Sometimes kids have difficulty saying certain sounds (ex. “told” for “cold” or “ha” for “hat”). Have you noticed that your child is not saying some sounds correctly or you have trouble understanding some of his/her words? Maybe your child is receiving speech therapy because they have difficulty producing certain sounds correctly.
Whether or not your child is receiving speech therapy, there are things you can do at home to help with sound production. However, if your child is not receiving speech therapy, it's important to remember: do not directly correct sounds, point out the sound errors or imitate your child's errors. Now that we reviewed what not to do, here are a few ways that you can help!
1. Model the Correct Sound
When you hear your child say a word incorrectly, do not focus on the mistake or point it out. Instead, simply repeat the word correctly while emphasizing the erred sound. For example, if your child says “Mom, I saw a pish,” you can say, “You saw a fish? What did the fish look like?” Slightly emphasize and exaggerate the F sound when you say it in a word.
2. Practice Sounds Face to Face
When your child is looking at you, he/she can watch and see how you make a sound. For example, he can see that your lips go together for the B sound or she will watch your teeth go on your lip for the F sound. If your child is younger, you can hold the object you are talking about near your mouth to draw their attention that way.
3. Read Books to Your Child
Reading books to your child has many benefits, one of which is that while reading, you can emphasize the sounds in the words so that your child hears the correct production of them. The more a child hears the correct production of sounds, the better!
If you have any concerns with your child’s speech or language, please contact Wee Speak at 215-620-7121. We would love to talk with you and discuss options for your child.