G /g/ and J /j/

Hello, All!!

I am unsure this is the appropriate thread to post this in; please forgive me if not and kindly point me in the right direction!

I tutor a second-grade student in online reading interventions. They're struggling to retain the letter names and sounds. A frequent error they make is in producing the name of letter J (they will pronounce it with a /g/ at the beginning, like "gay" rather than "jay") as well as the sound /j/ (they often say /g/, as in the hard sound of G). I've tried modeling and explaining the articulatory gestures, and while they occasionally produce the correct name/sound, it's inconsistent. I have also noticed some idiosyncrasies in their speech during casual conversation, but I've not yet pinpointed the patterns beyond G/J reversals I mentioned.

While we do have occasional tech errors, I do not believe audio distortion is a contributing factor. This student typically performs with accuracy during our initial sound sorting activities where they match two words with the same initial sound.

I'd greatly appreciate any insights on what might be the underlying issue, if any, as well as any advice on how I can better support my student!

I also gratefully welcome any resources I can refer to to inform myself and improve my practice.