/j/ in the initial position; /j/ as in "yogurt," not as in "jelly"

Practice the /j/ sound with these words below.  /j/ makes the "yuh" sound.

"Yogurt" and ...

"yams."

To practice phrases, have your child look at the yogurts and tell you what varieties are for sale.  This can be done by looking at the pictures on the container or reading the labels.  Targets may include "peach yogurt," "cherry yogurt" and "Greek yogurt."  There are many varieties of yogurt, so you can get a lot of mileage out of this task.

To practice sentences, I suggest playing a game.  Every time you or your child sees something "yummy" at the store, say "Yum!  I see _____."  Targets may include, "Yum!  I see cookies," "Yum!  I see apples," and "Yum!  I see juice."  A variation on this activity is to have your child say "yuck" whenever she she sees a food she doesn't like.  Targets may include, "Yuck!  I see liver," or "Yuck!  I see broccoli."

To practice conversation, ask your child how yogurt is made, or what yams are.  If you hear any interesting answers from your child, please post below!  Targets may include, "How do you make yogurt?!  I know it has fruit in it.  Yogurt also has to be cold.  If it isn't, it tastes yucky!" or "I don't know what yams are!  They are orange.  I don't know if they are yummy or yucky.  Do you like yams?"

To cue for the /j/ sound, it takes several steps.  First, remind your child that her tongue should be against the roof of her mouth.  Second, have her round her lips.  Third, initiate the voicing (the vibration of the Adam's Apple) and cue her to push the air out of her mouth. 

If this gets confusing, you can try a "sneaky" method to produce /j/.  If we make the "e" sound and prolong it, it often sounds like "eeee-yuh."  Have your child make a prolonged "e" sound, then draw her attention to the "yuh" portion.  Finally, have her just make the /j/ sound without the "e" sound at the beginning.

Tip: If you look at the can of yams, it has "YAMS" printed clearly on the label.  Paying special attention to printed letters on product packaging can help build awareness of letters representing sounds.  Paying attention to printed words can also lead to "sight" reading, whereby a child recognizes a word by sight.  (Think how a very young child can see a McDonald's sign and recognize that it says "McDonald's.")  This is a pre-literacy skill.  What do you think are good sight words to practice at the grocery store?  Post below!