You’re in luck, I can help you with that :)
Always remember the information contained in this blog is here as a guide. I want to provide resources to assist you in making good judgments in assiting your child. If in doubt, please seek an evaluation by a qualified speech-language pathologist who can provide you with detailed and specific information regarding your child and their needs.
Articulation
If your child is having problems with articulation it means they are having trouble executing the motor plan used to produce that specific speech sound. As we produce individual speech sounds, our articulators need to be in precise locations to assure clarity of speech.
Let’s start with some background information and terminology.
Sounds are classified as VOICED and VOICELESS. Voiced sounds simply mean that your “voice box” is turned on. Let’s use the /d/ sound for demonstration purposes as it’s a voiced sound. Place 3 fingers on the front of your throat, produce the /d/ sound several times in a row, and feel your voice box slightly vibrate. Voiceless sounds will have no vibration, the “voice box” is turned off. We will use the /p/ to practice because it’s a voiceless sound. Follow the same instructions as above. You will not feel a vibration as you lightly produce the /p/ sound at your lips. Alternate between the /p/ and /d/ sounds to obtain a better comparison between voiced and voiceless sounds.
Speech sounds are divided into 3 categories: Early 8, Middle 8, and Late 8. The Early 8 sounds include m, b, y, n, w, d, p, & h and start developing between the ages of one and three. Middle 8 sounds are t, ng, k, g, f, v, ch, & j with the development between the ages of 3 and 6.5. The Late 8 sounds typically emerge between the ages of 5 to 7.5 and they include sh, s, th (voiced), th (voiceless), r, z, l, & zh. (Adapted from Shriberg’s order of Speech-Sound Acquisition, 1993).
As children grow, so does their phonemic inventory of speech sounds. While they are learning these new sounds it’s perfectly normal for children to produce errors. They are establishing the motor plan for that sound. Parents can assist in facilitating the success of these emerging sounds by providing corrective models for their children to reproduce.
Now that I’ve provided you with some new information, what do you do with it and how do you use it at home with your child?
All of the following information and instructions pertain to all of the speech sounds. Using the /f/ sound as an example, I will walk you through what this should look like as you begin your home sessions.
Always start with placement
Production of the /f/ sound starts with light contact of your upper front teeth on your bottom lip. Practice this using a mirror to assure you have a correct placement. Assist and model correct placement with your child. It’s often helpful to use a mirror to provide a visual reference as you work through your speech sound. When your child has consistent correct placement, 8-10 times, advance to adding in light air production to produce the /f/ sound. This sound is voiceless so there should be no vibration of your voice box.
It is beneficial to allow your child the opportunity to recognize and self-correct any speech error they produce. A good prompt would be, “Did your /f/ sound like my /f/?” You are training your child to listen and compare the sounds. This will enable them to make corrections in the future without a prompt from you:)
Once your child can consistently produce the target sound by itself (in isolation), with correct placement, you can begin adding the sound into cv syllables (ex: fay, fe) and then into words. Placement and production of the sound in isolation are very important in laying the foundation for successful speech sounds.
The articulation flashcards and activity bundles in my shop are a great place to start!
Initial Word Position
Start with the /f/ sound at the beginning of the word (ex: fox) and master production there before advancing to the next level.
As a rule of thumb, you want your child to consistently produce the sound correctly 8 out of 10 times throughout several sessions (4-6) in all the word positions (initial, final, medial) before moving on.
Final Word Position
Transition the /f/ sound to the end of the word (ex: leaf). Continue following the same principles mentioned above, keeping in mind consistent production and placement.
Medial Word Position
Lastly, the /f/ sound will be placed in the middle of the word (ex: muffin), again using the same principles mentioned above (production and placement). Go slowly and provide corrections as needed.
Research has shown that a high number of trials of your target speech sound is needed to promote success.
Remember to concentrate on the speech sound you are currently addressing. Your child might produce another speech error during your session, that’s ok! Provide a brief correction and keep moving forward.
Give yourself grace and time as you work with your child. Keep your sessions short (10-15 minutes) and provide them with a plan, “First we are going to practice our /f/ sound 10 times, then we can play with your trucks.” It might help to provide 10 small manipulatives for your child to count out as they complete each sound production, or use my Free articualtion tracker.
You’ve got this!
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