© 2012-2016 Eastern Shore Speech Therapy

How can I help improve my child’s pronunciation at home?

Speak clearly and at a slow conversational rate.
Know which sounds are expected to be pronounced correctly at your child’s age – encourage only the speech sounds, which are appropriate.
Model correct pronunciation at natural times during the day. Do not correct your child. For example, if your child says, “I got a pish”, you could say, “Yes, you have a fish”. You may want to emphasize the target sound slightly.
Play sound games if your child is interested. This will increase his or her overall awareness and discrimination of sounds.

Tell your child when you don’t understand what he or she has said. Let them know that you will listen and try to understand. Have him or her gesture or show you what they are attempting to tell you if needed. Explain to them that sometimes you may not understand what they are saying and that you know this must be frustrating for him orher. Let your child know you understand how they feel and that you will be supportive of their progression.