Examine the brief speech sample and choose the phoneme appropriate to target as an extended goal.

Examine the brief speech sample and choose the phoneme appropriate to target as an extended goal.

• A. /s/
• B. /ʤ/
• C. /ɹ/
• D. /l/

Answer: (B)

Focusing on an extended goal with the voiced palato-alveolar affricate /ʤ/ taps into a sound that is typically later to develop and requires coordinating a stop release with a following frication. This combination (stop plus fricative) at the palate-alveolar region demands precise timing and motor planning, so it’s a good target once the child shows some related skills. If the child already demonstrates partial success with simpler units that share features—like producing a stop /d/ or a fricative like /ʒ/ in easier contexts—bringing them together to form /ʤ/ helps bridge those abilities into a more complex, integrated sound. Practicing /ʤ/ in varied contexts also supports generalization, since it involves voicing and a specific place and manner that aren’t captured by sounds with simpler articulations. Other options, such as a simpler fricative or a different articulation altogether, might be easier but wouldn’t push the child’s development in the same integrative way or align with the patterns seen in the sample.

Focusing on an extended goal with the voiced palato-alveolar affricate /ʤ/ taps into a sound that is typically later to develop and requires coordinating a stop release with a following frication. This combination (stop plus fricative) at the palate-alveolar region demands precise timing and motor planning, so it’s a good target once the child shows some related skills. If the child already demonstrates partial success with simpler units that share features—like producing a stop /d/ or a fricative like /ʒ/ in easier contexts—bringing them together to form /ʤ/ helps bridge those abilities into a more complex, integrated sound. Practicing /ʤ/ in varied contexts also supports generalization, since it involves voicing and a specific place and manner that aren’t captured by sounds with simpler articulations. Other options, such as a simpler fricative or a different articulation altogether, might be easier but wouldn’t push the child’s development in the same integrative way or align with the patterns seen in the sample.