STRATEGIES TO HELP YOUR CHILD SPEAK CLEARLY
By Roxane Bélanger, M.O.A., SLP-C, Reg. CALSPO
with the collaboration of Camille Gougeon and Shanie Deschatelêts, Speech Language Pathologists - First Words Preschool Speech and Language Program of Ottawa and Renfrew County
Many parents and educators are wondering how to support children who are learning to speak and use new sounds. The impact of wearing masks and access to therapy services may concern parents of a child presenting with speech sound difficulties. Fortunately, many strategies and resources are at your fingertips.
What should I do if I don't understand what my child is saying?
Speech sounds develop gradually. As a parent, you should be better able to understand your child as they get older, and as their ability to use sounds correctly improves. In situations and conversations where you find it difficult to understand a child, use these strategies:
- Be face to face, at eye level (e.g. get on the ground, squat down, etc.)
- Don't pretend to understand! Be honest!
- Repeat to your child the parts of the message that you understood (e.g., "You went to grandma's and what did you do?")
- Be positive and acknowledge his efforts (e.g., "I see you are trying to tell me something and I want to know what it is, but I am having trouble understanding right now")
- Encourage your child to repeat what he wants by pointing, gesturing, showing an object or image, taking you into a room, etc.
Your child may be aware that they are not always understood and may become frustrated or sad. Be patient. Show your child that you are interested in what they are saying and above all, don't force them to repeat it.
What should I do to help my child speak more clearly?
When you do understand your child’s message, use modeling strategies to give multiple experiences with a key sound or word. Over time, it will impact your child’s ability to make these sounds better.
Use those strategies in everyday routines. Daily routines (e.g., bath time, getting dressed, meals, free play, changing diapers, playing with puzzles, reading books) are great to use these strategies repeatedly. The important thing is to offer multiple repetitions, frequently.
Repeat sounds or words that your child did not say well several times by offering a better model. If your child says, "Look, the nake (snake)!”. Model the sound back to your child, "Oh wow! The SNAKE! I see the SNAKE! The SNAKE is long! ").
Highlight a sound: Exaggerate difficult sounds and words to make them stand out for your child (eg, "I see the long sssssssssnake!")
Finally, don,t forget to celebrate when you understand what your child has said. Repeat and model the correct sound production back to your child. Praise your child when they attempt to use the sound correctly and when they succeed. Remember to repeat the appropriate sound model more than once and praise your child for persisting.
For more resources and strategies, visit the First Words website at www.firstwords.ca. Take a look at the following:
- Our free online screening & referral tool: First Words Communication Checkup tool
- Webinar: “Module 4: Strategies” on the First Words website.
Recognizing speech and language problems early on is the best approach!
Check out our First Words Communication Checkup tool to know if your child is
meeting communication milestones. Refer online if necessary. For more information, visit
www.firstwords.ca or call Ottawa Public Health at (613) PARENTS.
