May 16, 2013

Shine/Sign Sliding Worksheet FREEBIE!

I’ve been working with a little guy on his /s/ sound which sounds more like /sh/. He wants to protrude his tongue and tends to keep it flatter than optimal.  We’ve discussed the difference between both positioning and sound of /s/ and /sh/, and we discuss “make your sound skinnier.”  He’s beginning to get the hang of it!

I had another little guy who was working on /s/ clusters earlier in the year.  I had created some “sliding worksheets” that really seemed to help drive home the need for a strong /s/ sound before finishing the word.  I thought something similar might help my sh/s guy visualize the sound better, so I created minimal pair sheets with the sliding line thinner or wider depending on whether or not it was a /sh/ or /s/.

If you’d like to give this a try yourself grab a FREE copy of shine/sign here.

If you think you’ll need more practice than that, try the entire pack of eight (8) worksheets here.  (Note:  shine/sign is not duplicated in the pack)

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May 14, 2013

It was loverly

I truly enjoy musicals so it was no surprise to anyone that I wanted to celebrate Mother’s Day and my birthday a little early and see My Fair Lady at our regional theater. It’s was loverly!  The performance was a departure for our theater, Triad Stage, which most often features dramas with small casts and has a preference for southern authors or themes.  We are very fortunate to have this venue.  The quality of shows, acting and, almost especially, set design is superb.  If you are ever in the area, check it out.

The movie version of course is divine, but, oddly, I had never caught a live performance. The dialogue is so fun, especially that of the pompous Henry Huggins who is both a credit and embarrassment to our profession.

It was entertaining to see the old gramophone for recording/listening and watch the archaic “marbles in the mouth” trick, but what I really appreciate is his passion for language.

“I know your head aches; I know you’re tired; I know your nerves are as raw as meat in a butcher’s window.  But think what you’re trying to accomplish.  Think what you’re dealing with.  The majesty and grandeur of the English language, it’s the greatest possession we have.  The noblest thoughts that ever flowed through the hearts of men are contained in its extraordinary, imaginative, and musical mixtures of sounds.  And that’s what you’ve set yourself out to conquer Eliza.  And conquer it you will.”

What a task we have—shaping opportunities for majesty and grandeur!

I’m curious, do any of you work with accent reduction?  That seems like a particularly tough beast!

 

 

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May 9, 2013

BHSM Water Bottle Wrappers

Last week I caught an exchange on Twitter discussing ways to celebrate/promote Better Hearing and Speech Month.  I loved an idea from @ndnspeechmom which was to pass out bottles of water with vocal hygiene tips.  So, here you go—wrappers designed for 8 oz bottles of water (though they’ll fit larger too) with some basic facts.  They print black and white, four to a sheet.  You can opt to use color paper if you want to add some flair.  Simply use a piece of tape or your contact information on a return address label to adhere.  ***Note:  it is easier to stick the wrappers/labels on if you work on room temperature bottles.


You can grab your copy here.
Be sure to stop by ndnspeechmom.com to join the #SLPeeps scavenger hunt.  Happy BHSM!
I also loved Mary’s idea from SpeechAdventures.com which was to offer free hearing screening to staff–another quick, easy and low-cost idea.  What do you have planned?

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