4️⃣ ways to help your child with speech sounds

"Oh, you’re a speech therapist! So, like… you fix people’s ‘Rs’… right?"

If I had a dollar for every time someone summed up my job like that… well, let’s just say I’d be so wealthy I might stop correcting them.

While it’s impossible to accurately sum up my work (or minimize it) by saying I “fix Rs,” it is true that helping with tricky “R” sounds can be part of what I do.

Speech sound errors are a normal part of childhood development. But when those errors stick around past the typical age for mastering a sound, or when parents notice their child’s speech isn’t clearing up like their peers’, that’s often when families come to see me (or another SLP) for help.

A speech-language pathologist can evaluate your child’s speech, identify any patterns (phonological processes), and create a treatment plan tailored to their needs.

That said, there are also simple things you can do at home (either proactively or when you notice ongoing mispronunciations) to support your child’s speech development.

1. Point out errors

Kids aren’t usually mispronouncing words on purpose. They often don’t realize they’re saying something incorrectly.

Ways to do this:

• Act confused: If they ask for a “spoon” but say “poon,” hand them something else or repeat their version back to them: “Poon?” If they say “top” instead of “stop,” touch the top of your head and say “TOP!” to show you heard something different than intended.

• Give mouth cues: “The word ‘spoon’ has a snake sound at the front -ssssssspoon! Put your tongue behind your teeth and say it again.”

2. Use visual cues

Help your child connect the sound to where it’s made:

• For “p,” "m," or "b," point to your lips.

• For “k,” or "g," (hard ‘g’ as in “guess”) point to your throat to show it’s made in the back of the mouth.

• Add fun visuals: “Spoon starts with the snake sound. Let’s draw a snake on our arm while we say ‘sssssspoon!’”

3. Keep it fun

Make practice part of play:

• Play games, sing songs, or use silly voices with words containing the target sound.

• Choose activities that naturally use the sound: if working on “b,” play with the ball, Barbie, basket, etc.

4. Encourage effort, not perfection

If they try and still miss it, praise the effort and move on. Don’t make them repeat it over and over, especially if they’re frustrated. Wait for a happy moment to try again.

If you’ve tried these tips and your child still struggles with age-appropriate sounds, it might be time for a speech evaluation. An SLP can pinpoint specific issues and give you a practical, personalized plan. At the very least, you’ll walk away with peace of mind - or a clear path forward.

In the coming weeks, Reed will send a comprehensive guide to help you reference which speech sounds develop at which age (typically).

Thanks for reading, and always feel invited to reply to let me know what topics you’d like me to cover next!

Casey