If
you
think
your
child
has
a
speech
problem!
Your child's speech sounds will develop as he grows. A baby makes early vocalizations around two or three months, babbles around 6 months and uses jargon from about 18 months to 30 months. The majority of sounds a 3-year-old makes should be normal. Although he may not use all sounds correctly, he should be intelligible to strangers.
Summary of Speech Sound Development
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Age Consonants
-
3 m, n, ng, p, f, h, w
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3 1/2 y (as in yes)
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4 k, b, d, g, r
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4 1/2 s, sh (as in shoe), ch (as in chair)
-
6 t, v, l, th, (as in thin)
-
7 z, zh (measure), th (father), j (jump)
You can help your child talk clearer by:
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being a good speech model for your child. Don't use baby talk
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pronouncing words clearly, slowly and correctly for your child to hear and imitate
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trying to look at your child when you both are talking
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letting the child watch your face, lips and tongue as you form sounds and words prolonging the speech sound the child has difficulty saying, such as "where is your sssock?"
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repeating new words and sounds over and over. Use them often in your conversation with the child
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making a scrapbook with the child. Cut out and paste pictures of objects the child learns to say or recognize
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praising the child when sounds are correct, especially if the sounds were previously difficult for the child
