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Toddler Articulation Norms

11/22/2013

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Articulation.  It's the biggest topic of speech therapy that I'm asked about.  Here are some of the questions I'm asked from parents:  "When should my 3 year old say her r's?", "Should I be concerned if my son says a t for a d sound?"  If you're a concerned parent then this is the information you're looking for! 

Below, is a pdf file of a chart that lists all the sounds we have in the English language.  The left side of the bar indicates when a child starts to say the sound (on average),and the right side of the bar shows when most children can say the sound, or as speech-language pathologists say, mastered the sound. 


speech_sound_chart.pdf
File Size: 44 kb
File Type: pdf
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As you will see, most children begin saying the /r/ sound at about age 3 and should have it mastered around age 7 1/2.  So, if your toddler isn't saying his or her /r/ sound at age 3, don't worry too much about it.  This is a later developing sound.  Do keep in mind that this is just the average age in which children learn to produce these sounds.  Also, most children may not say these sounds in this particular order.  Some children may say some sounds before others. 

It is important to remember that when a child learns to talk, he or she may not say all of his or her sounds correctly.  This is very normal, and it is expected by most speech-language pathologists.  However, if a child has many incorrect speech productions and is not easily understood at age three or after, then it's recommended that he or she be evaluated by a speech-language pathologist.

So, what can  you do as a parent to help your child's articulation?  First, if you have any concerns at all, please seek the help of a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist. 
Since articulation therapy is so structured, I think it’s best targeted in a therapeutic environment.  You can also find some simple tips and  more information by reading 3 Tips to Target Your Toddler's Articulation.

To learn easy and practical speech and language tips to help your toddler talk and communicate faster, be sure to check out my book on Amazon Kindle, 
Talking With Toddlers - 52 Tips to Boost Speech and Language Skills.    


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3 Tips to Target Your Toddler's Articulation 

11/15/2013

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Over the years, I’ve had so many parents ask me if they should be concerned about the way their toddler pronounces his or her words.  Although I think it’s very important to focus on articulation (speech clarity), the main focus with toddlers is learning to understand and use language.  Once your toddler is able to understand and use language appropriately then you can focus on how he or she pronounces words.   

Articulation therapy helps a person learn how to pronounce sounds and improve speech intelligibility.  Articulation therapy is very structured and follows a specific process.  The first step involves auditory training or being able to hear the sound.  The next step is to be able to correctly say the sound in isolation, then syllables, words, sentences and conversation.

Since articulation therapy is so structured, I think it’s best targeted in a therapeutic environment.  However, there are some things you, as a parent, can do to help promote proper pronunciation:

  1. Make silly sounds – when playing say sounds such as “b-b-b” when rolling a toy bus on the floor or “p-p-p” when popping bubbles.  Try to get your toddler to imitate these sounds. 
  2. Repeat what your toddler says – if your toddler says a word incorrectly, repeat it back to him correctly in a playful way.  For example, if he or she says, “gog” for dog you can say, “That’s right!  It is a dog!” 
  3. Praise your toddler - Make sure to give your toddler lots of praise when he or she makes attempts at talking.  Clap and celebrate with your toddler – he or she will want to continue to communicate with you because you’re applauding your toddler for his/her efforts.    

I made a promise to my husband earlier this week that I will have my next book out on Kindle by the end of December (I've also said it to you, so I'm holding myself accountable).  It’s a book that targets both articulation and language skills in toddlers.  Be on the lookout!


To learn easy and practical speech and language tips to help your toddler talk and communicate faster, be sure to check out my book on Amazon Kindle, Talking With Toddlers - 52 Tips to Boost Speech and Language Skills.  

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5 Ways That Cooking Can Be a Toddler Speech and Language Enriching Activity

11/7/2013

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You may have noticed that I like to post toddler friendly recipes on the Talking With Toddlers Facebook Page.  I also like to include them in blog posts as a great toddler speech and language building activity.  Not only is cooking fun, but it's a great bonding activity for you and your toddler.

So you may be asking, "But, how does cooking build speech and language skills?"  Here are 5 ways that cooking can be a toddler speech and language enriching activity:

  1. Builds vocabulary - targets items found in the kitchen
  2. Demonstrates action words - focus on simple actions such as open, cut, cook, eat, bake, stir, etc.   
  3. Teaches your toddler to take turns -  alternate taking turns stirring, pouring, etc.
  4. Helps your toddler learn to follow one, two, and even three step directions - example:  open, pour, stir
  5. Increases conversation skills - talk about how the dish smells, tastes, and looks

Do you want some easy recipes that you can make with your toddler?  Try these out for a yummy and educational treat!
  • Easy shortbread recipe
  • Spaghetti Hot Dogs
  • Cinnamon Roll French Toast

To learn more speech and language tips to help your toddler talk and communicate faster, be sure to check out my book on Amazon Kindle, Talking With Todders - 52 Tips to Boost Speech and Language Skills. 




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20 Fall Speech & Language Activities for Toddler

11/1/2013

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Back in May, I wrote a very popular blog post called 20 Summertime Speech & Language Activities for Toddlers.  These activities were pinned to the Talking With Toddlers Pinterest page and has been repinned by lots of moms and other speech-language pathologists. 

Because it was so popular, I decided to do the same thing targeting fall activities.  The skills that each activity targets is listed.  Please keep in mind that there are many other things you can do to help build your toddler's speech and language skills this fall.  Be creative and checkout past Talking With Toddlers blog posts for ideas!

Download the document here:

20_fall_speech_and_language_activities_for_toddlers.pdf
File Size: 69 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

To learn more speech and language tips to help your toddler talk and communicate faster, be sure to check out my book on Amazon Kindle, Talking With Todders - 52 Tips to Boost Speech and Language Skills.       
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    Welcome!  I'm Rebecca Haas, toddler speech-language pathologist and mother to identical twin baby girls.  On this blog you'll find articles, resources, and lots of information about early childhood and speech and language development.  I hope you find this helpful!   

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