Not all babies can master hissing and whistling sounds right away. Children even graduate from elementary school with some pronunciation features, and if this problem is left unattended, the speech defect will persist in adults. Even one sound pronounced incorrectly can trigger many speech therapy problems. Therefore, producing the sound “Ш” is an important task.
Formation of the sound "Ш".
Examination of the pronunciation of the sound “Ш”
When examining pronunciation, a specialist must find out how the sound being tested is pronounced separately, in words, in speech. For this purpose, images whose names include “Ш” can be used. It is important that it occupies different positions and combines with other sounds. The little student is asked to recite a poem in which the words have an "W".
If a child does not clearly pronounce an isolated “Sh”, you must first introduce this sound, and then consolidate its pronunciation in speech. If a child correctly pronounces a separate sound, but the defect is observed only in words, you need to work on consolidating it in speech.
Rules for testing at home:
- The child is in a calm state, repeating the necessary words after one of the parents. When forced into pronunciation, the sound is often distorted.
- The child pronounces the desired sound more than once. Sometimes children, even if they have a defect, can imitate the correct sound and the violation is not immediately noticed. It is easier to hear defective pronunciation in words where “Ш” is pronounced together with other consonants. To check, the child should pronounce the following words: chestnut, muffler, punch, mouthpiece.
For some children, the problem can be overcome in the first lessons; for others, the defect is dealt with step by step over some time, selecting appropriate tasks and techniques.
Possible deviations
During the examination, it can be revealed that the sound “Ш” is pronounced incorrectly. Despite the fact that this sound is considered dull, it must be pronounced clearly and cleanly.
Possible deviations:
- The child sticks his tongue out too much between his teeth, resulting in a lisping sound.
- Sigmatism in “Ш” appears when there is strong tension in the deep part of the tongue. Then “W” is replaced by “X”.
- With lateral sigmatism, a “pop” is produced.
- Dental parasigmatism - the tongue rests on the upper incisors. Instead of "W" you get "T".
- With labiodental parasigmatism, “W” sounds like “F”.
- Instead of "SH" sounds "S", this is whistling parasigmatism.
It is important to tell your child how the speech organs should be positioned correctly. Classes should be accompanied by visual analogies and demonstrations.
Causes of sigmatism
Sigmatism as a short-term phenomenon can occur in children during the period of physiological change of teeth. When baby teeth fall out, the tip of the tongue sometimes occupies an interdental position, which gives speech a lisping tone. Typically, children quickly find compensatory articulation that promotes normative pronunciation, and the problem soon disappears. Persistent pathological sigmatism has the following causes:
- Dentofacial anomalies.
Prognathia can lead to labiodental sigmatism. The cause of interdental pronunciation of sounds is usually an anterior open bite, a narrow and high hard palate, and a shortened frenulum of the tongue. Nasal pronunciation is typical for cleft palates. - Violation of the innervation of the organs of articulation.
Leads to changes in the tone of the tongue, laxity of the soft palate, paresis or increased spasticity of the lips. With innervation inferiority, interdental or lateral sigmatism most often occurs. - Diseases of the ENT organs.
Difficulty in nasal breathing caused by adenoids, vasomotor or allergic rhinitis causes the child’s mouth to constantly remain slightly open. In this case, the tip of the tongue ends up in an interdental position - interdental sigmatism is formed. - Incorrect articulation patterns.
There is no organic pathology on the part of the articulatory organs. The immaturity of articulatory praxis comes to the fore. This situation can occur in somatically weakened children when imitating incorrect speech patterns. - Hearing loss.
A decrease in physical hearing usually leads to sound substitutions - parasigmatism; less often, with hearing loss, distorted pronunciation of sounds is observed. It is caused by unclear auditory differentiation of correctly and incorrectly pronounced phonemes.
In practical speech therapy, sigmatism occurs in a number of speech disorders: various forms of dyslalia and dysarthria, alalia, rhinolalia, ONR, FFN. A lisp may occur in children with intellectual disabilities.
What to do to learn to pronounce “Sh”
Exercise for developing the sound “Ш”.
Correct pronunciation of the sound [w] is possible in this case: the teeth are as close as possible, the incisors are on top of each other, and the rounded lips are pushed forward, the tongue is shaped like a “bucket.”
Guidelines for parents
Sometimes parents do not turn to a speech therapist for various reasons. Some due to financial difficulties, others in accordance with their beliefs. At the same time, parents should know how to teach their child to say the letter “SH”.
Warm up for tongue and lips
The most effective and easy-to-implement way to cope with failure to pronounce sounds is articulatory gymnastics.
It includes the following exercises:
- “Let’s warm our palms.” His goal is to learn how to release a strong stream of air. The child needs to exhale air in even portions with rounded lips, without puffing out his cheeks.
- Naughty tongue. The exercise helps relax the tongue muscles. With the tongue placed on the lower lip, the syllable “five-five-five” is pronounced from 1 to 10, the edges of the tongue do not rise upward.
- Glue on some candy. The result of such training should be strengthened tongue muscles and a practiced upward movement of the tongue. The tip of the tongue is located on the lower lip, a small piece of toffee is placed on the edge, which must be glued to the palate. The jaw should remain motionless, only the tongue works.
- Swing. The tip of the tongue touches either the upper or lower teeth.
- Horse. Clack like a horse.
- Pancake. Place a relaxed tongue on the lower lip.
- Kitty. The child needs to reach his nose with his tongue.
- Focus. You need to open your mouth while smiling and place the edge of your tongue on your upper lip so that a groove is formed in the center; now you need to blow off the cotton wool that lies on your nose.
After warming up and practicing these exercises, you can begin direct sound production.
Exercises for the main stage
A basic exercise for articulating “W” can be using pronouncing “R” in front of a mirror in a whisper. At this time, you need to stop the vibration of the tongue with a spatula.
After completing the exercise with your mouth open, you can proceed to pronouncing the resulting sound, clenching your teeth. The normal sound of “Sh” is achieved by rounding the lips.
The basic one is also “T”, which is pronounced in front of the mirror. After which articulation is reproduced with a half-open mouth, while the front edge of the tongue should touch not the teeth, but the dental sockets. After which the “T” is pronounced at the holes with aspiration.
Correction
Health care
Special treatment is required to eliminate factors predisposing to sigmatism. Bite correction may include various types of orthodontic care: wearing braces, special mouth guards, and devices of various types. If necessary, orthognathic intervention is performed. The choice in favor of surgical tactics for a shortened frenulum is made if it is impossible to stretch the ligament using speech therapy methods.
In case of disturbances in the innervation of the articulatory muscles, all speech therapy work is carried out against the background of drug treatment and physiotherapy prescribed by a neurologist. The lack of free nasal breathing, as a cause of sigmatism, requires appropriate treatment: removal of the adenoids, antiallergic therapy.
Speech therapy correction
Speech therapy work to eliminate all forms of sigmatism is subject to a single algorithm. It includes three periods during which certain corrective tasks are solved:
- Preparatory.
At this stage, the necessary articulation patterns are formed: the correct position of the lips and tongue. Work is underway to develop the strength and direction of the air stream. Support sounds are practiced ([I], [F] - for [S], [T], [S] - for [Sh]. Methods by which the objectives are achieved include articulation and breathing exercises, and, if indicated, speech therapy massage . - Sound production.
It is carried out in different ways: by imitation (“how a pump whistles”, “like a mosquito rings”, “like a snake hisses”), using articulation exercises or with the help of instruments (probe substitutes, probes). The basic sound for all whistling sounds is [S], and for other hissing sounds - [Ш]. - Automation.
Having achieved the correct pronunciation of an isolated sound, they move on to consolidating it, sequentially introducing syllables (direct, reverse, with a combination of consonants), words, phrases and spontaneous speech. After practicing hard sounds, they begin to assimilate their soft pairs. There is no differentiation stage for sigmatism and other sound distortions.
The traditional sequence of production of sounds is determined by the timing of their appearance in ontogenesis. If both groups are violated, the sound production of whistling sounds is carried out first, then hissing sounds (an exception may be dysarthria, when the sounds are placed in the reverse order).
If sigmatism is part of a complex speech defect, then work is carried out in parallel on other aspects of speech: syllable structure, vocabulary, grammar, prosody, etc. The time frame for correcting sigmatism may vary for different children; the period of speech therapy work takes up to 45-90 days or more.
Staging and subsequent automation of sound
By performing the exercises, they develop the correct articulation of “W”. But a skill is a mechanical process that takes time to practice and consolidate. A child can learn to pronounce “Ш” already in the first lessons, but in subsequent lessons the pronunciation turns into a lisp and whistling.
Speech games and tongue twisters starting with “Ш” will help automate sound:
- I can’t find our frog’s ears.
- Masha walked along the highway and sucked dryers.
Making the sound “Ш” by imitation.
You can come up with an interesting nickname for your favorite toy using “Sh”. For example, “Wolf-tail.”
Nursery rhymes will help you practice your speech.
You can ask your child to come up with a diminutive word. For example: winter - winter, spot - spot, mistress - hostess, uncle - uncle, grandfather - grandfather.
Warm-up
Before you start training the sound “Ш”, you must first stretch your lips. The following exercises are suitable for this:
- "Trunk". You need to ask the baby to take turns folding his lips into wide and narrow tubes. When wide, the position of the lips is the same as when pronouncing “O”, and when narrow, the position of the lips is the same as when pronouncing “U”.
- "Alternation." The child should alternately form his lips into a narrow tube and then into a wide smile. Moreover, the wider the smile, the better.
- "Astonishment". The lips form as if pronouncing “O”.
Why doesn't the letter "Ш" hiss?
The reasons for incorrect pronunciation may be the following:
- Physiological: malocclusion, large tongue, high palate. In addition, the quality of the spoken sound depends on the development of the speech apparatus.
- Prolonged use of the pacifier. This item spoils the bite, which leads to distorted pronunciation of whistling and hissing sounds.
- "Lisping" with a child. By repeating after their elders, children distort their speech.
- Repeating incorrect pronunciation after adults who have speech impediments.
- Memory, thinking and attention are poorly developed.
- Speech hearing impairment (in some cases, dyslexia may develop).
If, after homework, the child still cannot pronounce the letter “SH,” you should contact a speech therapist.
When to see a speech therapist
Distortion and replacement of sounds in three-year-old children is not considered a deviation. But if at 2 years old the child has no speech, then it is worth going to a consultation with a specialist. Only by the age of 5 does the formation of the phonetic series end. The setting of "Sh" occurs between the third and fifth years of life.
Violation of the pronunciation of “Ш” is correctable and is often eliminated relatively easily. The main thing is that classes are regular and systematic. It is important that the little student himself has the desire to correct his speech and pronounce “Sh” correctly.
The child and parents must show patience and perseverance during lessons. If the results are poor, then you should contact a speech therapist. A specialist can place “Ш” from the reference sound with mechanical assistance, using a probe or spatula.
