, and worksheets on pronunciation, rhyming, reading and more.
• Speech Buddies University : our online game center where you can play fun word games with your child. Choose the “s” sound to get started and go through beginning, intermediate and advanced games developed by a speech therapist to help get rid of that lisp for good!

Happy Spring!

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S Word List

Activities you may like....

BUNDLE Executive Function

✨ As seen on Boom Cards Featured Bundles!

This BUNDLE of executive function cards includes problem solving stories, social stories, predicting stories, sequencing stories, and flexible thinking stories.

Multiple types of wh- questions, why and how questions, labeling exercises, multiple choice, and drag and drop categorizations   are included throughout this bundle to encourage an in depth understanding of each executive functioning skill.

⭐️ 80 Problem Solving

• Multiple choice question
• 2 labeling exercises

⭐️   52 Social Stories

• Topics of social skills to choose from (feelings, manners, listening, sharing & turns, making friends, being kind)
• Sorting exercise
• 2 wh- questions

⭐️   50 Predicting (✨ as seen on Top Premium Boom Cards ✨)

• What questions
• How questions

⭐️   50 Sequencing

• 3 different what questions per story

⭐️   40 Flexible Thinking (✨ as seen on Top Premium Boom Cards ✨)

• Why questions
• Labeling exercise

Each deck includes a teaching slide and visual to help your students better understand executive function skills before practicing! 

CLICK HERE for Boom Cards Preview.

To use Boom Cards, you must be connected to the Internet. Boom Cards play on modern browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge). Apps are available for modern Android, iPads, iPhones, and Kindle Fires. For security and privacy, adults must have a Boom Learning account to use and assign Boom Cards. You will be able to assign the Boom Cards you are buying with "Fast Pins," (a form of play that gives instant feedback to students for self-grading Boom Cards). For assignment options that report student progress back to you, you will need to purchase a premium account.If you are new to Boom Learning, you will be offered a free trial of our premium account.Read here for details: http://bit.ly/BoomTrial .

Wh- Questions & Short Stories

15 short stories to target wh- questions, auditory comprehension, reading comprehension, recall, and more!

Multiple levels of difficulty, including both shorter and longer paragraphs for a variety of length and detail in the stories.

✨ As featured on Boom Cards Top Premium Decks ✨

⭐ Wh- Questions in Short Stories

• 15 Paragraph Short Stories
• 6 Wh- Questions for every story
• Stories are 4-9 sentences in length
• What, where, who, when, why, and how questions for every story

BUNDLE for Wh- Questions also available in Shine Speech Activities shop , which includes short stories and sentences!

CLICK HERE for Boom Cards Preview .

*This product contains the same activities as the PDF version. If you would like the PDF version, view   Wh- Questions & Short Stories, Auditory Comprehension .

To use Boom Cards, you   must   be connected to the Internet. Boom Cards play on modern browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge). Apps are available for modern Android, iPads, iPhones, and Kindle Fires. For security and privacy, adults must have a Boom Learning account to use and assign Boom Cards. You will be able to assign the Boom Cards you are buying with "Fast Pins," (a form of play that gives instant feedback to students for self-grading Boom Cards). For assignment options that report student progress back to you, you will need to purchase a premium account.   If you are new to Boom Learning, you will be offered a free trial of our premium account.   Read here for details:   http://bit.ly/BoomTrial .

Sentence Comprehension & Language Comprehension

Improve sentence comprehension, language and reading comprehension, and picture comprehension with 4 activities and over 125 prompts for speech therapy or classrooms! Target comprehending, receptive language, and more.

This resource includes   4 different ways to practice sentence comprehension , including wh questions, pictures, fill in the blanks, and more. Real photos are included in this resource.

⭐️ Sentence Comprehension:

• 40 sentence comprehension task cards with 3 questions each
• 30 real photo sentence comprehension prompts
• 30 multiple choice reading comprehension activities
• 30 fill in the blank language comprehension prompts

⭐️   Targeted Skills:

• Improve sentence comprehension skills
• Increase receptive and expressive language abilities
• Expand skills for understanding sentences and pictures

Story Builders & Create A Story

Improve creative writing with these narrative and short story prompts! This set of   70 short story builders   comes with character, location, event and time learning targets.

Help your students improve their stories and increase their creative narrative skills. There is space for students to type or write their stories, as well as an organizing task for story parts. 

Your students will have all the tools they need to create unique and imaginative stories!

⭐️ Includes:

• 70 story builders
• 3 practice levels
• A combination of who (character), where (location), what (event) and when (time) story part targets
• 36 story builders that include 2 story parts
• 20 story builders that include 3 story parts
• 14 story builders that include 4 story parts
• Story parts organizing task with pictures
• Space for creative writing and narrative generation
• Instructions on each page 

⭐️ Teaching slides:

• In depth information about the 4 included story parts
• Descriptions
• Picture matching activities 

Save your time and energy, this set is NO PREP! Includes everything you need to elicit creative, engaging stories from your students.

Perfect for SLPs, teachers, or parents looking to expand language or writing in a fun and creative way!

Made with love in Austin, Texas

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250+ SH Words, Phrases, Sentences, and Reading Passages

As promised here are the words for your unlimited use .

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**NEW** Click on words for picture, audio, & extra practice content!

toothbrushes

Initial SH by Syllables

shaving cream

sheet music

shelled pecans

shooting star

shopping cart

short story

shot putter

shuttle bus

shaving lather

shopping center

sugar berry

Medial SH by Syllables

description

distraction

frustration

accomplishment

application

cash register

celebration

combination

competition

comprehension

concentration

constitution

conversation

introduction

police station

presentation

transportation

abbreviation

articulation

communication

congratulations

cooperation

exaggeration

imagination

mathematician

multiplication

organization

participation

recommendation

refrigeration

disorganization

misinterpretation

mispronunciation

rehabilitation

uncoordination

Final SH by Syllables

cranberry bush

mulberry bush

raspberry bush

satellite dish

strawberry bush

under nourish

SEE ALSO:   The Best Free App for Speech Therapy

Initial SH Phrases and Sentences

shake hands

hair shampoo

nice to share

sharp thorn

close shave

cruise ship

plain shirt

hiking shoe

shop for food

shot in arm

sore shoulder

shovel snow

morning shower

sweet sugar

The chef made the best pasta.

It is polite to shake hands.

She bought a cut, color, and shampoo.

She is nice to share her ice cream.

Be careful the thorn is sharp.

I shave my face in the morning.

The sheep is standing in the grass.

He gives them a good shine every day.

The ship will be gone for 10 days.

He wore his gray shirt.

This type of shoe is for hiking.

I need to shop for groceries.

The doctor needs to give you a shot.

They massaged his sore shoulder.

He went to shovel his driveway.

She washes her hair in the shower.

She is shy around new people.

Don't put too much sugar in the lemonade.

Medial SH Phrases and Sentences

trimmed bushes

grocery store cashier

heavy dictionary

clean dishes

long eyelashes

fly fishing

Battery flashlight

happy graduation

hand lotion

big machine

creamy mashed potatoes

strawberry milkshake

white mushroom

talented musician

bright sunshine

soft tissue

white washer

The gardener kept the bushes trimmed.

The cashier is giving change to the customer.

Look up your word in the dictionary.

Put the dishes on the table.

She put mascara on her long eyelashes.

He tried fly fishing for the first time.

The flashlight lit up the room.

Today is their graduation day.

She put lotion on her hands.

The machine stopped working.

I need to make mashed potatoes.

I want a strawberry milkshake.

We saw a mushroom in the grass.

He wants to be a famous musician.

The ocean looks beautiful today.

Come outside and feel the sunshine.

Blow your nose with a tissue.

Put your dirty clothes in the washer.

Final SH Phrases and Sentences

handful of cash

colorful fish

flush the toilet

green mouthwash

dark mustache

new paintbrush

smash glass

wet starfish

orange toothbrush

wash with soap

She had to brush her messy hair.

He earned a lot of cash.

It was a bad car crash.

The fish was red and yellow.

Flush the toilet every time.

She held onto the dog's leash.

Mouthwash makes your mouth feel fresh.

He has grown out his mustache.

Grab a paintbrush and get started.

Can you give my car a push?

The doctor looked at her rash.

He didn't mean to smash the window.

He made a splash in the water.

He is holding the starfish.

The dentist gave her a new toothbrush.

Take the trash out today.

My clothes smell good after I wash them.

SH Reading Paragraphs

Successful chef.

Chicago has some of the best chefs in the United States. Sharon was one of those chefs. Sharon was the head chef at "Flash", a very expensive restaurant.

Like many people, she liked to shop, wash her car, and sip lemonade in the shade, but unlike many people, she was an accomplished chef. She had been a chef for over 15 years. Growing up, she loved to cook. She experimented with different combinations of ingredients to see how they would taste.

Many people thought this was childish, but even as a young girl, Sharon made food dishes that astonished her friends and family. Her biggest secret was that she only used fresh ingredients. When it came to quality, Sharon never took shortcuts.

She hand selected every ingredient and paid special attention to how they smelled in the store before she bought them. She was always cautious to avoid discounted ingredients because she knew they wouldn't taste right.

Another one of her secrets was that she had excellent communication and cooperation with her staff. She was only one person, and she needed people who would listen and follow her directions. Sharon loved what she did. She was an amazing chef.

Even though she loved working at "Flash" she wanted to open her own restaurant some day. She looked forward to the day that she would own her own restaurant.

Shane's Audition

It was time for Shane's audition. He was nervous, but this was his shot at becoming famous. He was a talented musician and singer. The audition was his chance to play at a well known nightclub in Los Angeles.

His wish was to produce his own album, but he needed this job to help him make the money to do it. Shane's type of music was unique. His music was a combination of pop and hip-hop music with an Irish twist. He had been born in Ireland and his family moved to the United States when he was very young.

Shane had practiced for many hours for his audition. He had polished and perfected the songs he would play for the nightclub owners.

He stood in front of the owners with his guitar in hand. He began to play. His songs were shaping up nicely and the owners seemed to like it. Everything was going smoothly, when all of a sudden...Crash! A shower of glass flew past him.

A large stage light had fallen and shattered on the stage he was auditioning on. For most people this would have been a huge distraction, but this was Shane's moment to shine. He kept playing and didn't miss a beat.

After finishing his songs, the owners gave him a standing ovation. They loved Shane's songs so much, they thought he planned for the light to crash during his song. Shane assured them that he had not planned it.

The owners offered him the job. "Yes!" Shane said. He started that Saturday and couldn't wait to play at the club.

Finding Shannon

Sherry looked at the map on her dashboard. She was lost. She stopped to ask for directions, but the gas station attendant's directions didn't make sense. She had thought about parking her car and using public transportation, but thought that would be even more confusing.

Sherry had never been to a city with this big of a population. She had grown up in the country. After having a conversation with her friend Shannon, Sherry decided that she wanted to visit a big city. Shannon lived in a big city by the ocean.

Shannon's description about all of the things you can do in a big city sounded like so much fun that Sherry made plans to visit her, but now she couldn't find Shannon's house. She started feeling emotional, but fought back her tears. She showed Shannon's address to a man walking by. The man said he didn't know where that address was.

After two hours of frustration, Sherry wanted to demolish something. She threw her hands up in the air and said, "Can't anyone help me find Shannon's address?"

A woman passing by had compassion on her. She asked Sherry if she would like the map on her phone to find the address. Then she told Sherry she would personally show her how to get to Shannon's house. Sherry was so happy that she didn't know what to say.

She shook the woman's hand and offered to buy her lunch. The woman agreed. Together, they hopped in Sherry's car and drove to Shannon's house to pick her up for lunch. 

This list of functional words was professionally selected to be the most useful for a child or adult who has difficulty with producing the "SH" sound.

We encourage you to use this list when practicing at home.

Doing home practice will help your child make much faster progress toward correct production.

Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) are only able to see students/clients 30-60 mins (or less) per week.

This is not enough time  for your child to overcome an articulation disorder with the "Final TS" sound. But with high caseloads...

...it's all SLPs can do.

There's  only so much time  in the day.

Every day that your child goes without practice  it becomes more and more difficult  to correct an "Final TS" error because he/she continues to say it incorrectly. 

SEE ALSO:   The Best Books for Speech Therapy Practice

We know life is busy , but if you're reading this you're probably someone who cares about helping their loved one as much as you can.

Practice 5-10 minutes whenever you can, but try to do it on a consistent basis (daily).

Please, please, please use this list to practice.

It will be a great benefit to you and your loved one's progress.

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90+ SP Words Speech Therapy {Initial Blends + Free Resources}

I’m excited that I get to share with parents and speech therapists my latest SP consonant blends word lists. This blog post includes just over 90+ SP words for speech therapy. 

Phonological Processes

One phonological disorder a child or student might be experiencing when it comes to s blends in the initial position of words is called consonant cluster reduction. 

For example, consonant cluster reduction is when a child or student reduces two or three consonant sounds down to just one consonant sound, such as the “sp” blend down to simply the p sound. 

For example, the word “spy” would become “pie”. 

Be sure to consult with a certified Speech-Language Pathologist if your child is experiencing a phonological speech disorder.

Minimal Pairs

Using minimal pairs is a great idea when working on cluster reduction of initial s blends.

For example, when using minimal pairs for cluster reduction with a child’s speech sounds you could use the minimal pairs of “speak” and “peak”. 

One of the first things you can try is to show the child or student pictures of a person speaking vs. a mountain peak and have them listen to hear the different sound at the beginning of each word. 

You could lay out the two pictures for the words speak and peak and then ask the child to point to the picture of someone speaking or a picture of a mountain peak. 

You could then move on to have the child be the teacher and tell you to pick up the correct words either the picture of the word  “speak” or “peak”. If you pick up the incorrect picture due to their sound errors you could then point to the picture of the word they just said. 

The English language can be confusing and young children may have a hard time producing the right sound, but using visual picture cards and minimal pair words can be helpful for your phonology students.

Correct Production

Teach your child or student how to make the s sound or also known as the snake sound.

• Tongue Tip: The /s/ sound in the English language is made by lightly placing the tip of your tongue on the roof of the mouth on the alveolar ridge right behind your upper front teeth.
• Middle of the Tongue: Be sure to place the sides of the tongue against the upper side of your teeth to allow for the passage of air to go down the center of the tongue.
• Air: Then while smiling blow a skinny stream of air over the center of the tongue (you do not want the air to come out the sides of the tongue).

Target Words

Here’s a list of SP articulation sounds for you to use in therapy or at home practice to work on your student or child’s new skill.

• For Example: spy, speak, spin, spit, spatula, spark, spiral, spot, sport, speech, spine, space, spun, spare, spill

See full list of words, phrases, and sentences below.

Be sure to grab my one page freebie of initial SP sounds below. Simply scroll to the bottom of this post and grab your free copy!

Word Positions: SP Words Speech Therapy 

Initial position of words.

The initial position of the SP sound is at the beginning of a word. For example, “spider” or “speed”.

SP Words at Word Level

Some ways to practice include having your child or student say each SP word one by one as they go through a list. 

Using a dot marker can also be a fun way to practice having your child put a dot under each SP sound. 

In addition, I’ve compiled an easy-to-download one page overview of initial SP sounds below. Simply scroll down to the bottom of this post and download your free copy.

• 1 Syllable:  spring, space, Spain, spoon, sport, speed, spot, spout, spike, spin, speech, spear, spell, sprout, spark, spec, spare, sport, span, spill, spine, spray, speak, spar, spade, spire, spouse, spam, spy, spore, split, spit, spook, spur, splash, spoke, spread, spots, sprung, spry, springs
• 2 Syllable:  special, spirit, sponge, sparkle, Spanish, species, speechless, Sparta, spider, spinach, Spencer, sparkler, spelling, spalding, sparkling, spooky, speeding, sparrow, speaking, spiral, splendor, sprinkles, splinter, spirits, spectrum, splatter, spotlight, spoken, spoiled, Spokane, spinal
• 3 Syllable:  sporadic, spaghetti, spaceship, spatula, sportsmanship, spectator, sponsorship
• 4 Syllable:  sporadically, spectacular, spiritual, specialty, specificness

Practice in Flash Card Mode Right Here from Your Computer!

SP Words Speech Therapy

Short Sentences or Phrases

When working on SP sound production, it’s important to work on short phrases once your child or student has mastered the sound at the word level at or near 80% or higher accuracy.

Here is a list of SP word phrases to try:

SP Words Speech Therapy in Phrases

SEE ALSO: 21 Best Reinforcement Games for Speech Therapy

Sentence level: sp words speech therapy.

The next step after working at the word and phrase levels is to work on the SP sound at the sentence level.

For example, you could give your child or student a list of sentences to read aloud while they work on their SP sound. 

Another idea would be to give your child or student pictures with their SP sound in them and then have them create a sentence about those pictures.

Below is a list of sentences to use with your child or students.

SP Words Speech Therapy in Sentences

Need Other S and S Blend Words?

• Initial S Words
• Medial S Words
• Final S Words
• SN-Blend Words
• SM-Blend Words
• ST-Blend Words
• SW-Blend Words

Need A Different Sound?

Do you have students with other sound disorders? Then you’ll want to check out my complete growing list of all my articulation word lists !

SP Words Speech Therapy Ideas

Below is a list of therapy ideas for when working on the SP sound.

Are you looking to add some fun and engaging activities to your therapy sessions? 

Video games are a great way to reinforce practice while working on your students’ sounds. 

Some fan favorite video games to try are: 

• SP Blends Picture Match Up on Quia by Mrs. Oulette is an engaging computer game that prompts students to match pictures in order to create the sp articulation word.
• SP Flashcards, Matching, Concentration and Word Search on Quia by Leonie Sinclair is a fun set of games that focus on the S blends Sp and Sn!
• Initial S Blends Challenge on Quia by Mrs. Butler is a great challenge game to play with students to practice SP and other S blend articulation.

SEE ALSO: Free Articulation Games for Speech Therapy

Variety of home practice sheets.

Do you have some students who are making slow progress? Why not send home some simple worksheets to give your students some extra practice across multiple settings? 

Here are a few fun and engaging ways to strengthen your child or student’s articulation therapy from home.

• FREE Initial S Blends Drill Worksheet by the Speech Spot Creations is a great resource to send home for parents/caregivers to practice articulation drilling with their students! This is a comprehensive list of many s blends, including SP.
• I Spy “Sp” Blends! By Speech and Language Adventures is an easy to print and send home set of worksheets for students to play “I Spy” and find the words that start with SP!
• Articulation /s/ by An SLP’s Archive is a great passage for students to practice reading at home that has multiple S blend targets.

Conversation Level

Once your child or student has mastered the different levels at the word level, phrase level, and sentence level then it’s time to start working at the conversational level. 

Here are a few conversational level resources to get you started.

• Speech Therapy Articulation Game for S blends | Rock Paper Scissors by Activity Tailor is a fun game to play with your speech students! This incorporates the popular “rock, paper, scissors” game with S blend, including SP blend targets! Use the prompts to elicit conversational level SP targets.
• [FREE] S Blends Bingo with Articulation Cards by Food for Speech is an engaging activity for students to practice multiple S blend targets! Incorporate conversational level practice by having students discuss the provided words.
• S Blend Articulation Dino Freebie by Speechasaurus is a resource that targets multiple S blends in a fun format. Students will be prompted with a stimulus or a functional WH question!

No Prep Worksheets

If you’re looking for a simple way to work on your child or student’s articulation practice here are a handful of no prep worksheets to make therapy simple.

• S Blend Articulation Coloring Page by Allison Diamond is an easy, print and go activity that prompts students to color by s blend. 
•   /s/ blends visual by Speech Doodles is a great worksheet to print and review as a warm-up with students that are practicing SP and other S blends!
• Articulation Games – The Spider Web Game by Speech Pathology Toolkit is a print-and-go, structured drilling worksheet for students to adapt sp blend words into complete sentences.

Therapy Room

Are you a speech therapist looking for SP words to practice with your clients? 

Here are a couple of fun worksheets and games that you can use in your therapy room to work on the initial SP sound.

• Articulation Aquarium BOOM Cards: Initial SP and ST FREEBIE Sample by Panda Speech Therapy is a fun boom card activity to incorporate into your therapy practices! Students drag aquatic-themed pieces while practicing SP and ST articulation.
• Articulation Farm SP-Blend (FREEBIE) by Busy Bee SLP is an interactive activity for your students to practice their SP articulation! Students will cut out farm animals and paste them onto the coordinating page with SP blend prompts.
• FREEBIE BOOM CARDS™ S Blends Articulation (Water Park Theme): SP & SL by SLP on the Charles is a fun deck of boom cards that target SP and SL blends! Students complete winter-themed activities while practicing the targeted blends. 

SEE ALSO: 279+ Free Speech Therapy Digital Materials

Language therapy.

Do you have students working on language therapy along with S initial sounds? Here are a few resources that work on both skills.

• SP Blends: BOOM CARD FREEBIE! By Speaking Spanglish is a great resource to use to practice SP articulation. This interactive deck incorporates target sounds as well as carrier phrases.
• Articulation S Blends Book- Space Themed (St, Sp, Sk) Freebie! By MsKristinSpeech is an interactive, no-prep activity to read through with your students. There are multiple S blend targets (St, Sp, Sk) to practice throughout this book.
• FREE! Articulation /S/ Blend Board Game by Vivi Speechie is a fun board game to play with your students! This digital board game is a great way for your students to practice listening to directions as well as SP blend articulation.
• Phonology (Articulation) SP cluster/Oral Language-I Spy with My Little Eye Game by LK Speech Therapy is an interactive I spy game that can be used while focusing on oral language, vocab, questions and answers, imitation or language expression. This game is easy to print and go, or can be sent home!

In Conclusion: SP Words Speech Therapy

We hope you have found this article helpful for working on your child or student’s SP sound. 

Be sure to grab your freebie of 20 words filled with real-life photos making it perfect for adult speech practice and start practicing 5 minutes a day!

Grab Your Free SP Word List with Pictures Here!

Simply enter your name and email to have this free Initial SP Words list with pictures emailed directly to your inbox!

Grab our Initial SP Blends List!

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Trump’s bizarre, vindictive incoherence has to be heard in full to be believed

Excerpts from his speeches do not do justice to Trump’s smorgasbord of vendettas, non sequiturs and comparisons to famous people

Donald Trump’s speeches on the 2024 campaign trail so far have been focused on a laundry list of complaints, largely personal, and an increasingly menacing tone.

He’s on the campaign trail less these days than he was in previous cycles – and less than you’d expect from a guy with dedicated superfans who brags about the size of his crowds every chance he gets. But when he has held rallies, he speaks in dark, dehumanizing terms about migrants, promising to vanquish people crossing the border. He rails about the legal battles he faces and how they’re a sign he’s winning, actually. He tells lies and invents fictions. He calls his opponent a threat to democracy and claims this election could be the last one.

Trump’s tone, as many have noted, is decidedly more vengeful this time around, as he seeks to reclaim the White House after a bruising loss that he insists was a steal. This alone is a cause for concern, foreshadowing what the Trump presidency redux could look like. But he’s also, quite frequently, rambling and incoherent, running off on tangents that would grab headlines for their oddness should any other candidate say them.

Journalists rightly chose not to broadcast Trump’s entire speeches after 2016, believing that the free coverage helped boost the former president and spread lies unchecked. But now there’s the possibility that stories about his speeches often make his ideas appear more cogent than they are – making the case that, this time around, people should hear the full speeches to understand how Trump would govern again.

Watching a Trump speech in full better shows what it’s like inside his head: a smorgasbord of falsehoods, personal and professional vendettas, frequent comparisons to other famous people, a couple of handfuls of simple policy ideas, and a lot of non sequiturs that veer into barely intelligible stories.

Curiously, Trump tucks the most tangible policy implications in at the end. His speeches often finish with a rundown of what his second term in office could bring, in a meditation-like recitation the New York Times recently compared to a sermon. Since these policies could become reality, here’s a few of those ideas:

Instituting the death penalty for drug dealers.

Creating the “Trump Reciprocal Trade Act”: “If China or any other country makes us pay 100% or 200% tariff, which they do, we will make them pay a reciprocal tariff of 100% or 200%. In other words, you screw us and we’ll screw you.”

Indemnifying all police officers and law enforcement officials.

Rebuilding cities and taking over Washington DC, where, he said in a recent speech, there are “beautiful columns” put together “through force of will” because there were no “Caterpillar tractors” and now those columns have graffiti on them.

Issuing an executive order to cut federal funding for any school pushing critical race theory, transgender and other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content.

Moving to one-day voting with paper ballots and voter ID.

This conclusion is the most straightforward part of a Trump speech and is typically the extent of what a candidate for office would say on the campaign trail, perhaps with some personal storytelling or mild joking added in.

But it’s also often the shortest part.

Trump’s tangents aren’t new, nor is Trump’s penchant for elevating baseless ideas that most other presidential candidates wouldn’t, like his promotion of injecting bleach during the pandemic.

But in a presidential race among two old men that’s often focused on the age of the one who’s slightly older, these campaign trail antics shed light on Trump’s mental acuity, even if people tend to characterize them differently than Joe Biden’s. While Biden’s gaffes elicit serious scrutiny, as writers in the New Yorker and the New York Times recently noted, we’ve seemingly become inured to Trump’s brand of speaking, either skimming over it or giving him leeway because this has always been his shtick.

Trump, like Biden, has confused names of world leaders (but then claims it’s on purpose ). He has also stumbled and slurred his words. But beyond that, Trump’s can take a different turn. Trump has described using an “iron dome” missile defense system as “ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. They’ve only got 17 seconds to figure this whole thing out. Boom. OK. Missile launch. Whoosh. Boom.”

These tangents can be part of a tirade, or they can be what one can only describe as complete nonsense.

During this week’s Wisconsin speech, which was more coherent than usual, Trump pulled out a few frequent refrains: comparing himself, incorrectly , to Al Capone, saying he was indicted more than the notorious gangster; making fun of the Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis’s first name (“It’s spelled fanny like your ass, right? Fanny. But when she became DA, she decided to add a little French, a little fancy”).

He made fun of Biden’s golfing game, miming how Biden golfs, perhaps a ding back at Biden for poking Trump about his golf game. Later, he called Biden a “lost soul” and lamented that he gets to sit at the president’s desk. “Can you imagine him sitting at the Resolute Desk? What a great desk,” Trump said.

One muddled addition in Wisconsin involved squatters’ rights, a hot topic related to immigration now: “If you have illegal aliens invading your home, we will deport you,” presumably meaning the migrant would be deported instead of the homeowner. He wanted to create a federal taskforce to end squatting, he said.

“Sounds like a little bit of a weird topic but it’s not, it’s a very bad thing,” he said.

These half-cocked remarks aren’t new; they are a feature of who Trump is and how he communicates that to the public, and that’s key to understanding how he is as a leader.

The New York Times opinion writer Jamelle Bouie described it as “something akin to the soft bigotry of low expectations”, whereby no one expected him to behave in an orderly fashion or communicate well.

Some of these bizarre asides are best seen in full, like this one about Biden at the beach in Trump’s Georgia response to the State of the Union:

“Somebody said he looks great in a bathing suit, right? And you know, when he was in the sand and he was having a hard time lifting his feet through the sand, because you know sand is heavy, they figured three solid ounces per foot, but sand is a little heavy, and he’s sitting in a bathing suit. Look, at 81, do you remember Cary Grant? How good was Cary Grant, right? I don’t think Cary Grant, he was good. I don’t know what happened to movie stars today. We used to have Cary Grant and Clark Gable and all these people. Today we have, I won’t say names, because I don’t need enemies. I don’t need enemies. I got enough enemies. But Cary Grant was, like – Michael Jackson once told me, ‘The most handsome man, Trump, in the world.’ ‘Who?’ ‘Cary Grant.’ Well, we don’t have that any more, but Cary Grant at 81 or 82, going on 100. This guy, he’s 81, going on 100. Cary Grant wouldn’t look too good in a bathing suit, either. And he was pretty good-looking, right?”

Or another Hollywood-related bop, inspired by a rant about Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade’s romantic relationship:

“It’s a magnificent love story, like Gone With the Wind. You know Gone With the Wind, you’re not allowed to watch it any more. You know that, right? It’s politically incorrect to watch Gone With the Wind. They have a list. What were the greatest movies ever made? Well, Gone With the Wind is usually number one or two or three. And then they have another list you’re not allowed to watch any more, Gone With the Wind. You tell me, is our country screwed up?”

He still claims to have “done more for Black people than any president other than Abraham Lincoln” and also now says he’s being persecuted more than Lincoln and Andrew Jackson:

“ All my life you’ve heard of Andrew Jackson, he was actually a great general and a very good president. They say that he was persecuted as president more than anybody else, second was Abraham Lincoln. This is just what they said. This is in the history books. They were brutal, Andrew Jackson’s wife actually died over it.”

You not only see the truly bizarre nature of Trump’s speeches when viewing them in full, but you see the sheer breadth of his menace and animus toward those who disagree with him.

His comments especially toward migrants have grown more dehumanizing. He has said they are “poisoning the blood” of the US – a nod at Great Replacement Theory, the far-right conspiracy that the left is orchestrating migration to replace white people. Trump claimed the people coming in were “prisoners, murderers, drug dealers, mental patients and terrorists, the worst they have”. He has repeatedly called migrants “animals”.

“Democrats said please don’t call them ‘animals’. I said, no, they’re not humans, they’re animals,” he said during a speech in Michigan this week.

“In some cases they’re not people, in my opinion,” he said during his March appearance in Ohio. “But I’m not allowed to say that because the radical left says that’s a terrible thing to say. “These are animals, OK, and we have to stop it,” he said.

And he has turned more authoritarian in his language, saying he would be a “dictator on day one” but then later said it would only be for a day. He’s called his political enemies “vermin”: “We pledge to you that we will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country,” he said in New Hampshire in late 2023.

At a speech in March in Ohio about the US auto industry he claimed there would be a “bloodbath” if he lost, which some interpreted as him claiming there would be violence if he loses the election.

Trump’s campaign said later that he meant the comment to be specific to the auto industry, but now the former president has started saying Biden created a “border bloodbath” and the Republican National Committee created a website to that effect as well.

It’s tempting to find a coherent line of attack in Trump speeches to try to distill the meaning of a rambling story. And it’s sometimes hard to even figure out the full context of what he’s saying, either in text or subtext and perhaps by design, like the “bloodbath” comment or him saying there wouldn’t be another election if he doesn’t win this one.

But it’s only in seeing the full breadth of the 2024 Trump speech that one can truly understand what kind of president he could become if he won the election.

“It’s easiest to understand the threat that Trump poses to American democracy most clearly when you see it for yourself,” Susan B Glasser wrote in the New Yorker. “Small clips of his craziness can be too easily dismissed as the background noise of our times.”

If you ask Trump himself, of course, these are just examples that Trump is smart.

“The fake news will say, ‘Oh, he goes from subject to subject.’ No, you have to be very smart to do that. You got to be very smart. You know what it is? It’s called spot-checking. You’re thinking about something when you’re talking about something else, and then you get back to the original. And they go, ‘Holy shit. Did you see what he did?’ It’s called intelligence.”

• Donald Trump
• US elections 2024
• Republicans
• US politics

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Purdue Audiology researcher works to better understand harmonies in our heads, ears

Malinda McPherson, a new assistant professor in the Purdue University Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, conducts research on the harmonious qualities of Tsimané music in Bolivia.

Written by: Tim Brouk, [email protected]

Malinda McPherson

Malinda McPherson had harmony in her head when she first picked up a viola at age 8 and has helped guide her through her academic research.

As a Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology PhD candidate at Harvard University and a postdoctoral associate at the University of California, San Diego, McPherson published numerous studies on how humans perceive harmonic sounds and their pitch. McPherson was hired in fall 2022 as a new Purdue University Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences (SLHS) assistant professor but is currently finishing her postdoctoral work before her West Lafayette arrival in August.

A member of Forbes’ 2022 “30 Under 30” list in science , McPherson analyzes how people differentiate and remember harmonic sounds. Speech and other musical sounds have harmonic structure, or pitch, as words go up and down in frequency. McPherson’s work can inform how people hear harmonic sounds and what can be done by hearing aid developers to help those with hearing loss better receive those important harmonic tones from the voices of family and friends or from their favorite piece of music. The research can be utilized to understand how humans with hearing loss navigate not just music but also conversation in crowded restaurants and gatherings.

While conducting this research, McPherson performed in symphonies and chamber music groups, winning awards for her talents along the way. These days, playing the viola is mostly a stress reliever and creative outlet, but her musical activities continue to provide inspiration for her research.

“I’ve always been interested in sound. I think part of my love of playing viola has translated into a desire to understand how we hear complex sounds,” she said. “I find the process of how we perceive sound fascinating, and I think a lot of that fascination does derive from my early experiences learning to play a musical instrument and working hard to make sound in a particular way.”

Another aspect of McPherson’s research involves understanding music perception among indigenous communities. The groups she studies create music that does not follow the rules that most Western music follows. She visited Bolivia to study the Tsimané people’s music and how they appreciate and listen to musical harmony and other sounds.

What has drawn you into the field of hearing research?

I was initially drawn to study hearing because of my background as a musician, but one of the many reasons I’ve stayed in this field is because of the people who work in this area. Hearing research has traditionally been a smaller field, particularly compared to research in other sensory domains like vision, so is it is quite collegial and collaborative. That is reflected in the department at Purdue. Hearing also has an underappreciated impact on well-being, and I’m excited the SLHS department at Purdue has such a public face regarding why it’s important to protect your hearing and why hearing research is critical for general health.

You taught a class called Sound and Music and Perception in San Diego. How does music get woven into your work?

I started my course with a discussion of “What is music?” How do we define it? The class agreed that there aren’t very good definitions that encompass all that music is and can be. Therefore, in my class and in my research, I have to teach and study the elements that make up many musical systems around the world. One of these building blocks is pitch — how high or how low our sounds are and how those sounds are structured over time.

I’ve been interested in understanding how we perceive pitch both in speech and in music. In speech, the difference between a question and a statement is due largely to pitch — whether you have a rising inflection or a flat inflection. In music, pitch gives us melody and harmony. I’ve been studying how we perceive these complex signals and found that people seem to have multiple complimentary systems for processing pitch. Which system you use depends on the context. Several of my experiments examining basic pitch perception have been informed by my background as a musician.

How has the fieldwork in Bolivia affected your research?

I feel honored to have worked with Tsimané communities in Bolivia and to have been invited back year after year. It’s an incredible opportunity to question our assumptions about auditory perception and about experimental design. When conducting cross-cultural research, it is important to think critically about how we set up experimental tasks and how we translate questions and instructions between languages so everybody can understand the task in the same way.

We’ve been studying the Tsimané’s pitch perception and how it differs from individuals in the U.S. I have been curious about whether the wildly different musical and auditory diets between U.S. and Tsimané participants can cause the two groups to perceive sound differently or prefer different types of sounds. My fieldwork has motivated me to explore the diversity of auditory perception worldwide.

What are you looking forward to about starting at Purdue this fall?

I look forward to translating my science into the clinic . I am hoping that some of my findings could either be used for early diagnostic tests for various forms of hearing loss or could be used to improve processing in devices like cochlear implants or hearing aids. If we understand the signals the auditory system is using to extract information from the world, then perhaps we can optimize our devices to extract that information and give people the best chance at hearing important sounds. That’s the ultimate aim of my work.

Donald Trump's Rambling Rally Speech Raises Questions

D onald Trump's mention of the "beautiful" Battle of Gettysburg during a campaign rally in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, on Saturday got the former president some attention on social media, with users wondering what his rambling "rant" was about.

"Gettysburg, what an unbelievable battle that was," Trump said while addressing the crowd in the town and wearing a Make America Great Again hat. "It was so much, and so interesting, and so vicious and horrible, and so beautiful in so many different ways—it represented such a big portion of the success of this country," he continued.

"Gettysburg, wow—I go to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to look and to watch," he said. "And the statement of Robert E. Lee, who's no longer in favor—did you ever notice it? He's no longer in favor. 'Never fight uphill, me boys, never fight uphill.' They were fighting uphill, he said, 'Wow, that was a big mistake,' he lost his big general. 'Never fight uphill, me boys,' but it was too late," Trump added.

Newsweek contacted Trump's 2024 campaign team for comment by email on Sunday morning.

Saturday's rally was Trump's first major campaign event in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, which President Joe Biden is expected to visit in the coming days. He will reportedly make three stops there next week, starting with his hometown of Scranton.

Pennsylvania's 19 electoral votes—the most of any swing state in the country—could make a big difference for both candidates in November, as they have done before. Trump won the state in 2016 by fewer than 45,000 votes over Hillary Clinton , but lost it to Biden in 2020, who won by less than 1.5 percent, or about 80,000 votes.

Trump's mention of the Battle of Gettysburg, which was fought between July 1 and 3, 1863, between Confederates and Federal troops, didn't go unnoticed by social media users, journalists and strategists following the former president's rally on Saturday.

"Donald Trump doesn't know the first thing about The Battle of Gettysburg. He shouldn't even try being a historian. His lack of in-depth knowledge quickly reveals itself," wrote an X, formerly Twitter, user who describes themself as pro-Ron DeSantis.

"Trump goes on a weird rant about the battle of Gettysburg and then notes of Robert E. Lee that 'he's no longer in favor. Did you ever notice that?'" wrote journalist Aaron Rupar. Confederate General Lee led the slave-holding states in the South toward the end of the American Civil War.

"When there's an essay question on the test you didn't study for," wrote a user on the social media platform, mocking Trump's mention of the battle.

Many users also questioned how the deadliest battle of the Civil War, with an estimated 23,000 Federal troops and 28,000 Confederate soldiers killed, injured or captured over three days, could be considered "beautiful." Though the Civil War officially ended almost two years after Gettysburg, the bloody battle is considered a turning point for the eventual victory of the Union in 1865.

The Battle of Gettysburg wasn't Trump first mention of the Civil War during a 2024 campaign event this year. Talking at a rally in Iowa in January, the former president said that the war "could have been negotiated" and thus avoided. On that occasion, Trump didn't suggest how he would have avoided the conflict, but said that he found it "so horrible, but so fascinating."

CNN commentator Karen Finney, a distant descendant of Lee and a freed slave from Virginia, penned an opinion piece in January warning against the danger of those who want to rewrite the story of the Civil War.

"Counterfeit narratives cannot be indulged or ignored—not in our society, not in the history we teach in schools and not in a presidential campaign," she wrote.

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The Method Behind Trump’s Mistruths

A close examination of every public word from the former president during a crucial week of his campaign.

By Angelo Fichera

Since the beginning of his political career, Donald J. Trump has misled, mischaracterized, dissembled, exaggerated and, at times, flatly lied. His flawed statements about the border, the economy, the coronavirus pandemic and the 2020 election have formed the bedrock of his 2024 campaign.

Though his penchant for bending the truth, sometimes to the breaking point, has been well documented , a close study of how he does so reveals a kind of technique to his dishonesty: a set of recurring rhetorical moves with which Mr. Trump fuels his popularity among his supporters.

In the week starting with Mr. Trump’s victory speech in Iowa through his win in the New Hampshire primary — the contests that put him on the path to becoming his party’s nominee for the third consecutive time — The New York Times analyzed all of his public statements, including speeches, interviews and social media posts.

His words focused heavily on attacking his political rivals, self-aggrandizing and stoking fear to make his case for 2024. In doing so, Mr. Trump often relied on repeated falsehoods and half-truths. He has yet to deviate from this approach in the general election.

Here’s a look at how he does it.

He grossly distorts his opponents’ records and proposals to make them sound unreasonable.

Trump Presidential Campaign via C-span

Atkinson, N.H., rally, Jan. 16, 2024

While Joe Biden is pushing the largest tax hike in American history – you know, he wants to quadruple your taxes .

President Biden has not proposed quadrupling taxes. In fact, he has consistently vowed not to raise taxes on anyone earning less than $400,000.

Sean Hannity interview, Jan. 22, 2024

I mean, what he’s doing with energy with an all-electric mandate, where you won’t be able to buy any other form of car in a very short period of time .

Mr. Biden has not implemented an electric car mandate. The administration has announced rules that would limit tailpipe emissions from cars and light trucks, effectively requiring automakers to sell more electric vehicles and hybrids. It doesn’t ban gas cars.

Truth Social, Jan. 16, 2024

Nikki Haley, who hung in against Mr. Trump until Super Tuesday, did not raise the issue of the gas tax in South Carolina and rebuffed calls to do so as a stand-alone measure. She said in 2015 that she would support raising the gas tax — by 10 cents, over three years — only if lawmakers agreed to reduce the income tax rate to 5 percent, from 7 percent, and made changes to the state’s Department of Transportation.

He exaggerates and twists the facts to make his record sound better than it is.

Newsmax via Youtube

Newsmax interview, Jan. 21, 2024

And think of it, for four years we had no terror problem .

There were in fact terrorist attacks in the United States during the Trump administration. In 2017, to name one, a native of Uzbekistan plowed a pickup truck down a bike path in Manhattan, killing eight people. The Justice Department said the driver, Sayfullo Saipov, carried out the terrorist attack in the name of ISIS.

We had the best economy. We had no inflation .

The economy wasn’t the “best” under Mr. Trump. Even setting aside Covid, the average growth rate was lower under Mr. Trump than under former Presidents Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan. And inflation was low , but it wasn’t nonexistent.

Hannity interview, Jan. 18, 2024

We had gasoline at $1. 87 .

The national average price of a gallon of gasoline dropped to that price during one week amid the Covid lockdown in 2020, when demand was extraordinarily low. But when Mr. Trump left office in January 2021, the national average was $2.42.

He relies on both well-worn and fresh claims of election rigging to suggest he can lose only if his opponents cheat.

RSBN via Youtube

Portsmouth, N.H., rally, Jan. 17, 2024

The radical-left Democrats rigged the presidential election of 2020, and we’re not going to allow them to rig the presidential election of 2024 .

The 2020 election was not rigged. Mr. Trump has uttered hundreds of inaccurate claims to support the false claim that it was — mischaracterizing voting processes, citing baseless cases of supposed fraud and sharing conspiracy theories about voting machines.

As you know, Nikki Haley in particular is counting on the Democrats and liberals to infiltrate your Republican primary .

Registered Democrats were not able to vote in the New Hampshire Republican primary. The contest was open to registered Republicans and independents. Any Democrats who switched parties or re-registered as independents to vote in the Republican primary — and some did — had to do so before an October 2023 deadline, months before the contest.

Laconia, N.H., rally, Jan. 22, 2024

The Republicans went up to vote and none of the machines were working. This was not good. But of course, they said, Well, this was just the way it goes. You know, thousands of people were not allowed to vote. But she, uh, she’s a great person, and she’s going to be a U.S. senator very soon. Kari Lake .

The claim that “thousands” of voters were blocked from casting their ballots in Arizona’s 2022 gubernatorial election — at the expense of Mr. Trump’s preferred candidate, Ms. Lake — is false. There were some glitches in Maricopa County , but voters were largely able to cast their votes.

He has turned his criminal cases into a rallying cry, baselessly asserting that he is being persecuted by his successor.

Fox interview with Bret Baier, Jan. 20, 2024

These are all Biden indictments .

Mr. Trump has not offered any evidence for his contention that Mr. Biden has orchestrated the criminal charges against him. Two of his four cases were brought at the state level. At the federal level, Mr. Trump’s criminal charges — in relation to his effort to remain in power after losing the 2020 election and, separately, over his retention of classified documents after leaving office — are handled by a special counsel and were put before grand juries.

I’ve been indicted more than Alphonse Capone .

Mr. Trump has been indicted four times. Mr. Capone was indicted at least six times, according to A. Brad Schwartz, a historian and biographer of the infamous gangster.

He makes unverifiable claims about what the world would have been like had he secured a second term.

Concord, N.H., rally, Jan. 19, 2024

We wouldn’t have Russia attacking Ukraine. We wouldn’t have inflation. We wouldn’t have the attack on Israel .

There is no evidence that these events wouldn’t or couldn’t have occurred had the 2020 election outcome been different — and it’s impossible to prove. But experts say the context surrounding those events render his claims highly questionable .

China had a crash yesterday in their stock market. You know why? Because I won Iowa .

There is no proof that China’s stock market woes were related to Mr. Trump’s victory in the Iowa caucuses.

He describes the United States as a nation in ruins.

We are a nation that screens its citizens viciously at all ports. But if you are an illegal alien, you’re allowed to flow through our country with no check whatsoever .

Undocumented immigrants caught crossing the border are processed, whether they are returned to other countries or later released into the country awaiting future proceedings.

Manchester, N.H., rally, Jan. 20, 2024

And now we are a nation that wants to make our revered and very powerful Army tanks – the best anywhere in the world – all electric .

There are no plans to make Army tanks all electric.

We are a third-world nation .

This is, of course, false.

We are no longer energy independent or energy dominant as we were just a few short years ago .

Energy production — including oil and gas — has boomed under President Biden. Under both administrations, the United States has been a net exporter of petroleum and natural gas, but it still relies on imports.

I don’t know what it is with Catholics, but the F.B.I. is going after Catholics .

Mr. Trump’s claim is most likely based on an F.B.I. field office memo that warned of the potential for extremism among adherents of a “radical-traditionalist Catholic” ideology. But the memo was withdrawn and repeatedly condemned by the nation’s top law enforcement officials.

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Our Coverage of the 2024 Election

Presidential Race

The start of Donald Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan  thrusts the presidential race into uncharted territory and Trump back into the public spotlight in ways he hasn’t been since he left the White House.

An average of recent surveys, including a new poll  by The New York Times and Siena College, shows that President Biden is inching closer to Trump, Nate Cohn writes .

A group of major news organizations issued an unusual joint statement urging Biden and Trump to commit to participating in televised debates  before Election Day.

Vice-Presidential Calculations: As Trump sifts through potential running mates, he has peppered some advisers and associates with a direct question: Which Republican could best help him raise money ?

Embracing the Jan. 6 Rioters:  Trump initially disavowed the attack on the Capitol, but he is now making it a centerpiece of his campaign .

Mobilizing the Left: Amid the war in Gaza, the pro-Palestinian movement has grown into a powerful, if disjointed, political force in the United States. Democrats are feeling the pressure .

On a Collision Course:  As president, Trump never trusted the intelligence community. His antipathy has only grown since he left office, with potentially serious implications should he return to power .

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‘Fingers crossed, words on fire’: Moorhead speech team off to state tournament after winning last 7 years

There’s a force constantly building inside Moorhead High School, tucked into a sunny, corner second-floor classroom.

Outside you’ll find students talking to walls, contorting their arms and faces. Inside Room F-211, you’ll find the home of the speech and debate team.

It’s where team members — 68 of them — have burnished their skills to become Class AA state champions for the past seven years (excluding a COVID year when the award wasn’t presented).

On April 5, the team won the 8AA Sections tournament for the 29th consecutive year. Twenty-six Moorhead High Spuds qualified that day for the state tournament in Shakopee this weekend.

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“Every year there’s been a state championship, we’ve been the state champion,” said head coach Rebecca Meyer-Larson. She’s coached the team for 35 years.

“It’s still exciting every single time,” she said. “It’s still surprising every single time, given the amount of talent in this state — and they’re gonna make us work for it this year for sure. So we’ll see.”

‘Beautiful stories and messages’

Ask team captain Karena Christenson to define the last four years, and she’ll say “competitive talking.”

But it’s more than that, she said.

Speech is “a bunch of kids coming together who get to share their voices who otherwise might not be heard. And you get to hear a bunch of beautiful stories and messages,” Christenson said.

“You can either be sharing your story or something to relate to, or somebody else’s or bringing awareness to a subject a lot of people might not know about.”

Those stories include all sorts of topics, from serious to silly and real life to fiction. Competitors mostly perform or speak alone, but some categories require a pair or even a table of competitors.

“We’re like this little secret society of cool people that get to listen to the power of words every single day and most people don’t have a clue that it’s happening in Moorhead,” Meyer-Larson said, adding it isn’t limited to the northwest Minnesota city.

“Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of kids have their eyes on that state tournament with their fingers crossed and their words on fire,” she said.

From January through April, Moorhead Speech Team students meet with any of its nine coaches on weekdays. That’s five days a week for three or four hours.

“Even when you’re not [in] dedicated coaching time, you’re still here and you’re working on things or you’re running ideas with someone else,” said Andrew Tichy, who has been coaching the team for 10 years.

On tournament weekends, competitors load onto a bus on Friday night, spend it at a hotel and compete Saturday all day.

Schools across the state host tournaments, which are filled with competitors in high heels and dress suits, carrying water bottles and throat lozenges. It’s all high fives and no side eyes.

Amy Doherty, the director of Minnesota State High School League Speech for the past decade-plus, said speech kids are just good kids.

“They’re just like, sweet and happy and they support other schools and you don’t see poor sportsmanship or parents yelling at the judges,” she said.

Moorhead speech dynasty

After the awards ceremony, Moorhead students bus back home, usually four hours from the Twin Cities metro. “Mey-Lar,” as students like to call coach Meyer-Larson, walks down the aisle handing out candy. She talks to every student.

“That’s something else that a lot of other teams don’t have. We jump back on our bus and we go a long drive back to Moorhead,” said Meyer-Larson. “We have a lot of time to dissect and look at our critiques.”

But it’s hard to say exactly why the team has triumphed all these years.

Coach Tichy said that travel piece is certainly unique: “We just spend more time together.”

But he said it boils down to drive and tenacity.

“Kids who really are passionate about the words that they are performing, the dedication that they have to their craft and to their teammates. I don’t know if that’s something that sets us apart necessarily, but it’s certainly something that I’ve seen,” he said.

That dedication is a pillar of speech steams across the state.

“The advantage that we have is that the best speech state — and I don’t think you can argue that — is Minnesota,” Meyer-Larson said. “And so every weekend, those metro teams, northern Minnesota teams, teams from all over Minnesota teach us how it’s done.” She adds her students also benefit from competing at and attending national competitions.

Team captain Christiansen also credits the closeness of members of her team.

“Iron sharpens iron. And so like, we’re competing against each other, which pushes us to be better … everybody wants everybody to do well. And I think that’s why we do so well. It’s because we do it together,” she said.

Through prose and great speeches, team captain Maya Weiler said she’s become an advocate for “communities that don’t often get a voice.” A senior, she plans to work in the nonprofit sector after graduation.

“As much as it’s sad that it’s ending — speech in itself — but like, the lessons I’ve learned from it aren’t stopping for me whatsoever, because I’m gonna keep using everything that I learned in this activity throughout the rest of my life.”

The High School League’s Doherty knows it. These kids are our future community leaders, she said.

“That experience in high school speech is going to benefit them in the community because it’s hard to figure out a career where public speaking and putting together your thoughts isn’t an important skill,” she said.

In Meyer-Larsen’s decades of coaching, she’s watched her students go on to become lawyers, ministers, parents and change-makers.

“I look out at those kids and they are bound and determined — they’re gonna fix it, they’re gonna fix it, and I believe them. And I’ve watched them for all these years I’ve been coaching I watched them graduate and fix it and change the world,” Meyer-Larson said.

There’s no way to know if the team will walk away with an eighth championship trophy this year, or precisely how these seniors will go on to fix the world.

For now, the Spuds are holding onto their tried-and-true constants.

The bus ride to Shakopee won’t be complete without blasting “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen and “Roar” by Katy Perry. Meyer-Larson will anoint each competitor with a roll-on essential oil smudge.

She’ll tell them, one by one: “Love your words, love your team.”

Want more Fargo-Moorhead news? Check out our local page for events, weather and area happenings . And sign up for our weekday texting club:

• Push for more Minnesota child care funding falls short as legislative session winds down
• Can school resource officers make schools safer?
• Minnesota school districts look to visa program to avoid teacher shortage

Screen Rant

How yoda's speech patterns once saved a planet (& the entire jedi council).

Yoda is well-known for his unusual way of speaking - but, incredibly, Star Wars has revealed one occasion where his speech pattern saved a planet!

• Yoda's unique speech patterns were actually a result of his immense age in the Star Wars canon.
• Yoda's eccentricity and cleverness saved an entire planet from destruction in "The Living Force."
• "The Living Force" is filled with rich humor and showcases Yoda's unforgettable contribution to the Star Wars universe.

Star Wars has revealed one staggering occasion when Yoda's unusual speech patterns saved an entire planet - and the Jedi Council to boot. Since Yoda made his debut in The Empire Strikes Back , viewers have been delighted at his strange speech patterns. According to Star Wars canon, there's a reason Yoda speaks in this strange way ; it's because of his immense age. He actually speaks a common form of Galactic Basic from his childhood, but language has changed over the centuries, and he's been unable to move with the times.

To be fair, Yoda probably had good reasons for refusing to adapt. He quite liked portraying himself as an eccentric figure, because it would lead people to underestimate him; he famously played this trick on Luke Skywalker himself in The Empire Strikes Back . Yoda also loved training younglings, and they would surely be charmed and entertained at the way he spoke. But, hilariously, John Jackson Miller's The Living Force has just revealed Yoda's speech patterns once saved the day .

How Yoda Defeated One Enemy Of The Jedi... With Six Words

In The Living Force , the Jedi Council depart on a mission to Kwenn - one that places both themselves, and the entire planet, in the crosshair of a group of pirates. The Jedi plan to stage a formal ceremony, promising to tell the people of Kwenn that the Jedi stand with them, and the pirates smartly plant explosives around the site of the ceremony. As soon as someone utters those promised words, the bombs will go off, killing everybody there - and leaving the Jedi Council itself vulnerable to attack.

"Stand with you, the Jedi will," Yoda declares to the crowd

Learning of the plan, the Jedi Council come up with the smartest possible way to sow discord in their enemies' ranks: they invite Yoda on to the stage. " Stand with you, the Jedi will, " Yoda declares to the crowd - and, because the exact phrase hasn't been uttered, the bombs don't go off. Some of the pirates attack, others don't; the chaos is exquisite, and it's all just as the Jedi Council planned.

The Living Force Is Absolutely Packed With Rich Humor

This is only one example of the rich humor in The Living Force , one of the most enjoyable Star Wars books in years. Miller is a skilled author - well-known for previous contributions to Star Wars - and he knows just how to balance light and dark. Somehow he manages to find time for every single character in the Jedi Council, giving each one a distinctive voice and an opportunity to shine. Still, Yoda's contribution alone makes this an unforgettable Star Wars novel.

Buy Star Wars: The Living Force from Amazon

Star Wars Movies In Order: How To Watch Release Order, Chronologically & With The TV Shows

The aged Jedi Master had trained Jedi for 800 years by the time he met Luke Skywalker on the planet Dagobah. One of the most famed and revered Jedi, Yoda served as Grand Master of the Jedi Order for centuries; he was powerful enough to duel Darth Sidious himself, although he was defeated. Yoda exiled himself to Dagobah, where he learned how to become a Force Ghost and offered guidance to Luke Skywalker.