[Host] A to Z Kids Stuff
is happy to present Dorothy P. Dougherty, author of How to Talk to
Your Baby and her newest book Teach Me How To Say It Right with a
foreword by Heather Whitestone-McCallum, Miss America 1995, First
Miss American with a Disability.
[Host] We need to wait a
moment as Dorothy is having a problem with our chat room.
[Julie] Hello and thank you for this opportunity.
I have an almost 5 year
old girl who can read simple text. She knows her
letters and sounds and can sound out words. But her l,w and r sounds
all sound the same but to her there are different. I have her watch
my mouth as I articulate the sounds.
[Dorothy] Hi Julie:
Thank you for your question. That is really great that your daughter
is learning to read. The errors you are describing on l, w, and r are
considered within normal limits at this time. Many children do not
learn how to make these sounds until they are 6 to 8 years of age. It
is important to model the correct productions for her. You see, she
really needs to hear the difference between the correct and incorrect
ways of saying these sounds.
When she says a word incorrectly, do not ask her
to repeat her words. Instead, say the word again, and say the error
sound louder and longer. Also, you might try just reinforcing /l/
sounds as you go about some fun activities:
Talk about things you love and people you love,
Make lemonade together. Talk about how many lemon you are using. Talk
about left and right. Play "follow the leader." Hum
"la, la, la" to a familiar song. As you do these
activities, you will be giving your daughter many opportunities to
hear the /l/ sound pronounced correctly. Here are a few books that
also seem to have an abundance of /l/ words: Larabee
by Kevin Luthardt, The Happy Lion
by Louise Fatio, and Don't Get Lost!
by Pat Hutchins. Thank you and best wishes, Dorothy
[Sue] My son is 6 and was tongue-tied. After
having his tongue snipped he still has problems with his speech.
[Dorothy] Thank you
for your question. What kinds of problems is he having? Thank you. Dorothy
[Sue] His speech sounds muffled. And he cannot
say harsh sounds like th.
[Dorothy] Thank you
for responding. If he had his tongue clipped recently, that may
explain why his speech is muffled. The muscles of his tongue have not
quite developed as a tongue that was free to move about and these
muscles may certainly become stronger as he continues to use them. Th
sounds are another one that does not develop until children are 7 or
8 years old. Many children substitute a d or f such as dum for thum
or baf for bath. When he says the sounds incorrectly, model for him
by repeating the word and saying the th sound a little louder and
longer. He will start to hear the difference between the correct and
incorrect way of saying these sounds. Please let me know if you have
more questions. Thank you and best wishes, Dorothy
[Host] May is Better
Hearing and Speech Month
http://atozkidsstuff.com/articles.html
has several articles by Dorothy P. Dougherty.
[Carol] When should my child say his first word?
[Dorothy] Children
usually say their first word around 12 months. They begin to
understand words around 6 -9 months. There first word is always a
word that they have heard often and understand.
[Host] How can I read to
my toddler, he's always moving?
[Dorothy] Choose the
time carefully. Perhaps before nap or bedtime, when the energy level
is lowers. Let him pick the book and choose the place where he wants
to read it. Hold his attention longer, by choosing books that have
colorful pictures, objects he can touch and feel, or objects can find
hidden under a flap. Try talking about the pictures, rather than
reading the words.
[Host] What sounds
develop first and last?
[Dorothy] By 30
months, most children can say all vowel sounds
3-4 years: /h/, /w/. /p/, /b/, /n/, /t/, /d/,
/k/. and /g/
4-5 years: in addition, th (the voiced sound in
this and them, not the th in bath or thumb)
5-6 years: in addition, /f/, /v/, /l/ at the end
of words. /l/ in the beginning is 7 years
6 and older: ng, th, s, z, sh, ch, j, r, and
blends (for example, sl, tr, pl, sk, sm, etc.)
[Host] Dorothy, for whom
did you write your books?
[Dorothy] As a
speech/language path for over 25 years, I felt that many parents had
questions and there just weren't answers.
[Host] What does CCC
after your name mean?
[Dorothy] CCC is
Certificate of Clinical Competence. It is issued by the American
Speech Language Hearing Association. It must be renewed every year by
keeping current on research and practice.
[Host] Is it ever too
late for speech therapy?
[Dorothy] No, but
early intervention is best. Children who do not receive early speech
therapy are often at risk for learning to read, write, and spell.
[Carol] If I don't understand what was said do I
ask the child to repeat it?
[Dorothy] It is best not to ask your child to
repeat what he has said incorrectly. Most children do not hear the
difference between the correct and incorrect productions and will
just repeat the word the incorrect way. Instead model the correct
sound by repeating the word the child said incorrectly and stress the
beginning and ending sounds. Make this word a part of your natural
conversation. For example:
Child: I see a dot.
Adult: Yes it is a big dogg.
Would you like to get a dogg like that some day.
[Dorothy] Another
reason for my books.
I also want to tell you that my brother who was
two years younger than me had a very serious speech problem. He
followed me around and I translated for him. I watched him struggle
with school and friends. I knew I wanted to be a speech therapist for
a long time. I hope that my books help parents get help for their
children early. Thank you for asking me questions.
[Host] Thank you,
Dorothy P. Doughery, author of "How to Talk to Your Baby"
and "Teach Me How To Say It Right". Will you return for
another chat sometime soon?
[Dorothy] Yes I will.
[Host] Thank you to all
who participated.
[Host] For more
information about speech sound disorders, go to
http://www.1speechproblems.com
That website is also listed at the end of the
articles by Dorothy you will find on The A to Z Kids Stuff website.
[Host] Thank you,
participants! This was an interesting topic.
[Host] Goodnight, everyone.
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