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• Free Worksheets

I created these free speech and language worksheets so you can easily download and print them out to use as part of your speech therapy program.  Just scroll down the page to view the worksheets by topic.  You will find free speech therapy worksheets for articulation, vocabulary , grammar, holiday articulation and language games…and lots of other miscellaneous speech therapy creations that I love!  If you would like more information on what articulation therapy is you might like to read a post I have written called  Teaching Speech Sounds: The Process of Traditional Articulation Therapy

Parents:  If you are a mommy or a daddy (or grandma or grandpa) who wants to work with your child at home, you can use these speech therapy activity pages for extra practice.  Just choose the sound position to work on (initial, medial, or final) and click on the corresponding link to view and print the worksheets.  To help make practice more fun, you can print out two of the same page so you have pairs, cut them out, and use them to play a game of memory or go fish. You can also use them as flashcards.  You will find free speech therapy worksheets by sound and at a variety of levels; word level, phrase level and sentence levels!

Articulation Worksheets

Speech Sounds in Syllable Wheel

/th/ Sound Voiceless

/th/ Sound Voiced

Grammar Worksheets

Regular past tense.

Irregular Past Tense

Third Person Singular

Vocabulary Worksheets – Holiday and Seasonal Themed 

Fall & autumn memory game, christmas vocabulary 1, christmas vocabulary 2, summer vocabulary, summer vocabulary companion, grammar bingo games – holiday and seasonal themed, grammar bingo games.

Vocabulary BINGO Games – Holiday and Seasonal Themed

Vocabulary bingo - winter, concepts bingo - christmas, conceptual vocabulary bingo - back-to-school, conceptual vocabulary bingo - fall, conceptual vocabulary bingo - spring & easter, lemonade stand bingo - summer, 4th of july vocabulary bingo - summer.

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Free Articulation Worksheets

60+ articulation worksheets ready for parents, therapists, and children. For first timers, please follow the getting started guide below.

Getting started guide

Each worksheet comes with 16 words. You can either print the sheet out and write on it directly, or  laminate it for reuse. The cards can easily be cut into flashcards as well. 

Have the child practice lip and tongue placement.

Practice the sound in isolation multiple times. Give the child a star for each attempt.

Work on syllables by combining the middle letter with each of the outer vowels. Switch the order of the letter with the vowels to practice initial, medial, and final syllables (ra, ar, ara, etc).

Every time the child says the target word make a star in 1 of the 5 circles at the bottom of the card.

Use the chart to see the average age a child produces certain english sounds. This is based off of research published in 2018. Click on the letter to jump to the worksheets or scroll down to see the worksheets in alphabetical order. 

Voiced + Voiceless TH

b-Initial Words

b-Medial Words

b-Final Words

ch Sound

ch-Initial Words

ch-Medial Words

ch-Final Words

d-Initial Words

d-Medial Words

d-Final Words

f-Initial Words

f-Medial Words

f-Final Words

g-Initial Words

g-Medial Words

g-Final Words

h-Initial Words

j-Initial Words

k-Initial Words

k-Medial Words

k-Final Words

l-Initial Words

l-Medial Words

l-Final Words

m-Initial Words

m-Medial Words

m-Final Words

n-Initial Words

n-Medial Words

n-Final Words

p-Initial Words

p-Medial Words

p-Final Words

r-Initial Words

s-Initial Words

s-Medial Words

s-Final Words

sh-Initial Words

sh-Medial Words

sh-Final Words

t-Initial Words

t-Medial Words

t-Final Words

th-Initial Words

th-Medial Words

th-Final Words

v-Initial Words

v-Medial Words

v-Final Words

w-Initial Words

y-Initial Words

z-Initial Words

z-Medial Words

z-Final Words

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1100+ S Words, Phrases, Sentences, and Reading Passages Grouped by Place, Syllable, & Blend

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grasshopper

SC/SK - Blends

Sl - blends, sm - blends, sn - blends, sp - blends, st - blends, sw - blends, see also:   the best free app for speech therapy.

Initial S by Syllables

Central Park

self-control

soccer ball

celebration

certified mail

safety glasses

satellite dish

seeing-eye dog

sewing machine

subdivision

superficial

supermarket

supervision

symmetrical

sympathetic

civilization

psychological

self-analysis

superintendent

supervisory

systematically

Medial S by Syllables

tennis shoes

disadvantage

participate

policewoman

vice-president

association

classification

disobedient

electricity

necessarily

potato salad

precipitation

unnecessary

vice presidency

water moccasin

Final S by Syllables

White House

apple juice

lemon juice

adventurous

camera case

nevertheless

opera house

praying mantis

table tennis

tomato juice

appendicitis

hippopotamus

magnifying glass

metamorphosis

simultaneous

tuberculosis

Initial S Phrases and Sentences

circle of hands

fast sailboat

healthy salad

tasty sandwich

sharp scissors

playful seal

gray seatbelt

number seven

street sign

bathroom sink

garden sunflower

They made a circle with their hands.

She is so sad she is crying.

They are taking the sailboat on the water.

We ordered a salad for lunch.

The salt was dumped out on the table.

The desert had endless hills of sand.

You made a tall sandwich.

Don't run with scissors.

The seal rolled over on his back.

Put on your seat belt before leaving.

The seed will grow into a tree.

They made a seven out of stars.

She can sew the hole closed.

She is too sick to go to work.

The sign said 106 more miles.

She was not nervous to sing.

Get some water from the sink.

She would sit and wait everyday for the bus.

Wash your hands with soap.

They always want to play soccer.

The sock is hanging on the fence.

She told her dad sorry for not listening.

I ate chicken noodle soup when I was sick.

She found out that lemons are sour.

The sun was starting to set.

A sunflower grew in the garden.

Medial S Phrases and Sentences

blue bicycle

metal bracelet

ballet dancer

December holiday

scary dinosaur

wood dresser

pencil eraser

water faucet

wear glasses

tiny grasshopper

flying insect

kissing her

listen carefully

medicine bottle

secret message

small motorcycle

short pencil

nice policeman

bright popsicle

horse racing

credit card receipt

recycle bin

His bicycle is the blue one.

Her grandmother gave her the bracelet.

She was a ballet dancer.

Christmas is a holiday in December.

There was a dinosaur in the park.

The dresser is made of wood.

He used an eraser on his paper.

The faucet started to drip.

His glasses helped him see.

The grasshopper has big legs.

The insect has orange wings.

She is kissing the horse

Listen with the headphones.

He is holding the medicine bottle.

There was a message in the bottle.

He needed to clean his messy room.

We ride the motorcycle in the field.

His muscle is so big.

It is a beautiful day outside.

He needs to sharpen his pencil.

He has been a policeman for 10 years.

The popsicle is cold.

They are racing on the horse track.

The waiter gave him his receipt.

This is the best cookie recipe.

She is showing people how to recycle.

Final S Phrases and Sentences

green cactus

night class

wooden doghouse

yellow dress

erase a mistake

beautiful face

white fence

water glass

two story house

orange juice

green lettuce

little mouse

silver necklace

empty office

police officer

tied shoelace

tennis ball

I ran to catch the bus.

Cactus grow in funny shapes.

He took a night class.

The pug likes his doghouse.

She is wearing her yellow dress.

If you make a mistake, erase it.

She has a beautiful face.

The fence went around the land.

Pour me a glass of water, please.

I need to cut the grass.

The horse is running fast.

They moved into their new house.

The ice is melting quickly.

I want juice for breakfast.

The farmer grows lettuce.

She has pink lips.

The mouse wanted some cheese.

She is holding her necklace.

The office workers were all gone.

The police showed up at the crime scene.

She takes her purse everywhere.

They all wanted to race together.

Tie your shoelace before jogging.

Tennis is her favorite sport.

The walrus has huge tusks.

He said "Yes!" after being chosen for the job.

S Reading Paragraphs

Last December I was sad because my favorite baseball team lost in a tournament. You should have seen my face, it looked like someone erased my smile.

To cheer me up my dad took me out on our sailboat. It was a little messy so we took some soap and cleaned it up first. We took some sandwiches, soup, and juice and left the house early on Saturday morning.

We spent a few hours sailing around the lake. It was relaxing to just sit and listen to the water against the boat and soak up some sun. Dad told me he was sorry about the baseball team losing.

"They will have more chances to win in the future," he said. I told him I wasn't too sad anymore. "I just really wanted them to win," I said. Dad suggested that we sing the team song. He thought that would help us get excited for next years tournament.

"Next year we will sit outside on the grass behind the fence to watch the game," dad said. "We can take some salad, popsicles, and your toy dinosaurs. It will be the most fun we've ever had at a baseball game." I love my dad. He is so good at helping me be happy. 

No-Kissing Club

Kissing is gross. It makes me sick. On Valentine's Day my dad gave my mom some sunflowers in a glass vase. But that wasn't all. He also bought her a new purse, a bracelet, and a red dress. Mom was so surprised! She was so excited about all of her gifts that she threw her arms around dad and gave him a big kiss.

Yuck! It's one thing for them to say that they love each other all the time, but the kissing is too much for me. I have decided to start a club called "Anything But Lips" for people like me who don't like kissing.

I posted a sign outside and told all of my friends to come. We are going to meet in my dad's office once a week at six o'clock. We will talk about anything that is not related to kissing.

I have put a list of different topics together that we will discuss which includes: grasshoppers, motorcycle's, seat belts, soccer, tennis, soup, car racing, and insects, to name a few. Before I will let them come in the office, everyone will have to sign a contract saying they won't talk about kissing.

We have our first meeting tomorrow. I hope some people come. 

The Ice Hotel

My family and I want to see the ice house. It is really called "IceHotel", but I call it the ice house. It is located in a small town in Sweden called "Jukkasjarvi", I don't know how to say it but that's o.k. Everything inside of it is made of ice. Really!

There are ice sculptures, ice beds, ice walls, an ice roof, ice chairs, ice couches, and even an ice restaurant. People get married there, see the Northern Lights, snowmobiling, dog-sledding, and learn how to ice sculpt. It looks like so much fun, if you don't mind the cold.

Some of my friends have wondered how someone would sleep on a bed of ice. I told them you sleep on a bed of ice the same way you sleep on your bed at home...with blankets! I have wondered if the hotel has ice showers with ice soap but my mom told me it would be too cold for people to do that. I did read that they have a sauna in one of the deluxe rooms though.

Our family is going to save our money this year so we can go to Sweden in December and experience everything the ice hotel has to offer. We are so excited that we have already started packing! 

Return to Top of S Words Page

SEE ALSO:   The Best Books for Speech Therapy Practice

Initial SC/SK Blends by Syllable

schoolhouse

scholarship

scorekeeper

scoutmaster

Medial SC/SK Blends by Syllable

grade school

grass skirt

high school

butterscotch

fire escape

ice skating

public school

roller skates

stethoscope

discontented

discontinue

Easter basket

figure skater

kaleidoscope

microscopic

picnic basket

private schooling

roller skating

San Francisco

Final SC/SK Blends by Syllable

school desk

mammoth tusk

office desk

reading desk

Initial SC/SK Phrases and Sentences

really scared

school room

white skirt

furry skunk

skydive jump

She is scared to get a shot.

The scarf keeps her warm.

The school built three new rooms.

She wanted to skate on her own.

She is learning how to ski.

She is wearing her favorite skirt.

The skunk was walking in the dirt.

The sky was blue and bright.

To celebrate they want to skydive.

Medial SC/SK Phrases and Sentences

warm buscuit

secret escape 

high school club

learn to ice skate

go to preschool

rescue swimmer

long whiskers

Their lunch was in the basket.

The butter melted on the warm buscuit.

The mouse made his escape.

They are all in high school.

The husky is playing in the snow.

She knows how to ice skate well.

My son goes to preschool.

They were able to rescue the swimmer.

The cat has long whiskers.

Final SC/SK Phrases and Sentences

ask questions

ripe corn husk

classroom desk

wear gas mask

wood school desk

blue swim mask

clean whisk

You learn more if you ask questions.

The corn husk was ready to be picked.

I will sit in my favorite desk.

The gas mask kept him safe.

Wear a mask to the party.

She kept books in her school desk.

He left his swim mask by the ocean.

The elephant has a long tusk.

Use the whisk to mix the eggs.

SC/SK Reading Paragraphs

Scared to ski.

Scarlet had been scared to ski since high school. It had been 3 years since her skiing accident. She twisted her knee while skiing down a steep hill. She still didn't remember what had gone wrong.

All she remembered was that she was wearing her red scarf, black ski mask, and sky blue snow coat. She had brought a basket with some home made biscuits for her and her friend Skip to eat at lunch.

As she skiied down the hill she remembered one ski caught an edge in the snow and the next thing she knew her knee was in a lot of pain and she was being rescued by the ski patrol.

While she was in the hospital, the doctor asked her a few questions about how she was skiing on the hill. She remembered he had a deep husky voice. He told her that skiing accidents happen all the time and sometimes for no reason.

As she sat at her work desk she rubbed her knee just thinking about how bad it had hurt. She wanted to ski again, but she couldn't escape the fear of hurting her knee again. She didn't like feeling scared to ski. She had skiied for almost 10 years and didn't want to give it up.

She decided she would go skiing the coming weekend. "If I take it easy and go with a friend, maybe I can get past being scared," she thought.

Adventurous Skunk

Skylar is the most unique skunk you will ever meet. She wears pink skirts and likes to sky dive. Her favorite color is pink. If you ask her why she likes to sky dive she will simply say "I like the wind in my face." Skylar likes the wind in her face so much that she also ice skates, water skis, and scuba dives. She isn't scared of anything.

I asked Skylar why she scuba dives because you can't feel the wind in your face under water. She just smiled and simply said "I like the water in my face, as long as I have my mask on, it feels good on my whiskers."

I asked Skylar how she learned to do these types of sports. She told me she has been interested in ice skating since she was in preschool. As she got older she began to water ski and scuba dive. "I only started sky diving last year after I finished high school," she said.

I asked her where she gets the money to pay for these sports. She told me she works two jobs. She sells biscuits and other breads at the bakery during the day. At night she makes computer desks and sells them to furniture stores.

Skylar works hard and she plays hard too. I told her to have fun and be careful.

Initial SL Blends by Syllable

sleigh bells

slalom course

sledgehammer

sleeping bag

sleepwalking

slide trombone

slow motion

slow moving

sluggishness

Medial SL Blends by Syllable

cross legged

purposeless

super slide

translation

wrestling camp

wrestling coach

wrestling match

wrestling team

dislocation

legislation

legislative

Final SL Blends by Syllable

blood vessel

Initial SL Phrases and Sentences

light sleep

shirt sleeve

playground slide

toy slingshot

fuzzy slippers

dog slobber

He went fast downhill on his sled.

Sleep on the couch for a nap.

He fixed the sleeve under his coat.

He went fast down the slide.

His mom let him play with a slingshot.

She left her fuzzy slippers on the couch

I hope the dog doesn't slobber on me.

Sloths hang upside down in trees.

Drive slow, children are playing.

Medial SL Phrases and Sentences

fast asleep

race bobsled

dogsled race

big mudslide

quiet ski slope

English translator

loud whistling

They fell asleep on the couch.

Bobsled is a sporting event.

The dogsled team was out in front.

Stay far away from the mudslide.

He was excited to get on the ski slope.

Our translator speaks 4 languages.

He is whistling at the car.

The boys are in the championship wrestling match.

Final SL Phrases and Sentences

tiny blood vessel

vitamin capsule

kings castle

ancient fossil

big missile

You can see the blood vessel on her eyelid.

She prefers to take a vitamin capsule.

The castle is on top of a cliff.

The fossil is of a fish.

He will get tackled if he doesn't hustle.

The truck has a missile on the back.

The sumo's are starting to wrestle.

SL Reading Paragraphs

Dogsled racing.

I have a dog named Sylvester but we call him Sly for short. When we wrestle he likes to lick and slobber on me. We compete in dogsled races.

Dogsled races are hard work and we don't sleep much when we train for them. We don't go slow, we hustle...for many days. Some days it is hard not to fall asleep on the trail.

I talk to Sly through words and whistling. Dogsled races can be dangerous. One time we almost got caught in a mudslide and another time I pulled a muscle and needed help from another dogsled team. 

Sly and I help each other though. He is my best friend.

A Spy in Pajamas

My friend Sloan sleeps a lot. He told me about a crazy dream he had yesterday. In the dream he was a spy. He was being chased by bad guys on sleds down a ski slope. He had taken an expensive bracelet and destroyed the bad guys' castle. The bad guys were launching missiles at him and trying to slow him down.

When Sloan reached for something to defend himself, all he could find was a slingshot. He fired rocks from the slingshot as fast as he could. The bad guys began to laugh at him. Not because of the slingshot, but because Sloan was doing all of this wearing pajamas and pink bunny slippers.

Sloan didn't care though.

He remembered he had a special capsule that could help him. He reached up his sleeve, grabbed the capsule and ate it.

A few seconds after he ate the capsule, Sloan was invisible. The bad guys couldn't see him. Just as he was about to escape, he woke up. It was a funny dream. 

Initial SM Blends by Syllable

smoke screen

smart aleck

smelling salts

smoke chase

smoke jumper

smorgasbord

Medial SM Blends by Syllable

businessman

Christmas card

Christmas Eve

Christmas tree

first baseman

locksmith shop

second baseman

silversmith

third baseman

embarrassment

junior classman

lower classman

senior classman

upper classman

Initial SM Phrases and Sentences

smash glass

happy smile

black smoke

smooth rocks

fruit smoothie

He feels small next to him.

She is a very smart girl.

He didn't mean to smash the window.

He stopped to smell the flower.

She has a beautiful smile.

Many large cities have smog.

The smoke was high in the sky.

The black rocks are smooth.

Would you like a drink of my smoothie?

Medial SM Phrases and Sentences

empty basement

tool making blacksmith

important businessman

favorite classmate

skilled first baseman

nice locksmith

square placemat

He does laundry in his basement.

The blacksmith makes old-fashioned swords.

The businessman had many important meetings.

She sells Christmas trees.

Sue was her favorite classmate.

The first baseman caught the fly ball.

The locksmith is fixing it.

I will put my food on the placemat.

SM Reading Paragraphs

Smart locksmith.

Smitty is a clever businessman. He is smart, a smooth dealmaker, and always smells like pizza. Some people might not like that but since I love pizza, it's o.k. with me.

I am a locksmith and Smitty is the person I order parts from. When people break, smash, or ruin their door handles or locks, they call me. There are thousands of different types of locks and handles, but Smitty knows all of them. That's why I think he is so clever.

He and I were classmates at Smith High School and have worked together for 10 years now. He always answers my questions and has just the right locksmith tools and products I need to help my customers. I have wondered if he has a secret locksmith lab in his basement. That way he can be around locksmith parts and tools all the time.

When I asked him how he knew so much he smiled and said he was given a book at Christmas 10 years ago. The title of the book was "Everything You Need to Know About Locksmithing". "It isn't a small book," he said. He has learned everything he knows from that book.

Of course, he still has to be smart and remember the information in it, and being a smooth salesman helps too. There is a lot to be learned from reading. I should start reading some of the books I have in my basement.

Dumb Robber

As the policeman looked at the crime seen he saw some clues. The robber who had broken into the house was not that smart. He had smashed the window to unlock the door. But the door wasn't locked. The handle had just been replaced by the locksmith and didn't have a lock on it.

Then the robber had made himself a smoothie and left fingerprints all over the blender, the glass he drank the smoothie out of, and the placemat he had put the smoothie on. The robber even spilled some of the smoothie on the ground, stepped in it, and left footprints in the kitchen. Now the policeman had fingerprints and a shoe size.

The policeman followed the footprints past the Christmas tree. The robber had knocked some of the ornaments off so the policeman could tell that he went down the stairs to the basement. The home owner was a businessman who worked out of his basement office.

When he reached the basement, the policeman could smell some of the smoothie so he knew the robber had been there. The policeman looked around the basement. There were pictures of the home owner playing baseball. Judging by the pictures the policeman thought that the home owner was a first baseman.

The policeman saw a small ashtray on the home owner's desk. It looked like the robber had smoked while he was in the basement which would give the policeman more evidence to catch him. "This will be an easy case to solve," he thought, as he walked back upstairs. 

Initial SN Blends by Syllable

snake charmer

snowball fight

snow blower

snapping beetle

snapping turtle

Initial SN Phrases and Sentences

healthy snack

green snake

snap in half

going to sneeze

use snorkel

cold snowman

She is eating a midnight snack.

The snail has a hard shell.

The snake in the grass made me jump.

He showed us how to snap the pencil.

Allergies made him sneeze a lot.

He would snore loudly during his nap.

He uses the snorkel to breath under water.

The pig put his snout through the fence.

We will make a snowman this winter.

SN Reading Paragraphs

Sneezing and snacking.

Sometimes I snore at night. I sneeze a lot too. I can't help it. My wife told me to go see a doctor, but I haven't yet and I'll tell you why. I love midnight snacks too much.

Before my snoring and sneezing problem I would have to sneak out of bed at night to go to the kitchen. My wife is a light sleeper and I woke her up a lot. When she did she would get a little snippy with me, so I had to be more careful.

There was one night that my daughter caught me eating my snack in the kitchen. I asked her to go back to bed. The next day she snitched on me and my wife said eating midnight snacks can be unhealthy if you eat bad food. I told her I eat healthy food and she said it was o.k. then.

Don't get me wrong, I love my wife, and I love to sleep, but I get to see a lot of cool things at midnight too. Since eating snacks at midnight I have seen a snake in our yard, snow storms, and one night I watched a snowplow run into a snowman in my neighbor's yard. I was surprised that I didn't wake everyone up because I was laughing so hard. My neighbor is kind of a snob, so I thought it was funny it happened to him.

I will go see the doctor about my snoring and sneezing some day. There are too many fun things about having a midnight snack that I don't want to give up. I just hope my wife doesn't get sneaky and make a doctor's appointment for me.

My friend Terri plays the snare drum in her band. The band's name is "Snakebite". Terri told me that the band's guitar player was bit by a snake when he was a teenager and wanted to name a band after it.

When I went to listen to them play I started to snooze. They were good, but I didn't like their style of music. When Terri asked me how I liked their sound, I told her she played the snare drum well. She knew I was being sneaky and asked what I really thought.

I told her that I had fallen asleep during their song. "I thought I heard someone snoring during the song," she said. "You all play really well, it just isn't my type of music," I said. "Next time I listen I will have to bring some snacks to help me stay awake."

The guitar player heard me talking to Terri and snickered "You wouldn't know good music if it sneezed on you."

"I think you sound great," I told him. "I just don't like the type of music you play. I think Snakebite is going to be very successful." He apologized and told me that I was a nice guy and that he liked my sneakers. Then he gave me a firm hand shake and snapped his fingers. "We'll remember you when we're famous," he said. 

Initial SP Blends by Syllable

space heater

space station

Spanish rice

speed limit

spelling bee

spinal cord

sponsorship

sporting goods

sportsmanship

sportswriter

spectacular

speech therapist

speech therapy

speedometer

spider monkey

spinal column

spiral notebook

spontaneous

Special Olympics

specialization

specifically

specification

Medial SP Blends by Syllable

Shakespeare

loudspeaker

mispronounce

outer space

transparent

correspondence

desperation

disposition

inspiration

perspiration

respectable

respiration

responsible

tablespoonful

unspeakable

hospitality

indisputable

irresponsibly

respiratory

inspirationally

respectability

responsibility

Initial SP Phrases and Sentences

speeding car

spill juice

green spinach

spooky night

silver spoon

play sports

It would be amazing to go into space.

The police chased the speeding car.

The spider waited for flies in the web.

Don't spill on the carpet.

Spinach is very healthy for you.

She squeezed the water out of the sponge.

The graveyard was spooky at night.

I eat cereal with a spoon.

You can choose to play many sports.

Medial SP Phrases and Sentences

asparagus stalk

crispy chicken

disposable dishes

high-speed train

big hospital

blue passport

brown suspenders

one tablespoon

whisper softly

I eat my asparagus steamed.

They made crispy chicken.

It's easier to clean with disposable dishes.

She was riding on a high-speed train.

We are going to the hospital tonight.

You must have your passport to enter.

He wears suspenders instead of a belt.

The recipe says to use one tablespoon.

She whispered into the girl's ear.

SP Reading Paragraphs

My friend spring.

Her parents named her Spring because she is happy despite what is going on in her life. Spring loves to eat asparagus and go to the spa. She spends most of her time studying space because she wants to be an astronaut. Either that or she wants to be in the hospitality business.

I have known her for one year, but Spring and I have only been on one date. We have spent a lot of time together during the last year. She speaks softly but is confident. She is an amazing cook and loves to eat spicy food. She uses spices I have never even heard of. She chews spearmint gum and likes spooky things, especially at Halloween.

She and I met in a speech therapy class in college. We have had many of the same classes and spent time doing homework, studying for tests, and working on class projects together. She is amazing at spelling. In addition to taking college classes, Spring volunteers for Special Olympics. She is inspiring to watch. As a coach, she sparks happiness in people even when they are really sad.

Spring also likes to speed when she drives. Don't tell her I told you though. I told her she is special to me and that I don't want her to get hurt. I think she respects my opinion. I told her I would spy on her to make sure she slows down. She just laughed and said she will try and be better.

Sports Crazy

Spike is a sports nut. Some people might say he is a sports lunatic. He knows specific statistics about almost every baseball, basketball, soccer, volleyball, hockey, tennis, rugby, and cricket game that has been played in the last 6 years. The first basketball game he watched sparked his interest. From that time on, he has almost become a specialist in most sports and their players.

I think he should be a sports writer. If he had it his way, he would eat spoonfuls of sports for breakfast. When I told him that he responded by saying "They might be a little crispy!"

Recently, he has become more interested in motor sports like car, motorcycle, and speedboat racing. A few months ago he was changing spark plugs in his car. He realized there were sports that use machines and he didn't know anything about them. Since then he has spent every day watching and researching motor sports.

He spends a lot of time and money learning about sports. That way he can speak to others about them and answer questions they might have. Some people have asked him to speculate about what teams or drivers will win so they can bet on them. Spike won't do that though. He says he has too much respect for sports to "sell them out". 

Initial ST Blends by Syllable

stateswoman

stepbrother

stepping stone

stomach ache

storm cellar

storm warning

storm window

study group

station master

station wagon

Medial ST Blends by Syllable

bus station

distinguish

gas station

outstanding

post office

question mark

consistency

constitution

establishment

grocery store

interesting

investigate

misunderstand

pessimistic

questionable

solar system

superstition

T.V. station

understanding

United States

constituency

investigative

unquestionable

Final ST Blends by Syllable

hornet's nest

pathologist

psychologist

ventriloquist

audiologist

cardiologist

ophthalmologist

Initial ST Phrases and Sentences

bright star

juicy steak

stir around

sore stomach

clothing store

I see more than one star.

The steak is on the grill.

The gum on my shoe is too sticky.

I need to stir to soup.

His stomach was sore from the pain.

Always stop when you see the sign.

It was their favorite store to shop at.

It was a big lightning storm.

Mom read a story to her son.

Medial ST Phrases and Sentences

at the bus stop

busted criminal

bamboo chopsticks

Halloween costume

red lipstick

old postcard

ask a question

rusty metal

long yardstick

The man waited at the bus stop.

The man was busted for theft.

His chopsticks were made from bamboo.

He wore a costume to the party.

She is putting on red lipstick.

Send us a postcard when you get there.

She raised her hand to ask a question.

The rusty containers were in the field.

A yardstick is 3 feet long.

Final ST Phrases and Sentences

eat breakfast

dentist visit

dressed man

thick forest

green toothpaste

I love bacon, eggs, and orange juice for breakfast.

His chest is muscular.

I went to the dentist for a check-up.

He was dressed for work.

You can tell that the horse is fast.

Many trees are in the forest.

There are eggs in the nest.

Toothpaste will help keep your teeth clean.

He is holding his wrist.

ST Reading Paragraphs

Spicy chinese.

Stan's stomach began to ache from eating spicy Chinese food. It started about 2 hours after he finished lunch. He used chopsticks so he wouldn't eat too fast but the food was catching up to him.

He stopped at the store on the way home from work because his chest was burning. He hoped that he could find something to help stop the burning.The antacid pills he bought didn't cost too much, especially if they would help.

It was starting to storm outside and Stan thought it would be a good night to stay in and relax on the couch with his favorite book "Stewart Little". He had plans to make steak for dinner, but he chose something lighter since his stomach was bothering him. When he got home he walked up the stairs to his bedroom and dressed in his most comfortable lounge clothes.

After changing and eating a light dinner Stan tuned his stereo to some classical music, sat down, and started to read his book. He read for about an hour and decided to stop and go to bed. He had thought about eating his leftover Chinese food for breakfast in the morning but he quickly changed his mind. The storm had passed and everything outside was still. Stan drifted off to sleep.

Running Stars

Steve and Dusty were the fastest runners on the high school track team. No one messed with them. Last August the both ran the longest races and finished in first and second place.

One time, someone asked them the question "How did you become such good runners?" Both of them had different statements. Steve said "I follow a constant and consistent training program and meal plan. I use a stopwatch to time my speed every race and I try to beat that speed everytime."

Dusty said "I run stairs everyday in the football stadium for thirty minutes without stopping. I can run long distances because I have established endurance in my lungs and muscles."

A woman came from the TV station wanted to ask them more questions like when they started running and how they became interested in it. Steve said "My grandpa told me stories about himself when he was a runner and that is what interested me in it." Dusty said "When I was a middle school student, I was always restless at night. I started falling asleep during the day. Running helped me stay calm, stop being anxious, and go to sleep. If I felt restless, I would go on a short run, and afterward, I would go right to sleep at night."

The woman from the TV station told them they were fantastic runners and wished them good luck on their next race. Steve and Dusty thanked the woman and headed to the shoe store to buy some new running shoes. 

Initial SW Blends by Syllable

sweat gland

sweat pants

sweat shirt

sweet tooth

Swiss cheese

swimming hole

swimming pool

swinging bridge

swinging door

Switzerland

sweet and sour

Initial SW Phrases and Sentences

dripping sweat

red sweater

The swan is a beautiful bird.

His shirt is covered in sweat.

She will buy the red sweater.

Their mom asked them to sweep up the leaves.

The dessert tasted very sweet.

He likes to swim in the lake.

She likes to swing at the playground.

Swipe your card to pay for it.

She will switch the light off.

SW Reading Paragraphs

Swap meet switch.

The swap meet was every Saturday at 10 a.m. Sweeney looked forward to the swap meet, there were so many fun and new things to see there.

Last week he had seen a swan with 4 ducklings and the week before that he saw a swarm of bees which was a little scary.

In the past, he had eaten sweet and sour chicken with Swiss cheese, bought a new swimming suit, and found the perfect broom for sweeping his floor at home.

During breakfast Sweeney was reading the newspaper and saw a new swap meet that was in town. He couldn't believe his eyes. "Two swap meets?" he thought. He wondered if he should switch which swap meet he went to.

He nervously searched the advertisement to see what time the second swap meet happened. His hands began to sweat. The newspaper said the second swap meet was on Saturdays at 2 p.m.

"Sweet!" said Sweeney. He knew exactly what to do. He would simply go to both swap meets! For a moment, Sweeney had thought he might have to switch which swap meet he would go too. He was so happy that he could go to both of them.

To celebrate he went into his room and put on his swap meet sweater and danced to his favorite Swedish music, both of which he had bought at a swap meet.

Sweet Birds

Have you ever met a swan or a swallow that loves sweets? There is a lake by our house that we go swimming in all the time.

Last week we were getting ready to eat lunch. We had brought ham sandwiches with Swiss cheese that were made from sweetbread and some sweets, chocolate cake and licorice. We began eating.

Just then a big white swan flew over by us. Then a tiny swallow flew down and landed on the ground by the blanket we were eating on. Both of them walked right up to the cake and stuck their beaks in it.

I swiped the cake away from them but they only switched their position to the other side of the blanket where I had put the cake.

I swatted at the swan. It didn't bother him and he just kept eating. I swatted at the swallow. He flew away from me but quickly came back to eating the cake.

I was working so hard to get the swan and the swallow away from our sweets that I began to sweat. I had never seen a swan or swallow with such a strong sweet tooth.

I worried that my wrists would be swollen from swatting at the birds so much. Luckily they weren't. Next time we go swimming at the lake I think I'll leave our sweets at home.

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

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

Home practice will make progress toward meeting individual language goals much faster.

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 "S" 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 "S" error because he/she continues to say it incorrectly. 

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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Parent's Academy › Speech Disorders › Speech Sound Disorders › Articulation Therapy: The “S” Sound

Articulation Therapy: The “S” Sound

Stacie bennett.

Speech-Language Pathologist , Trenton , New Jersey

Jan 15, 2022 As a speech pathologist that works with little kids all of the time, one of the biggest sounds that I work with is the “S” sound.

An articulation disorder or speech sound disorder is when a child has problems making speech sounds properly. One typical articulation error kids make is the /s/ sound.

To produce a clear /s/ sound, the tongue is raised high in the mouth to almost touching the alveolar ridge, the roof of the mouth. This action by the tongue should create a groove in the center of the tongue through which the air flows. Because the tongue constricts the space through which the breath stream travels, the /s/ sound should have a faint hissing quality to it.

If your child is having a difficult time reaching this position, you can stick some peanut butter or marshmallow behind their teeth so that your child can raise their tongue to hit the spot where the sound is created!

To produce a clear /s/ sound the tongue is raised high in the mouth to almost touching the alveolar ridge, the roof of the mouth.

Let’s Start with These

When working on this sound, I print out a picture of Sammy the Snake. It’s a very simple picture that isn’t distracting for young children. If you don’t like this picture, you can easily google “plain snakes” and a multitude of pictures will come up that you can use. 

As your child traces the snake’s body, give them the /s/ sound to produce. In order to produce any sound in conversation, they have to be able to say it in isolation, or by itself. 

You can also read a list of words that have the letter “s” in it. When your child hears the sound produced correctly, they can hold up the snake! This is a great activity because it will teach your child discrimination skills for when they are producing the sound independently. 

Where to find some words? You will find hundreds more on Word Vault Essential where you can take data and play the words aloud . This is great to use right now while access to speech pathologists is restricted due to the pandemic. You’ll be able to determine if your child has gained progress and if you can move on to the syllable level of production.

Syllable Level

Once the child is stimulable for the /s/ sound, have them use it continually for many seconds at a time. You can add vowel sounds such as, /a,e,i,o,u/. For example, have your child say “sa, sa, sa” as they trace the body of the snake. 

Have them hold the sound as they trace their finger all the way down Sammy the Snake’s body.

You can also do something reinforcing while they say the sound, like blowing one bubble at a time . When the bubble pops, the child can stop saying the sound.

The “s” sound is a great sound to work on because it’s so accessible in the English language. One of my favorite activities I do with any articulation sound is a sensory bin. You can even use a cardboard box for this activity if you don’t have a plastic bin at home. Fill it with rice or noodles and place small toys inside of it that correspond to the letter you are working towards. You can find these small toys at the dollar store. As your child pulls out the toy, have them repeat it three times to make sure they are producing the sound correctly. 

Show Visual and Audio Cues with the Help of Speech Blubs 

Speech Blubs App  has multiple activities that you can use to target specific speech sounds. The games are fun and highly engagable so your child won’t even realize that they are working on speech sounds!

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To practice making the S consonant here is the list of sections and words in them that you can practice with your child:

• Wild Animals: Seal, Skunk, Horse, Mouse, Fish.
• Petting ZOO: Fish, Sheep, Horse, Skunk, Mouse.
• Outdoor Wonders: Grass, Ice, Seed, Summer, Storm, Spring, Sun.
• Living Colors: Silver. 
• Yummy Time: Soup, Rice, Pizza, Cheese. 
• Toy Box: Swing, Tricycle, Slide, Puppets, Dice.
• When I grow up: Dancer, Policeman, Astronaut.
• We are Family: Sister.
• Get into Shapes: Square, Circle, Cross, Star.
• Numbers and me: Six, Seven, Sixteen, Seventeen. 
• School Rocks: Eraser, Bus, School, Desk. 
• This is my Body: Ears, Nose, Skull, Lips, Eyes.
• Ride your Wheels: Motorcycle, Bus, Bicycle, Stop.
• Dinorawrs: Tyrannosaurus Rex, Stegosaurus, Plesiosaurus, Triceratops, Ankylosaurus, Apatosaurus.
• Universe: Astronaut, Sun, Mars, Saturn, Uranus, Galaxy. 

How to Play Articulation Bingo?

• Use the button below to download our Articulation Bingo Board
• Print out the board and give it to your child or cut out the pictures and put them into a bag
• Let your child pick a word from the board/bag 
• Find the word in Speech Blubs App and practice it, play with fun filters, and watch educational videos
• Your child is a winner when he practices three pictures in a row (across, down, or horizontally) or the entire board

Phrases/Sentences

I typically play “word sandwich” once my kids get to this level. You can use play pieces of bread or just two brightly covered pieces of paper. Inside the “bread,” put pictures of objects that have “s.” Have your child say the sentence , “Today, I’m making a _____ sandwich.” 

Another activity you can do is print out a picture of Superman and Superwoman. Have your child walk around your house or outside and say things like, “Superman is sitting on the _____.” If you can find objects that have the “s” sound in them, like the sink, that’s even better! Sticking with the superhero theme, you can make diagrams about what superheroes do . . . they save people, they soar through the sky, they have secret identities.

If your child has difficulties with other sounds, here are the articles that can help you with speech therapy and articulation activities ideas:

Articulation Therapy: An All-in-One Guide for Parents

• B Sound Articulation Therapy
• H Sound Articulation Therapy
• JJ and CH Sounds Articulation Therapy
• L Sound Articulation Therapy
• Lisp Articulation Therapy
• M Sound Articulation Therapy
• N Sound Articulation Therapy
• NG Sound Articulation Therapy
• R Sound Articulation Therapy
• SH Sound Articulation Therapy
• T and D Sounds Articulation Therapy
• W Sound Articulation Therapy

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S Blends: Useful Word Lists, Activities & More for Speech Therapy

The /s/ sound blends are often among the trickiest for children to master. 

Although most can articulate this sound correctly by the age of seven or eight, others continue to find it challenging. They may replace the /s/ sound with a /th/ sound, saying ‘ ‘ dinothaur ’ instead of ‘dinosaur’ or ‘ houth ’ instead of ‘house’.

This can make it appear that your child has a lisp or that they are much younger than they are, affecting their confidence, their social skills and their ability to achieve their full academic potential. 

However, there’s no need for concern. By using these /s/ blends word lists in your home speech therapy sessions and providing them with plenty of practice, you can often correct this articulation problem and help them achieve clear, understandable speech. 

In this article, we’ll be sharing a comprehensive /s/ blend sounds word list alongside the phrases, sentences, games, and activities you can use to help your child overcome this challenge and improve their language skills. 

Used alongside our patented Forbrain headset , you could see the results in as little as a few weeks. 

Word Lists: /S/ blend sounds

Using word lists like the ones below is a fantastic way to help your child understand where the /s/ sound blends appear in real-life language. You’ll also have a quick and easy-to-use resource at your fingertips that you can use for professional or home speech therapy. 

Start to read through these lists with your child, focusing on each /s/ sound blend in turn before moving onto the next and then giving them plenty of opportunity to practice. 

We’ve included words that include the /s/ sound at the beginning (initial), middle (medial), and end (final) of the word for best results. 

/S/ sound blend words

Ready to gently challenge your child’s articulation skills? Here’s a comprehensive list of the most common /s/ sound blends to use in your professional or home speech therapy. 

Let’s move onto another /s/ blend sound- the /sm/ blend sound. 

Similar to the /sm/ sound blend, the /sn/ sound blends helps improve your child’s pronunciation of this tricky /s/ blend sound. Here’s our /sn/ word list. 

The /sp/ sound blend is another common consonant blend that your child should practice to master their /s/ sound blends. Here’s our word list of the /sp/ sound words. 

Let’s move onto the /st/ sound, one of the most common /s/ blend sounds in English.

Finally, here is our list of the most child-friendly /sw/ blend words for use in your speech therapy sessions. 

Further /S/ blend sound practice using short phrases and sentences

Once your child can pronounce the /s/ sound blends, it’s time to try using them in short phrases and sentences. 

This won’t only help them improve their articulation of these sounds but will also improve overall communication skills, and fluency, and give them the confidence boost they need. 

They’ll also put those new skills into practice and, by doing so, improve their overall sound articulation skills. 

Here at Forbrain, we recommend you use the following home speech therapy program alongside your patented Forbrain headset for faster, long-lasting results. 

• First work through the /s/ blend sound word list, checking that your child is articulating each correctly before moving onto the next. If they still struggle, use the pronunciation guide we share later in this article to troubleshoot any issues and give them plenty of practice using the phrases, sentences, games and activities we share later before coming back to the next sound. 
• Use carrier phrases to help your child put these words into context immediately and use them in their everyday life. 
• Move on using short phrases and sentences for the /s/ sound then practice with those games, activities, and /s/ sound books. 
• If you skipped the /s/ sound blends earlier, repeat the whole process and keep practicing until your child is both comfortable and confident pronouncing these sounds. 

Carrier phrases 

Carrier phrases are used widely in professional speech therapy because they’re a simple and effective way to provide your child with an extra opportunity to practice those tricky sounds without feeling overwhelmed by complex sounds and sentences. 

All you need to do is select one of the carrier phrases and insert one of the words from the /s/ word or /s/ blend word lists above then use them whenever you can. 

The most effective carrier phrases are as follows: 

• “I found a…”
• “I want a…”
• “He found a…”
• “She found a…”
• “I have a…”
• “He has a…”
• “She has a…”
• “I like to…”
• “He likes to…”

Put into practice, it looks like this:

• “I see the SWING”
• “I found a DINOSAUR”
• “I want a HORSE”
• “He found a SKULL”
• “She found a SPIDER”
• “I have a STICKER”
• “He has a SWEATER”
• “She has a SNACK”
• “I like to “SPIN”
• “He likes “STEAK”
• “She wants a “SWIMSUIT”

Short phrases for the /s/ blend sound

Once you’ve practiced those /s/ blend sound words, you can move onto practicing with short phrases. 

Keep reading to find the most child-friendly short phrases to use in your home speech therapy.

Short sentences for the /S/ blend sounds

Now that you’ve helped your child practice with short phrases, you can further challenge their articulation skills with short sentences. This can be difficult as their brain needs to remember how to say the sound, control their speech organs, and also process all that other information. 

Don’t give up if it seems tricky for your child. 

Be patient, congratulate them for their successes (however small), and continue to practice and you’ll soon see an improvement. 

If it really is too much for your child, feel free to return to those short phrases and get more practice before moving on. Remember- learning can take time. 

Here’s a collection of those short sentences to use for /s/ sound and /s/ blend sound practice. 

Games & activities with the /S/ blend sound

As every parent knows, the best way to teach a young child anything is to make it fun! This helps them engage their brains, enjoy the learning process, strengthen your parent-child bond, and grow in confidence. 

That’s why we’ve also gathered together a collection of the best games and activities you can enjoy with your child to further improve their learning of the /s/ sound and /s/ sound blends. 

Use these with your Forbrain headset and read our suggested books to significantly improve your child’s articulation of these tricky sounds. 

Go on an /S/ Sound Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger Hunts are fun, active, and perfect for small children. They also prompt their brains to recognize the /s/ sound blends for better home speech therapy results. 

You only need a few resources and ten minutes or so to play too, making it a quick and easy way to improve their pronunciation of the /s/ sound. Here’s how to play: 

• Collect as many items as you can that feature ther /s/ sound blend. This could be a shell, shoes, slippers, socks, a dinosaur, a swimsuit, or so on. 
• Choose a small space such as one room in your home or your backyard and hide these items in easy-to-find places.
• Tell your child that they need to find all the items they can that include the /s/ blend sound and that they will get a prize if they can find them and say the word. This could be a small reward like a hug, a piece of candy, an extra ten minutes of storytime, or so on. 
• If they find all the items and pronounce them correctly, they are a winner. 

Make snakes! 

It’s time to pull out your craft supplies or toys and start making snakes. 

Show your child how to make an /s/ shape with Playdough and then encourage them to do so. You can add eyes, a mouth, and even scales onto its body if you are very creative and have the resources available. 

When they have finished making the snake, tell them that the snake’s name is Steve and he is a lovely animal who loves to make new friends. 

He wants to be introduced to the whole family, using the sentence “ Hello! My name is Steve the Snake and I love to swim, snorkel, and swing in the garden ”. 

Then encourage your child to show Steve to everyone in your household, friends, family members, and whoever else they want to. This sounds silly but it’s fun for young kids and will help them get the /s/ blend sound practice they need! 

Play ‘Articulation Bingo’

• First, print a copy of the /s/ blend word lists we shared above. 
• Choose ten words in total, selecting words from each of the /s/ blends.
• Cut out your chosen words and put them into piles. Shuffle well and place them in a pile in the middle of the table. 
• Tell your child to pick a word from the pile and try to pronounce it correctly. 
• If they get it right, give them a token.
• If they manage to pronounce at least four words correctly, they are a winner! 

Numerous studies have shown that reading with your child from an early age is the best way to improve their overall language skills, boost their imagination and creativity, relax and strengthen your parent-child bond. 

That’s why we highly recommend that you read the following /s/ blend sound books with your child, encouraging them to repeat the /s/ blend sound words after you. By doing so, you won’t only improve their articulation skills but will also enhance their language development and fulfill their academic potential. 

Here’s our top pick. 

• The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
• “Stand Back,” Said the Elephant, “I’m Going to Sneeze!” by Patricia Thomas
• Silly Tilly by Eileen Spinelli and David Slonim
• Fox in Socks by Dr Seuss
• I See, You Saw by Nurit Karlin 

How to pronounce the /S/ blend sound

Helping your child pronounce the /s/ sound is much easier if you can first understand what happens in your mouth when you pronounce it. By doing so, it will be easier to identify any challenges your child may be having and pinpoint exactly how you can help them. 

Making any kind of speech sound is similar to playing a wind instrument. We start with air from our lungs, allow it to pass over our vocal cords and then shape it using our tongue, lips, teeth and nose, or a selection of these speech organs. 

The /s/ sound itself is what linguists and speech therapists call a voiceless alveolar sibilant. 

In other words, your vocal cords do not vibrate (voiceless), your tongue should lightly touch the roof of your mouth (alveolar) and curl up at the side, and the stream of air passes through your teeth (sibilant).  

Pronouncing the /S/ sound 

Now you understand how the /s/ sound should be articulated in theory, it’s time to take a look at exactly what is happening in your mouth. 

To do so, choose one of the /s/ sound words from the list we shared earlier and then practice saying it a few times to yourself. It’s a good idea to start with a simple /s/ word such as ‘sea’ or ‘seed’ and avoid those /s/ word blends for now. 

Repeat the sound several times and as you do so, pay attention to what your speech organs are doing. 

If you’re pronouncing the /s/ sound correctly, you should feel that your vocal cords don’t move, your tongue is lightly touching the ridge behind your teeth, and that the air passes over your teeth, making a hissing sound as it does so. 

How to produce the /S/ sound correctly

Ready to help your child articulate the /s/ sound effectively? Here is our step-by-step guide. 

1) Ask your child to touch the tip of their tongue against the ridge behind your teeth, without actually touching them. 

2) Then get them to push the air out of their lungs and between their teeth. They should feel some resistance when they make this sound. 

That’s it! If you need extra help, watch this video from Peachie Speechie .  

Using Forbrain to Upgrade Sound Practice

Want to harness the power of technology to help your child learn the /s/ sound and /s/ sound blends faster and more effectively? Use our scientifically-proven Forbrain headset for ten minutes per day as part of your home speech therapy. 

This patented device uses cutting-edge technology with an enhanced auditory feedback loop via bone conduction to provide your child with the effective, targeted practice they need to overcome any speech and language difficulties. 

When used for a short period of time every day, this comfortable headset will help your child hear the sound more clearly, provide them with instant feedback, and help them grow in confidence as they see their articulation skills rapidly improve. 

Within just a few weeks, you’ll see why speech therapists, language therapists, educators, and parents trust Forbrain. Find out more here . 

Final Words

If your child struggles to pronounce the /s/ sound or /s/ sound blends, use the word lists, short phrases, sentences, games, and activities we’ve shared here alongside our patented Forbrain headset . 

You’ll see an improvement in their articulation, confidence, and communication skills in just 10 minutes per day and help them fulfill their future potential. 

Charlotte Witts

More Activities

A website dedicated to helping SLPs use PLAY-BASED speech and language therapy so they can save time and have fun!   

50 fun and easy articulation activities for speech therapy.

Articulation cards are a staple in Speech Therapy rooms. Articulation Flash Cards can be used in so many ways with preschoolers and elementary students... buuuttt sometimes they can get boring and repetitive. Check out these articulation card ideas to bring some new and exciting speech therapy activities into your therapy room! You can use these ideas in group therapy or in one-on-one sessions or even send them home for easy articulation homework ideas!

WHAT’S THERE?: Place 5 cards around the room. Ask the child to find and label the card in a particular place. For example, “What is beside the lamp?” -> “ Bee!”

MAKE A ROAD: Place target cards on the floor around the room. Drive cards over the cards. If you have a toy tractor, you can load the cards into the tractor.

FEED THE PUPPET: Feed a puppet the target cards.

FLASHLIGHT HUNT: Pin the cards around a room. Turn the lights off and give the child a flashlight to find the cards.

IS IT A ___?: Ask the child if a card is an item. For example, “Is it a cat?”. You can use the carrier phrases, “No! It’s a ____” or “Yes! It’s a ___.” Have the child complete the blank.

MUSICAL CHAIRS: Place cards on the floor. Play music and when it stops, have the child find a card to sit on.

TAKE PICTURES: Use a camera/phone to take pictures of the cards. Kids find this incredibly motivating!

BOWLING: Put the cards in paper bags. Take turns rolling a ball to knock over the ‘pins’. Say the word when you knock over a bag.

OBSTACLE COURSE: Make an obstacle course out of items that you have. Make sure to go under, over, and between objects! Place cards throughout the obstacle to practice along the way.

‘BUY’ THE CARDS: Play store! Use pretend money and have the child ‘buy’ the cards.

BEAN BAG TOSS: Place cards on the floor. Have the child throw a bean bag on the cards. For more trials, the child can also tell you which card they are aiming at.

BALL POPPER: Stand the cards up using binder clips, or stick them to a wall. Use a ball popper (or bubbles) to aim for the cards.

HOPSCOTCH: Make a hopscotch board out of tape on the floor. Place a card in each square. Say the word when you land on it.

SENSORY BIN: Place the cards in a bin filled with cotton balls, pom poms, and cut up straws - or anything you can think of! Have the child find the items using tongs or tweezers.

JENGA: Place cards between the layers of blocks.

FLY SWATTER: Place the cards around the room. Give the child a fly swatter and have the child ‘swat’ each card. Kids love running between the cards!

TELL SOMEONE: Bring the cards to show the child’s teacher/friend. Ask the student to label each card.

WHAT AM I DRAWING?: Place the cards face up, in front of you and the child. Take turns drawing one of the items. See if you can guess what it is!

HIDE UNDER CUPS: Hide the cards under plastic cups.

SNOWBALL FIGHT: Place the cards upright using binder clips. Use scrunched up paper balls to knock the cards over.

HIDE IN BOOKS: Hide cards in books. You can use Sticky Tack (or hide under flaps!) to stick the cards to the pages. Say the word when you flip to the page the card is on.

HANG AND CATCH: This activity takes a little more prep but it is so fun! Hang string with paper clips from the ceiling. Attach cards and have your students pull the cards off the string.

PLAYDOUGH: Smoosh play dough on the card each time you say the word (make sure your cards are laminated!).

TIC TAC TOE: Print a few copies of your articulation cards and play tic tac toe! Give each player 6 copies of a card.

MAKE A SHAPE: Make different shapes with your cards (square, circle, triangle).

HOPPING: Place the cards around the room on the ground. Hop from one card to another.

SIMPLE DRILL: Pair your card with a drill card and cover each number with a token or a mini object.

ROLL AND SAY: Roll a dice. Say the word the number of times indicated on the dice.

MEMORY: Print two sets of cards and play memory.

GO FISH: Use two sets of cards to play Go Fish.

MEMORY GAME: Place several cards face up on the table. Have the child study the cards. Flip them face down and see how many card the child can remember.

FISHING: Use a magnet and paper clips to create a fishing game.

WHAT’S MISSING: Put 2 or 3 cards on table, face up. Let the child take a quick peek and then close their eyes. Take one card away or turns one card over. Ask the child to guess which one is missing.

MAIL CARDS: Make a mailbox out of a tissue box. “Mail” the cards to family and friends.

EGG CARTON TOSS: Place one card in each section of the carton. Have the child toss a coin into the carton. Say the word on the card where the coin landed.

TELL A STORY: Use several cards to create a story. (This is best for conversation level).

SILLY SENTENCES: Make a silly sentence with each card.

POP IT: Use a Pop it fidget toy and have the child push one section each time they say the word.

USE CLOTHESPINS: Have the child place a clothespin on the card each time they say the word.

COLOR AND CREATE: Use black and white Articulation Cards. Allow the child to color and create their own set that they can use and take home! (My Articulation cards come in black and white and color for this purpose!)

BURY AND FIND: Bury cards under pom poms, cotton balls, or sand. Have the student use a shovel or tongs to find the cards/

BUCKET TOSS: Place cards in buckets. Throw crumbled paper or a ball in to the bucket.

MINI OBJECTS: Lay your cards on the table and cover them with mini objects. Simple but effective!

BUBBLE BLOW: Place cards on the wall using sticky tack or Painter’s Tape. Blow bubbles onto the cards. Say the word when the bubble lands on it.

MICROPHONE/TELEPHONE: Say your words into a telephone or toy microphone. You could also use paper towel rolls.

HOLE PUCH: Print Black and White Cards and hole punch the cards each time you say the word.

MAGNET WAND: Use a magnet wand and magnetic chips. Place a chip on each card the you say the word. Use the wand to pick up all the chips when you are done!

BLOCKS & CARDS: Place a block ad then lay a card on top. Continue until the tower tumbles. See how high you can build the tower before it falls!

SPOON RACE: Place the card on a spoon and see how fast you can make it across the room. Say the word when you place the card on the spoon.

FEED ANIMALS: Use toy animals and have them ‘eat’ the cards. Kids think this is hilarious!

I hope you find these articulation therapy ideas helpful. I know I am always looking for ways to mix it up and keep my students engaged.

The key to all sessions (in my opinion) is to allow a LOT of choices. If you want an Articulation Activity Choice Board (it includes 30 of the no-prep activities listed here ), sign up for my email list (link below) and you’ll get instant access!

If you're looking for some bright and colourful (and black and white) articulation cards, make sure to check out my Articulation Cards for Speech Therapy!

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Free Speech Therapy Tools: Worksheets and Printables

Worksheets and Printables Are Excellent Additions To Your Speech Therapy Regimen.

Our in-depth look at tools for speech therapy continues with a look at free speech therapy tools that you can use at home. Worksheets and Printable Handouts. We have searched the Internet for worksheets that you can use with your child to use as support material in your speech therapy efforts.  There are many different worksheets and handouts to choose from, so we have narrowed it down for you and organized these activities into two categories: activities to help build speech and language skills and activities to help build literacy. And, as we continue to emphasize, these are not a substitute for proper evaluation and treatment from an SLP. These handouts are purely to provide your child with hands-on resources for improving articulation, language building and increased literacy at home and to help build a foundation for correct speech patterns and comprehension.

Many sites contain cute printables that seem better suited for a child’s entertainment, rather than actual speech therapy. Our goal with the list below is to provide valuable links and resources for both families and speech therapists looking for engaging and effective material to use as a supplement to current speech therapy treatments. The benefit to using printable handouts as a speech therapy tool, (other than the price), is that you can find worksheets that treat a specific issue of speech therapy or articulation disorder. For example, you can work specifically on the sound of /r/, if that is the only area where your child needs help. Or, help your child recognize the sounds that vowels make.

We continue to learn from you, so we encourage you to share your best sites and printable sources, so that we can all have access to this helpful information.

Free Speech Therapy Tools — Worksheets for Building Speech and Language:

• www.do2learn.com – terrific resource for kids with special needs. Includes printables and worksheets designed for home and students who need help transitioning into a school setting.
• www.speakingofspeech – a good source for SLP’s including lesson ideas, data sheets and kids activities.
• www.quia.com – interactive speech and language games
• www.freelanguagestuff.com – a wide range of over 20 specific language building exercises and activities. This site breaks down language skills into specifics such as nouns, idioms, adjectives, questions and more.
• http://www.tampareads.com/phonics/whereis/index.htm – a comprehensive site to over 56 worksheets and printables focusing on consonants and vowels.
• http://kindersay.com/words – learning and saying English words. Similar to flashcards.
• Annie’s Rhyme Time  – answer riddles with a two-word rhymes. *update: Annie’s appears to be experiencing intermittent outages, if that link doesn’t work, be sure to check out Scholastic’s other relevant free offerings .
• Rhyming Picture Cards   – nursery rhyme worksheets and printables.
• Rhyme Zone   – has a rhyming dictionary and quizzes.
• International Tongue Twisters – over 3000 tongue twisters presented in 118 languages.

UPDATE: We’ve recently added 5 new free Speech Therapy Lesson Plans for use with or without Speech Buddies Placement Tools.

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Speech Homework: Helpful Tool or Waste of Paper?

During my student teaching I saw my mentor pass out a worksheet to each student at the end of each session. When I visited with my grad school friends they told me theirs did the same. So, naturally we all passed out those skill specific worksheets at the end of each session.  My first year working in my school I was so excited! I had binders of worksheets labeled, sorted, and ready to go. I was couldn’t wait to pass them out and see my students’ progress soar! Then reality set in.  I soon realized that only a small handful of students ever turned in the homework, that is of course if they didn’t lose it.

So, I pose the question: Is speech homework helpful or a just a waste of paper?  Let’s take a look at the pros and cons.

– Helps students practice and reinforce skills from therapy.

– Encourage family involvement in speech therapy.

– Helps students make faster, more steady progress of targeted skills.

– If homework doesn’t get done or is lost then no practice or reinforcement of skills is had.

– Paper ($) and time are needed in preparing materials for homework.

For me, the pros out weigh the cons. But, that doesn’t erase the frustrations that occur when speech homework consistently isn’t completed.  After years of this I come to a conclusion: The best I can do is give them the opportunity.    It took me some time to get there though, this light bulb did not turn on over night! I had to understand and accept that there will be reasons why speech homework isn’t completed: after school activities, too much homework already, family events, they lost it, etc.  So, I decided the best thing I could do for my students was to give them the opportunity to practice their skills and if it didn’t get done, it didn’t get done. 

I have gone through lots and lots and lots of different homework sheets and systems. Here are some of my favorites that have worked well for me and hopefully for you…if you want.

1. Speech and Language Homework for a Year

This has been my favorite tool to use! This homework bundle is so comprehensive it’s crazy. Each week, for 10 months ( a school  year )  there is a homework sheet. Each sheet has 3 different levels so I am able to find something for all kids. I hand had out these sheets to my students at their first or only session of the week.  They have until the following week to turn get the activities done ( which take about 3 minutes ).  Even if they don’t target my kid’s goals exactly, it is still addressing their language growth.  She also has a Social Language Homework for a Year.

2. Summer Homework Packet

This is a great packet from Natalie Snyders with summer activities to keep those language skills strong!  She also has packs for all the months of the school year and articulation too!

3. Speech and Language Therapy Summer Homework Program

This is another great packet from Sublime Speech to help prevent regression during the summer. It is set up like a calendar so it is super easy for families to follow and doesn’t take up much their day.

These are just some things I have found. I quick search on TpT will turn up lots more, so take a look and see if there is something out there that may fit your needs.

Now after all this talk about speech homework I am curious. Where do you stand on it?

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Hey there! I’m Maureen Wilson, a school-base SLP who is data driven and caffeine powered. My passion is supporting other pediatric SLPs by teaching them how to harness the power of literacy and data to help their students achieve their goals…without sacrificing time they don’t have.

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I give homework, but only once/week. I give them a duotang folder (the kind with 3 brads in it) that is provided by the school, and I put a note in it that that is the only folder I’ll give them. They get the folder at the end of the week and then should bring it back with a parent’s signature the next time I see them. I’ve never had much of a problem with getting the majority of them back…bribery always helps!

I too have used the folder idea, but this year I came up with a ring. The teacher practices with the student at the end of reading group. I place target words on a card at various levels and teachers take their time at the end of group and run through about 10 words. If anyone else has a ring system, please post.

I also give homework, but as a monthly calendar to my elementary kiddos. I encourage completion of the calendar, but the students are not penalized if they don’t bring it back. For those that do, I pass out a small reward. Even if it is only one activity attempted, I am happy. I guess the saying, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained” applies here!

Thanks for the love! I also keep track of when I assign it and if they return it. I can use it to tell parents that they need the home practice too!

I give homework once a month, along with a word list containing their speech sounds. I use Speech Activities by Miss Chelsea’s free homework calenders on TPT (SO CUTE!!): https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/January-2015-Articulation-Homework-1615457

I send a note home explaining the importance of homework to the parents and tell them to initial on the days they did the various activities with their child and send it back in to school. When a student brings me their calenders with parent signatures for the week they get an extra sticker on their behavior chart toward prize box. Even though it’s not behavior related it gets them really motivated because they want the prize box 24/7!! Works for me! 🙂

I agree with you, Maureen! I think it is important to provide that opportunity.

I still give homework for students in kindergarten through grade 5. The decision to give homework to 6-8 is done on a more individualized basis. Some of my middle school students feel terribly overwhelmed by their homework already and I don’t want to add to that burden. Others love it and have no problem completing it. I agree, homework is important and I remember this quote from one of my professors in 1982, “Homework is good.” I think that just about sums it up 🙂

Hi Maureen, Love this post, and it is something I am always questioning in my practice. I like to give my kids a weekly “mission” which is not paper-based, but embedded into their week. It might be just a single word to use every time they ask for something, or five repetitions every time they brush their teeth. I find these are achievable, easy and ‘real-life.’ I only tend to give paper-based or structured homework if I have a really eager family, otherwise I know I am just wasting paper. Another great tool that I use is an Australian website called elr.com.au – you can try a demo – you can register and then give kids guest access to play speech games at home – I find these actually get done, unlike other homework. Thanks for the food for thought! Alex.

I looked at some data on this a few years back as part of my personal goal. For my students, for those that consistently completed homework, 100% met their benchmark goals. For those who didn’t consistently complete homework, only 60% met their benchmark goals. I include this data in my beginning of the year letter.

That is really interesting! Thank you for sharing.

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Ocasio-Cortez, in House Speech, Accuses Israel of ‘Genocide’

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had called for a permanent cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas, but had resisted labeling the conflict a genocide.

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By Nicholas Fandos

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez warned on Friday that Israel’s blockade of Gaza had put the territory on the brink of severe famine, saying publicly for the first time that the nation’s wartime actions amounted to an “unfolding genocide.”

In a speech on the House floor, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, forcefully called on President Biden to cut off U.S. military aid to Israel unless and until it begins to allow the free flow of humanitarian assistance into the Gaza Strip.

“If you want to know what an unfolding genocide looks like, open your eyes,” she said. “It looks like the forced famine of 1.1 million innocents. It looks like thousands of children eating grass as their bodies consume themselves, while trucks of food are slowed and halted just miles away.”

The comments were a sharp rhetorical escalation by Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, the de facto leader of the Democratic Party’s left wing, and they illustrated the intense pressure buffeting party officials as they grapple with how to respond to Israel’s war tactics and the deepening humanitarian crisis.

Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, defying party leaders, has been a proponent of a permanent cease-fire since Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7, and has called for putting conditions on American military aid to Israel. But she had resisted describing the ensuing war, which has killed 30,000 Gazans and left the territory in ruins, as a genocide.

Israel has firmly denied that the term applies, and Ms. Ocasio-Cortez indicated in January that she was waiting for the International Court of Justice to render an opinion on a legal designation. Privately, she has expressed concerns to some allies that the highly contentious term would alienate potential supporters of a cease-fire.

Her position put Ms. Ocasio-Cortez at odds with several members of the progressive bloc she leads in the House, including Representative Cori Bush of Missouri. It also made her an unlikely target of some left-leaning activists: This month, a video went viral of protesters confronting her at a movie theater in New York City and demanding that she use the term.

Allies attributed her embrace of the term on Friday to the worsening humanitarian reality on the ground. The United Nations has warned that much of the Gaza Strip and its 2.2 million residents are now at risk of famine and has pressured Israel to let more food cross in via land.

“Honoring our alliances does not mean facilitating mass killing,” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said on Friday. “We cannot hide from our responsibility any longer. Blocking assistance from one’s closest allies to starve a million people is not unintentional.”

The immediate reaction to her comments was muted, especially considering the gravity of her charge and how the congresswoman often inspires opposition on the right. The White House, which had been alerted beforehand about her speech, declined to comment, as did several staunch Democratic allies of Israel.

Mr. Biden and top Democratic leaders have insisted on Israel’s right to defend itself and have shown little appetite for curtailing military aid to the country. On the contrary, the administration is pushing for billions of dollars more in military assistance.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobby that has clashed with Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, said that accusing Israel of committing genocide was an “obscene perversion of the truth.”

“It is Hamas that has a genocidal goal of destroying the Jewish people, and it is Hamas that is responsible for massive casualties by using Palestinian civilians as human shields,” Marshall Wittmann, the group’s spokesman, said in a statement that did not mention Ms. Ocasio-Cortez by name.

Some antiwar activists praised the speech, but others argued that Ms. Ocasio-Cortez was moving too belatedly.

“AOC is 30,000+ deaths too late to this,” Hafsa Halawa, a nonresident scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington, wrote on X . “You want congressional heroes, Cori Bush is where you should look.”

The speech came at a precarious moment in the war. Officials fear the situation in Gaza could grow more dire if Israel follows through with an attack on the southern Gazan city of Rafah, where more than a million civilians have sought refuge.

The Biden administration has pushed Israel to forgo the attack. And after months of steadfast support for Israel, the president himself has become increasingly outspoken about the humanitarian crisis, introducing a U.N. Security Council resolution this week calling for “an immediate and sustained cease-fire” in Gaza.

The resolution failed, but progressives aligned with Ms. Ocasio-Cortez have taken Mr. Biden’s firmer stance as evidence that their tactics are working.

She sought to increase that pressure on Friday, speaking not through social media or a news interview but a traditional four-minute speech on the House floor.

The remarks came just after the House voted on a $1.2 trillion government funding bill that would temporarily cut off aid to the main U.N. agency that provides assistance to Palestinians. Ms. Ocasio-Cortez was among 22 Democrats to vote against the spending plan.

She began her remarks by invoking Mr. Biden’s own words from a 2011 speech when he was vice president, calling him “a decent man.” Mr. Biden said then that stopping genocides was “an achievable goal” while lamenting that too often real action came “too late, after the best and least costly opportunities to prevent them have been missed.”

Echoing those words, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said the United States risked repeating past mistakes. She said relatively little about Israel’s bombing campaign or ground invasions, but referred specifically to a Biden administration plan to put a temporary floating pier off Gaza’s coastline to ease the transit of goods, warning it would be “too late” to stave off the worst.

“The time is now to force compliance with U.S. law and the standards of humanity,” she said, calling for the administration to “suspend the transfer of U.S. weapons to the Israeli government in order to stop and prevent further atrocity.”

“This is not just about Israel or Gaza,” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez added. “This is about us.”

Michael D. Shear contributed reporting.

Nicholas Fandos is a Times reporter covering New York politics and government. More about Nicholas Fandos

Our Coverage of the Israel-Hamas War

News and Analysis

Although the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution that demands an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, it remains to be seen whether ​i​t ​w​ill have a concrete effect on the war .

Israeli troops and Hamas fighters waged deadly battles in and around two of the Gaza Strip’s major hospitals as the Israeli government came under growing pressure at home and abroad to moderate its approach to the war .

As the death toll in Gaza mounts, officials in Germany, a loyal Israel ally, begin to shift tone in a country where supporting Israel is seen as a historic duty. The worsening crisis has pushed them to ask whether that backing has gone too far .

A new Gallup poll showed that a majority of Americans disapprove of Israel’s action in Gaza.

Internal Roil at TikTok: TikTok has been dogged for months by accusations that its app has shown a disproportionate amount of pro-Palestinian and antisemitic content to users. Some of the same tensions  have also played out inside the company.

Palestinian Detainees: Israel has imprisoned more than 9,000 Palestinians suspected of militant activity . Rights groups say that some have been abused or held without charges.

A Hostage’s Account: Amit Soussana, an Israeli lawyer, is the first former hostage to speak publicly about being sexually assaulted  during captivity in Gaza.

A Power Vacuum: Since the start of the war, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has done little to address the power vacuum that would appear after Israeli forces leave Gaza. The risks of inaction are already apparent in Gaza City .

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Judge dismisses Elon Musk's suit against hate speech researchers

Bobby Allyn

Elon Musk, owner of X, sued the Center for Countering Digital Hate after the group published a series of reports detailing an uptick of hate speech on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. Czarek Sokolowski/AP hide caption

Elon Musk, owner of X, sued the Center for Countering Digital Hate after the group published a series of reports detailing an uptick of hate speech on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

A federal judge has dismissed X owner Elon Musk's lawsuit against a research group that documented an uptick in hate speech on the social media site, saying the organization's reports on the platform formerly known as Twitter were protected by the First Amendment.

Musk's suit, "is so unabashedly and vociferously about one thing that there can be no mistaking that purpose," wrote U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in his Monday ruling, "This case is about punishing the Defendants for their speech."

Amid an advertiser boycott of X last year, Musk sued the research and advocacy organization Center for Countering Digital Hate, alleging it violated the social media site's terms of service in gathering data for its reports.

One of the group's findings, published in June, detailed how "racist, homophobic, neo-Nazi, antisemitic or conspiracy content" from paid users went unmoderated on the site.

During a February hearing, lawyers for Musk asked if the suit could be refiled against the research group, but Breyer declined that request. The judge said claiming the alleged data scraping was harming the platform's safety and security does not "make very much sense."

Judge is skeptical of Musk's claims

Researchers with the center say data was compiled using third-party tools that accessed publicly available information, but Musk contended that the group scraped large amounts of data from X without the company's permission, leading to a loss of advertising revenue in the tens of millions of dollars.

Judge skeptical of lawsuit brought by Elon Musk's X over hate speech research

In a February hearing, Breyer appeared highly skeptical of X's arguments. He elaborated on those doubts in his Monday order tossing the suit.

"It is also just not true that the complaint is only about data collection," the judge wrote. "It is impossible to read the complaint and not conclude that X Corp. is far more concerned about CCDH's speech than it is its data collection methods."

Musk, a self-professed free speech absolutist, often says that nearly anything within the bounds of law should be allowed on X. However, Musk himself has been less tolerant of comments and remarks that cast him in a harsh light.

In November, Musk sued another group, the left-leaning nonprofit Media Matters for America, over reports that documented how advertisements from major corporations were appearing alongside antisemitic content on X. The suit, which is still pending, calls the group's reports "a blatant smear campaign."

Musk did not return a request for comment on the Monday ruling, but in an email last month following a hearing in the case, Musk wrote: "Your org is not on X, therefore doesn't exist as far as I'm concerned," referring to NPR's decision last year to leave the platform.

Since the center won under California's so-called anti-SLAPP laws — which protect people and groups from frivolous lawsuits aimed at suppressing free speech — Musk will be on the hook to pay the group's legal fees.

"The specific amount of fees will need to be hashed out in court," said Ben Weich, spokesman for the group.

Musk has brought back previously suspended users to X

In 2022, after Musk purchased Twitter, he suspended the accounts of several journalists who covered Musk's takeover of the site, before reinstating them after a backlash.

Imran Ahmed, the founder and CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, views Musk's suit as the billionaire's latest effort to silence criticism over how he is running the social media site.

"We hope this landmark ruling will embolden public-interest researchers everywhere to continue, and even intensify, their vital work of holding social media companies accountable for the hate and disinformation they host and the harm they cause," Ahmed said.

Since Musk completed his takeover of Twitter in October 2022, he has laid off a majority of its staff and brought back users who were suspended for things like espousing white supremacy and denying the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

He also turned the platform's verification system upside down by allowing users to pay for the once-coveted blue check mark.

Users of X who pay for Musk's premium service, some of them previously kicked off Twitter, have the ability to write longer posts and receive boosted visibility.

Musk has been inconsistent about the state of X's business.

At times, he says the business is strong, but other times, he points to advertising revenue being down 60% and floats the possibility of the company entering bankruptcy proceedings.

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Judge dismisses lawsuit by Musk’s X against nonprofit researchers tracking hate speech on platform

FILE - Workers install lighting on an “X” sign atop the company headquarters, formerly known as Twitter, in downtown San Francisco, July 28, 2023. A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by Elon Musk’s X Corp. against the non-profit Center for Countering Digital Hate, which has documented the increase in hate speech on the site since it was purchased by the Tesla owner. On Monday, March 25, 2024 U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer dismissed the suit, writing in his order that it was “unabashedly and vociferously about one thing” — punishing the nonprofit for its speech. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

FILE - Tesla and SpaceX’s CEO Elon Musk looks on, during an in-conversation event with Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Lancaster House in London, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. Former CNN reporter Don Lemon mixed it up with Musk in an interview Lemon posted on Musk’s X social network Monday, March 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool, File)

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A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by Elon Musk’s X Corp. against the non-profit Center for Countering Digital Hate, which has documented the increase in hate speech on the site since it was acquired by the Tesla owner.

X, formerly known as Twitter, had argued the center’s researchers violated the site’s terms of service by improperly compiling public tweets, and that its subsequent reports on the rise of hate speech cost X millions of dollars when advertisers fled.

On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer dismissed the suit, writing in his order that it was “unabashedly and vociferously about one thing” — punishing the nonprofit for its speech.

X had alleged that the nonprofit “scraped” its site for data, which is against its terms of service. But the judge found that X failed to “allege losses based on technological harms” — that is, the company didn’t show how the scraping led to financial losses for X.

X had sought millions of dollars in damages, arguing that the nonprofit’s reports led to the exodus of advertisers and the loss of ad revenue.

But the judge agreed with CCDH’s argument saying X cannot seek damages for the independent acts of third parties based on CCDH’s reports, or its “speech.”

The center is a nonprofit with offices in the U.S. and United Kingdom. It regularly publishes reports on hate speech , extremism or harmful behavior on social media platforms like X, TikTok or Facebook. The organization has published several reports critical of Musk’s leadership , detailing a rise in anti-LGBTQ hate speech as well as climate misinformation since his purchase.

In a statement posted to X, the social media platform said it “disagrees with the court’s decision and plans to appeal.”

Imran Ahmed, the center’s founder and CEO, said the lawsuit amounted to a “hypocritical campaign of harassment” by a billionaire who talks about protecting free speech but who then uses his wealth to try to silence his critics. He said the lawsuit shows the need for a federal law requiring tech companies to release more information about their operations, so that the public can understand how these powerful platforms are shaping society.

“We hope this landmark ruling will embolden public-interest researchers everywhere to continue, and even intensify, their vital work of holding social media companies accountable for the hate and disinformation they host and the harm they cause,” said Ahmed.

Roberta Kaplan, the center’s attorney, said the dismissal of X’s suit shows “even the wealthiest man cannot bend the rule of law to his will.”

“We are living in an age of bullies, and it’s social media that gives them the power that they have today,” Kaplan said in an email to reporters. “It takes great courage to stand up to these bullies; it takes an organization like the Center for Countering Digital Hate. We are proud and honored to represent CCDH.”

The center is not the only group that has pointed to the rise of hateful material on X since Musk’s purchase in October 2022. Last November, several big advertisers including IBM, NBCUniversal and its parent company Comcast, said that they stopped advertising on X after a report from the liberal advocacy group Media Matters said their ads were appearing alongside material praising Nazis. It was yet another setback as X tries to win back big brands and their ad dollars, X’s main source of revenue. X has also sued Media Matters .

Later that month, Musk went on an expletive-ridden rant in response to advertisers that halted spending on X in response to antisemitic and other hateful material, saying they are are engaging in “blackmail” and, using a profanity, essentially told them to go away.

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Watch CBS News

Judge tosses out X lawsuit against hate-speech researchers, saying Elon Musk tried to punish critics

Updated on: March 25, 2024 / 6:33 PM EDT / CBS/AP

A federal judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit by Elon Musk's X Corp. against the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate, ruling that the case was about "punishing" the research group for its speech.

The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) has documented the increase in hate speech on the site since it was acquired by the Tesla owner in 2022. X, formerly known as Twitter, sued the nonprofit last year, claiming the center's researchers violated the site's terms of service by improperly compiling public tweets. 

X argued that the CCDH's reports on the rise of hate speech on the service had cost it millions of dollars when advertisers fled. On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer dismissed the suit, writing in his order that it was "unabashedly and vociferously about one thing" — punishing the nonprofit for its speech.

In a statement posted to X, the social media platform said it "disagrees with the court's decision and plans to appeal."

Today a federal court in San Francisco issued a decision in the case X brought against the Center for Countering Digital Hate for illegally obtaining platform data to create misleading research. X disagrees with the court's decision and plans to appeal. — News (@XNews) March 25, 2024

It's not the only time Musk's X has sued after a group flagged issues with hate speech on the social media platform. 

Last November, several big advertisers including IBM, NBCUniversal and its parent company Comcast, said that they stopped advertising on X after a report from the liberal advocacy group Media Matters said their ads were appearing alongside material praising Nazis. The report proved to be yet another setback as X sought to win back big brands and their ad dollars, X's main source of revenue. 

In November, X sued Media Matters , alleging that the group was trying to "drive advertisers from the platform and destroy X Corp." 

Later that month, Musk went on an expletive-ridden rant in response to advertisers that halted spending on X in response to antisemitic and other hateful material, saying they are are engaging in "blackmail" and, using a profanity, essentially told them to go away.

Seeking millions from CCDH

In suing the CCDH, X had sought millions of dollars in damages from group, arguing that the nonprofit's reports led to the exodus of advertisers and the loss of ad revenue.

But the judge agreed with CCDH's argument saying X cannot seek damages for the independent acts of third parties based on CCDH's reports, or its "speech."

X had also alleged that the CCDH had "scraped" its site for data, which is against its terms of service. But the judge found that X failed to "allege losses based on technological harms" — that is, the company didn't show how the scraping led to financial losses for X.

The center is a nonprofit with offices in the U.S. and United Kingdom. It regularly publishes reports on hate speech, extremism or harmful behavior on social media platforms like X, TikTok or Facebook. The organization has published several reports critical of Musk's leadership, detailing a rise in anti-LGBTQ hate speech as well as climate misinformation since his purchase.

"Hypocritical campaign of harassment"

Imran Ahmed, the center's founder and CEO, said the lawsuit amounted to a "hypocritical campaign of harassment" by a billionaire who talks about protecting free speech but who then uses his wealth to try to silence his critics. He said the lawsuit shows the need for a federal law requiring tech companies to release more information about their operations, so that the public can understand how these powerful platforms are shaping society.

"We hope this landmark ruling will embolden public-interest researchers everywhere to continue, and even intensify, their vital work of holding social media companies accountable for the hate and disinformation they host and the harm they cause," said Ahmed.

Roberta Kaplan, the center's attorney, said the dismissal of X's suit shows "even the wealthiest man cannot bend the rule of law to his will."

"We are living in an age of bullies, and it's social media that gives them the power that they have today," Kaplan said in an email to reporters. "It takes great courage to stand up to these bullies; it takes an organization like the Center for Countering Digital Hate. We are proud and honored to represent CCDH."

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Trump seeks to dismiss Georgia charges claiming free speech

ATLANTA — An attorney for Donald Trump pressed the judge overseeing the Georgia election interference case to dismiss charges against the former president, arguing that Trump’s statements challenging the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, even if they were false, were protected political speech under the First Amendment.

In a Thursday court hearing, Steve Sadow, an attorney for Trump, argued his client’s claims “calling into question” his 2020 loss should not be criminalized because they were “core value, political discourse” that is constitutionally protected free speech even if it is found to be untrue.

“There is nothing alleged factually against President Trump that is not political speech,” Sadow argued. “Take out the political speech. No criminal charges.”

Sadow suggested that Trump had been charged in Georgia because prosecutors believed the former president’s statements were untrue. But he told Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee , who is presiding over the case, that even false statements made in campaign or election statements are still protected speech under the First Amendment.

“The mere fact that it’s false is all that they have,” Sadow said.

Fulton County prosecutors vigorously disagreed, accusing Trump’s lawyer of trying to recast the charges against Trump, who they claim was squarely at the center of a sweeping criminal conspiracy to reverse his loss in Georgia in 2020.

“It’s not just that he lied over and over and over again,” prosecutor Donald Wakeford said. “What we have heard today is an attempt to rewrite the indictment, to take out parts that are inconvenient, and say, ‘Well, it’s all speech. It’s all talking.’ He was just a guy asking questions and not someone who was part of an overarching criminal conspiracy trying to overturn election results for an election he did not win.”

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Trump’s false statements about the election in Georgia were central to the alleged conspiracy, Wakeford added. “It’s not that the defendant has been hauled into a courtroom because the prosecution doesn’t like what he said. … He’s being prosecuted for lying to the government.”

McAfee did not rule on Trump’s motion to dismiss or give any timetable for a decision. It was the first court hearing since McAfee ruled two weeks ago that Fulton Country District Attorney Fani T. Willis (D) and her office could stay on the case after Trump and other defendants sought to disqualify her over a romantic relationship she had with an outside attorney she appointed to lead the prosecution.

But in a March 15 filing , McAfee did find a “significant appearance of impropriety” and ruled that either Willis and her office or special prosecutor Nathan Wade had to leave the case. Wade resigned later that day.

Last week, McAfee granted a “ certificate of immediate review ” allowing Trump and the others to appeal his ruling to the Georgia Court of Appeals. That filing is expected in coming days — though McAfee, in granting the motion, said the case will continue to move forward.

Thursday’s hearing was expected to be the first of several motion hearings in coming weeks to tackle a backlog of pretrial motions — including the looming question of a potential trial date and if McAfee divides up the defendants into different trials.

There was a noticeably different atmosphere in the courtroom Thursday compared with recent proceedings, when the motion to disqualify Willis prompted tense interactions between attorneys on both sides. In recent months, the prosecution team took back hallways and private elevators en route to McAfee’s courtroom to avoid the media. But on Thursday, prosecutors walked through the regular entrance to the courtroom several minutes early, where they spoke with Sadow and other attorneys, exchanging pleasantries.

No replacement has been named for Wade, and a spokesman for Willis declined to comment. But Daysha Young, an executive district attorney and member of the prosecution team, responded to McAfee when the judge asked for comments outside the motions being argued Thursday.

Sadow’s political speech arguments on Thursday closely followed those raised by Trump’s attorneys in the federal election interference case. At one point, Wakeford noted “the elephant in this courtroom” by mentioning U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan , who is presiding over that case, had denied Trump’s motion challenging that indictment on First Amendment grounds.

“The First Amendment does not protect speech that is used as an instrument of a crime,” Chutkan wrote in a Dec. 1 order.

More on the Trump Georgia case

The latest: Nathan Wade, the lead prosecutor in the Georgia election interference case against former president Donald Trump and his allies, resigned hours after the judge ruled that Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis (D) may continue with the prosecution , but only if Wade, whom Willis had a romantic relationship with, exited the case. Read the full decision from Judge Scott McAfee .

Status of the case: Trump and his associates are accused of conspiring to try to overturn Trump’s 2020 election loss in Georgia . Four of Trump’s co-defendants have pleaded guilty in the Georgia election case. Trump previously entered a plea of not guilty . The case does not have a scheduled trial date.

The charges: The judge dismissed six counts in the sweeping 41-count criminal racketeering indictment. Here’s a breakdown of the original charges against Trump and a list of everyone else who was charged in the Georgia case . Trump now faces 88 felony charges in four criminal cases.

Historic mug shot: Trump was booked at the Fulton County Jail on charges that he illegally conspired to overturn his 2020 election loss . Authorities released his booking record — including his height and weight — and mug shot .

• Judge grants Trump request to appeal decision to keep Fani Willis on Georgia case March 20, 2024 Judge grants Trump request to appeal decision to keep Fani Willis on Georgia case March 20, 2024
• How a sleuth defense attorney and a disgruntled law partner damaged the Trump Georgia case March 16, 2024 How a sleuth defense attorney and a disgruntled law partner damaged the Trump Georgia case March 16, 2024
• Fani Willis can stay on Trump Georgia case, judge rules, as Wade resigns March 15, 2024 Fani Willis can stay on Trump Georgia case, judge rules, as Wade resigns March 15, 2024