When Should My Child Be Able To Produce Speech Sounds?

Do Children Grow Out of Speech Errors?

Many parents hope their child will “grow out of ” speech sound errors, while some children do improve naturally, not all do. Persistent errors can make it more difficult to correct at school age.

Phonemic Awareness & Speech sounds

Phonemic Awareness is one's ability to hear, recognize, and manipulate sounds within words.

 If a child cannot hear or produce sounds accurately, they may have trouble noticing the difference in letters and sounds when learning to read. This can lead to difficulties with reading fluency, spelling, and overall literacy skills

Benefits of Addressing Sounds Early

Working on speech sounds early has short-term and long-term benefits

• Better communication: Increases ease of being understood.

• Confidence Boost: helps children feel more confident when speaking.

• Stronger Academic Foundation: Early sound acquisition builds skills for reading, spelling, & writing.

Informational Resources:

https://thespeechguide.com/speech-sound-development-chart/

Crowe, K., & McLeod, S. (2020). Children’s English consonant acquisition in the United States: A review. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology