Sound development
Learning to communicate is a step-by-step process for all children. Although children develop at different rates, here’s a general guideline for speech and sound development.
A newborn communicates by crying. A six-month-old experiments with sounds. A three-year-old can string a four-word sentence together. And by age five, most children can be understood by anyone.
Here’s an overview of children’s sound development. Remember: ear infections are common in children and can interfere with sound development.
[qode_accordion style=”toggle”][qode_accordion_tab title=”By age 3″ title_tag=”h3″]
[icon_list_item icon=”fa-check” icon_type=”circle” icon_color=”#00b8af” title=”Lip sounds: ‘p’, ‘b’, ‘m’ and ‘w’” icon_background_color=”#ffffff”][icon_list_item icon=”fa-check” icon_type=”circle” icon_color=”#00b8af” title=”Tongue tip sounds: ‘t’, ‘d’ and ‘n’” icon_background_color=”#ffffff”][icon_list_item icon=”fa-check” icon_type=”circle” icon_color=”#00b8af” title=”Back of the mouth sounds: ‘k’ and ‘g’” icon_background_color=”#ffffff”][icon_list_item icon=”fa-check” icon_type=”circle” icon_color=”#00b8af” title=”Other sounds: ‘h’ and ‘y’” icon_background_color=”#ffffff”]
[icon_list_item icon=”fa-check” icon_type=”circle” icon_color=”#00b8af” title=”Tongue tip sounds: ‘s’ and ‘z’” icon_background_color=”#ffffff”][icon_list_item icon=”fa-check” icon_type=”circle” icon_color=”#00b8af” title=”Middle of the mouth sounds: ‘sh’ and ‘ch’” icon_background_color=”#ffffff”][icon_list_item icon=”fa-check” icon_type=”circle” icon_color=”#00b8af” title=”Other sounds: ‘l’, ‘j’ and ‘f’” icon_background_color=”#ffffff”]
[icon_list_item icon=”fa-check” icon_type=”circle” icon_color=”#00b8af” title=”All sounds clearly” icon_background_color=”#ffffff”][icon_list_item icon=”fa-check” icon_type=”circle” icon_color=”#00b8af” title=”The last sounds to develop: ‘v’, ‘th’ and ‘r’” icon_background_color=”#ffffff”]
[/qode_accordion_tab][qode_accordion_tab title=”Children learning more than one language” title_tag=”h3″]
[icon_list_item icon=”fa-check” icon_type=”circle” icon_color=”#00b8af” title=”Say an easier sound to substitute a more difficult one, such as ‘tar’ for ‘car’” icon_background_color=”#ffffff”][icon_list_item icon=”fa-check” icon_type=”circle” icon_color=”#00b8af” title=”Leave out sounds, such as ‘boa’ for ‘boat’” icon_background_color=”#ffffff”][icon_list_item icon=”fa-check” icon_type=”circle” icon_color=”#00b8af” title=”Leave out parts of words, such as ‘puter’ for ‘computer’” icon_background_color=”#ffffff”][icon_list_item icon=”fa-check” icon_type=”circle” icon_color=”#00b8af” title=”Mix up the order of sounds, such as ‘psghetti’ for ‘spaghetti’” icon_background_color=”#ffffff”][icon_list_item icon=”fa-check” icon_type=”circle” icon_color=”#00b8af” title=”Say one sound instead of two, such as ‘pane’ for ‘plane’” icon_background_color=”#ffffff”]
[icon_list_item icon=”fa-check” icon_type=”circle” icon_color=”#00b8af” title=”Praise and imitate new sounds when your child says them” icon_background_color=”#ffffff”][icon_list_item icon=”fa-check” icon_type=”circle” icon_color=”#00b8af” title=”When you don’t understand a word or sentence, gently say so – and then try to work it out together” icon_background_color=”#ffffff”][icon_list_item icon=”fa-check” icon_type=”circle” icon_color=”#00b8af” title=”If they’re able to, ask your child to show you what they’re talking about” icon_background_color=”#ffffff”][icon_list_item icon=”fa-check” icon_type=”circle” icon_color=”#00b8af” title=”Check you have the message correct” icon_background_color=”#ffffff”][icon_list_item icon=”fa-check” icon_type=”circle” icon_color=”#00b8af” title=”Expect mistakes, as learning to talk takes years” icon_background_color=”#ffffff”][icon_list_item icon=”fa-check” icon_type=”circle” icon_color=”#00b8af” title=”Listen to what the overall message is rather than every sound” icon_background_color=”#ffffff”][icon_list_item icon=”fa-check” icon_type=”circle” icon_color=”#00b8af” title=”Speak clearly and simply – and talk with your child often” icon_background_color=”#ffffff”]
Between birth and age three, children should be able to say:
Sucking, learning to bite and chew, and putting objects in their mouths are also important. These behaviours help children become aware of their mouth parts and control their movement and positions.
[/qode_accordion_tab][qode_accordion_tab title=”By age 4 and a half” title_tag=”h3″]
By four and a half years, children should be able to say:
Usually children at this age can be understood most of the time. Their speech may become less clear if they are tired, unwell or excited.
Songs, rhymes, books, playing, talking and listening to other children all help them learn correct sounds and word patterns.
[/qode_accordion_tab][qode_accordion_tab title=”By age 7 and a half” title_tag=”h3″]
At seven and a half, children should be able to say:
Some children take extra time to blend sounds together. For example, ‘tree’, ‘plane’ and ‘desk’.
Children in bilingual families, or those learning more than one language, may need extra time to learn sounds. This is because each language has its own unique sounds.
[/qode_accordion_tab][qode_accordion_tab title=”Learning to use sounds” title_tag=”h3″]
Children make errors when they begin to talk. They may:
Sometimes children make several mistakes in one sentence. For example, ‘let’s go to the park’ may sound like ‘we do t u part.’
[/qode_accordion_tab][qode_accordion_tab title=”How to help children learn sounds” title_tag=”h3″]
Here are some effective ways to help your child in their sound development:
[/qode_accordion_tab][/qode_accordion]
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us for an assessment on