Should I correct my child's speech errors?

When my child mispronounces a words, should I correct them? And if so, how do I do that? How often? Keep reading to hear a speech therapist's thoughts!

As a parent (or other caregiver) you may notice that your child is mispronouncing a word and wonder if you should try to correct them or not. Maybe your child says "tar" instead of "car" or leaves a sound off of a word. There are a few things to consider for whether or not to "correct" your child's sound errors.

The first thing to consider is whether the error your child is making is considered typical for their age or not. Speech sounds develop from birth up until age 6. You can check out this blog post to see what sounds are typical for your child's age: What speech sounds should my child be using?

If the sound is one that your child should be using for their age, the next thing to consider is whether or not your child can make the sound? Can they make the /k/ sound when you show them how? Can they say it in the word when you model it for them?

Let's talk about what to do if your child can make the sound (and see down below if they can't). This could be if you have given them models or they are working on this sound in speech therapy.

1) Give feedback about the meaning change when they use an incorrect sound. For example, when your child says "tea" instead of "key" you could say "oh did you mean "tea" like mommy drinks or "key" like to open the door?".

2) Choose a set time when you will listen for their sound and let them know ahead of time. "Hey Sarah, mom is going to listen for your awesome R sound while we talk at supper time. See how many strong R sounds you can use!"

3) Catch them when they use the correct sound! For example, Ben I heard you use your snake sound when you said "sssstop". Great job! Positive reinforcement is so powerful for children and feels much better than being "corrected" all the time.

If the sound is one that your child can't yet make, here are some tips:

1) Focus on modelling and emphasizing the sound in your speech. As you talk to or read with your child, make that sound a little bit louder and longer. Sssssilly Sssssally sssssees a ssssun.

2) Talk about the sound and point it out to your child throughout your day without asking them to produce it. "Hey I heard your G sound in "go" and "game"".

3) If your child is familiar with the sound but just can't produce it, play a listening game where they have to "catch" you using the sound. Say different words with and without the sound and see if they can "catch" you by putting their hand up, tickling you, or physically catching you!

4) If the sound is one your child should be using for their age, reach out to a speech language pathologist for a speech assessment and therapy to support them in learning the new sound. If you are looking for speech therapy in Calgary, fill out our Rosy Speech contact form to get started:

Click here to get started with speech today!

Comment with what sound your child is working on or struggling with and if you try these tips at home!