What are speech sounds?
Speech sounds are the sounds we use to make words. These sounds are created by using our lips, tongue, teeth, palate and voice. We can move these different parts of our mouth to create different sounds.
When do these sounds develop?
Each speech sound is created differently so we can expect children to develop and master sounds at different ages. The following table shows the average age that children develop different sounds used in the English language.
It is also typical that children will simplify their speech when they are learning to talk. These errors are called “phonological processes” and they’re not really errors at all. This happens because your child is learning to make all these new sounds that they haven’t used before. It is a pattern that children follow when developing their sounds.
Some common examples of phonological processes include:
Leaving the final sound out of words e.g. “du” for “duck”.
Replacing a sound made at the back of the mouth with one made at the front of the mouth e.g. “tar” for “car”.
Simplifying groups of sounds e.g. “top” for “stop”, “poon” for “spoon”.
Replacing an /l/ sound with a /w/ sound e.g. “wing” for “ring”.
Most children will grow out of using these patterns and become more understandable as they get older. However, if a child gets stuck at this stage and uses the errors for longer than expected, they may need some help learning the correct pronunciation of a sound from a Speech Pathologist.
What can parents do?
You can help your child by modelling the correct sounds in your own words. It’s ok if your child doesn’t repeat the word or correct their error because our focus is just on exposing them to these sounds. For example:
Child: I see a tar!
Parent: Yes, that’s a car. It’s a very fast car.
It is also important to avoid practicing mistakes. Your child may become frustrated that they can not make the sound you are making and it might make it more difficult to learn the correct sound later down the track. Instead, praise your child for giving it a go!
If you have concerns about your child’s speech sound development, it is best to speak to a Speech Pathologist for guidance. You can give us a call on 0450 501 023, or email hello@bambinihealth.com.au to find out more.