By Christine Ristuccia, M.S. CCC-SLP

When qualifying students for /r/ intervention, it is important to begin with a formal assessment, such as the Goldman Fristoe Test of Articulation.  This test gives limited data about which specific /r/s have been mis-produced.  I recommend utilizing the Entire World of R (EWR) screening tools to specifically identify which /r/ has been mis-produced.

/r/ phoneme

Below is an example of a summary of the EWR screening.  It can greatly assist you in writing targeted goals and objectives that are individualized for the student.  I share this information with parents and administrators.  I educate them about the 32 /r/ allophones (sounds) and which particular /r/s were correctly produced and mis-produced based upon the results of the screening.

 

The Entire World of R screening

Johnny produced all prevocalic /r/ words correctly as in the words red and run.  He was also able to correctly produce 13/14 initial /r/ blends words.  He mis-produced initial /gr/ as in the word grape.  Johnny had difficulty with the vocalic /r/ words.  These words contain a vowel + /r/ sound and are comprised of two sounds as in the word Archie.  Johnny mis-produced 6/6 vocalic /r/ categories which are ar as in Archie, or as in organic, ire as in Ireland, ear as in earphone, er as in Ernie air as in airplane and medial and final /rl/ as in the word world.

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In my opinion, a student is stimulable for the /r/ sound if at least one word was correctly produced.

Simulability: Johnnywas found stimulable (able to correctly produce) the vocalic /r/ phoneme in single words (e.g. Archie) and isolation (ar).   He was able to successfully produce prevocalic /r/ which occurs at the beginning of /r/ word (e.g. red, run and race).  Johnny also had success with initial /r/ clusters such as bread, cry and print.  He had difficulty producing the vocalic /r/ in initial, medial and final word positions.  He is stimulable for the following vocalic /r/s:   ar initial as in Archie, or initial (organic) and or medial (forest),  ire medial as in (dairy),  ear initial (earphone) and ear medial (cereal) , er medial unstressed (wonderful)  and air initial (airplane) and air medial (cherry).

If you have an /r/ intervention question, challenge or success story to share, drop us a line in the comment box below.