Sound Acquisition
Generally, children make the following sounds correctly by the ages
indicated:
Age
2-4 years m,b,n,t,p,d,k,g,w,h,sh,ch,l,r,s,and vowels
5-7 years v,j,th,z,s blends,r blends,and l blends
Vocabulary and Sentences
Age
12-18 months first words
2 years 2-word sentences
3 years 3-4-word sentences 400-900 word vocabulary
5 years 5-6-word sentences 1500-2500 word vocabulary
Fluency
Hesitations in speech are normal from ages three to six. Listen to your
child, encourage and praise him. Don’t correct him or appear anxious about
his speech. Don’t make him speak or recite before strangers or visitors.
Let him do so if he wishes, but only then. Try to keep your own speech
clear and unhurried. If you are very concerned, consult a speech and
language therapist for help. Therapy, if needed, can begin early.
What Parents Can Do (and other adults)
1.Talk to your child about everything that is appropriate for a child.
Children need a lot of verbal stimulation from infancy. Play games with
sounds and words. Your children pick up most of their vocabulary from you.
Use Standard American English when speaking.
2.Listen to your child and expand on his language. Use well formed
sentences that are a little longer than his. You are modeling, not asking
him to repeat what you say. Over time, hearing you, your child will begin
using the speech and language you use. Use new vocabulary.
Child: “Truck broke.”
Adult: “The truck is broken. It needs a new
windshield."
3.Read to your child at least daily. Talk about pictures and
situations in books. Your child learns new vocabulary, concepts and
patterns of language from reading. Read cereal boxes, signs, everything
acceptable for a child to hear. Use the library and make reading a part of
your daily home life.
4.Play games with your child. Use the South Panola School District
Parent Center located on College Street, Batesville. Through
games, your child can learn coordination, how to follow rules, how to
communicate with others, new concepts and a variety of other skills.
5.Play hospital, zoo, store, barber shop, restaurant, school, or
airport with your child. Use puppets. These activities develop creativity
and help your child learn about life situations. He will also begin
learning about cause and effect, reality and fantasy, while developing speech
sounds and extending his vocabulary.
6.Classify. Help your child make scrapbooks or sort things so he’ll
learn concepts of color, size, shape, matching, comparisons and so forth.
7.Provide new experiences. Take field trips, make things, cook, make
science experiments. Involve your child in daily activities. Talk about
all of these.
8.Use television to its best advantage. Limit its use to good programs
and spend more time in family interaction. Notice how it is a part of the
daily schedule.
9.Make language and speech fun for your child. Reinforce his attempts
and praise him.
Concerning your child’s speech and language attempts-do not allow others to
tease, make fun of, imitate, or label your child.
Hearing
And lastly, hearing can fluctuate at any time. If you ever suspect your
child is having difficulty hearing, check with a professional immediately.
A child, who has difficulty hearing, has difficulty listening, speaking and
learning. Frequent allergies, congestion, or similar conditions can
temporarily or permanently distort or damage hearing.
If your child participates in loud activities such as mowing, vehicle
racing, movie theatres, hunting or any activity that appears a little loud to
you, remember to provide and insist that ear protection is always worn.
Any activity that seems a little loud to you is much louder to a child’s
delicate ears.
Damage can not readily, if at all, be reversed!
all rights reserved globally- F "Sonshine" Ashcraft
Also of interest:
"The Early Identification of Language-Based Reading Disabilities"
http://www.speechpathology.com/management/uploads/checklists/440973_reading1.p
df
H.W. Catts Language, Speech and Hearing Services in School, Vol. 28, 86-89
