Ready for R . (2000). By Marian MacDougall. Ravenhollow Press Inc., 3075 36 ^th Ave. West, Vancouver, B.C., Canada. 32-page manual; U.S. $19.95, Canada $29.95. Reviewed by Ardell Fitzgerald, Albuquerque, NM.

Ready for R is an articulation kit designed to help parents work with their 6-12-year-old children on production of /r/. The author states that she wants to empower parents who can use the kit with the guidance of a speech-language pathologist or on their own. The kit includes 24 laminated pictures, each depicting an assortment of 16-30 /r/ words. For example, the picture entitled "Ready to Read" shows a "furry brown bear" in a "chair relaxing" and "reading a newspaper." The 32-page manual gives a step-by-step explanation of the program and follows a traditional model of sound production: isolation, beginning /r/, blends, and vocalic /r/. The pictures are intended to lead children from one-word responses to sentences and storytelling. Parents are taught to give cues such as "Tongue up" and "Did you say it the new way?" Seven motivational and progress charts are included. The author advises parents to stop the program and consult an SLP if the child is not making progress.

The directions are readable, jargon-free, and parent-friendly. The manual presents a straightforward and simplified approach to the sound that the author describes as "the most difficult sound to produce and teach." The pictures are colorful, interesting, and humorous. Children enjoyed finding new words in the detailed pictures. A minor point: the picture of a bear's mouth and teeth used to stimulate /r/ in isolation was somewhat scary to the youngest children. I would give this kit to motivated parents who have limited access to an SLP and who have the patience and good humor to work with their child. It would not be useful for children who have difficulty imitating /r/, have experienced failure in speech practice, or who need special techniques. This product has an excellent price.