Speech Sound Practice: Initial /j/ Words with Julie in the Jellybean Jungle
Initial /j/ Words
Let’s practice the /j/ sounds at the beginning of words.
Parents: Most English-speaking children can say the J sound around age 4.*
Wait! Why is there a ‘g’ word in there?
The letter G can be made with a hard sound, as in “goat”, or a soft sound, as in “giraffe”.
When we make the soft /g/, it’s actually the same sound as the letter J.
So jet and giraffe may begin with different letters, but they start with the same sound.
Cool huh.
You can learn more about how to make the /j/ sound or find some word lists here.
Silly Scene Sentences
Practice making the /j/ sound with Julie in the Jellybean Jungle
Let’s make up some sentences about this silly scene.
I’ll go first,
Julie jogged past the junk.
Julie found jam in the Jellybean Jungle.
I wonder who lost their jar of gems.
Now it’s your turn. Here’s a word bank to get you started.
Julie
Juice
Jam
Junk
Jellybeans
Jungle
Jog
Gems
Jewels
Jar
Can you make up 3 more sentences about this picture?
Tell them to a friend using your good /j/ sound.
Answer Questions
Do you think Julie jogged through the Jellybean Jungle in June or January?
What details in the picture make you think that?
What is something you could eat in the picture?
How far can you jog?
What could Julie do with that junk?
Speech Sound Activity
This initial /j/ worksheet has a long list of words that start with the /j/ sound.
(Do you see the two that begin with the letter G?)
To complete this activity, start in the top left corner and practice saying the word jar.
Now look at the pictures around the jar.
Which one also starts with the /j/ sound?
Yes, the jacket below the jar is also a “j” word.
You can use the list on the right to help you.
Find and follow the pictures with the /j/ sound until you get to the finish in the bottom right corner.
Extend the activity by naming the pictures that don’t start with the /j/ sound.
What word do you think you said the best?
Practice saying that word 10 more times.
Illustration Credits: Kari Bolt, Bunny on a Cloud, LittleRed
* Source
McLeod, S. & Crowe, K. (2018). Children’s consonant acquisition in 27 languages: A cross-linguistic review. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. doi:10.1044/2018_AJSLP-17-0100. Available from: https://ajslp.pubs.asha.org/article.aspx?articleid=2701897