/z/ in the final position

Practice the /z/ sound with these words:

"cereals,"

"cheese" and...

 "cookies."

Practice phrases by asking your child to name what cereals she likes and dislikes.  Targets may include "sweet cereals," "hot cereals" and "cereals with fruit."

Practice sentences by having your child tell you what foods you put cheese on.  Targets may include, "You put cheese on hamburgers," "You put cheese on sandwiches," and "You put cheese on pizza."

Practice conversation by asking your child to describe the cookies in the bakery department.  Targets may include, "Those cookies are fancy.  They look so pretty.  The cookies all have icing.  The cookies look yummy."

The /z/ sound can be a fun one to teach.  For a quick tip, tell your child to make the sound a bee makes, "zzzzzz."  You may even want to prolong the /z/ sound in a word to highlight it, as in "zzzzzzzucchini" or "zzzzzipper:  For more serious instruction, explain the sound in this way: "Put your teeth together.  Put your tongue behind your teeth.  Blow."  Have your child put her hand in front of her mouth so that she can feel the air coming out.  To differentiate /s/ and /z/, have your child feel her throat.  She should be able to feel the vibration in her throat for /z/.