A question I get asked a lot by concerned parents, is how they can help to improve their child’s speech. I’ve already written about the first things I recommend to do in my first visit, so let’s get into the nitty gritty of how to help your child make those tricksy speech sounds they’re struggling with.

The things that Speech Therapists look at when assessing and teaching speech sounds, are place, manner and voicing. So first, let’s look at what those terms actually mean.

Place: this is where the articulators (tongue, lips, teeth, palate) touch or narrow, so as an example, p, b, m are all bilabial sounds, as they are made by touching the lips together. Try it and see how your lips touch when you make those sounds.

Manner: this is how the air flows: is it stopped briefly, then released, restricted, or directed through the nose? As an example, f, v, s, z, th, sh, h are all fricatives, which means the flow of air is restricted, but not stopped. Make those sounds and feel the flow of air passing through your mouth.

Voicing: some sounds are voiceless (made with your voice turned off) and some are voiced, (made with your voice turned on.) There are some sound pairs that are the same in place and manner, the only difference being that the voice is on or off. Consider s/z, t/d, f/v. If you say the sounds while you hold your palm across your throat, you should feel a buzzing when your voice turns on for one of the sounds in the pair, and not the other.

So, when working on specific speech sounds, let’s have a look at how to describe the ones that are most commonly made in error. This will help your child when they are learning to make the sound correctly. I recommend practicing making  speech sounds in the mirror at first, so your child can see both their mouth and yours. You can download a free handout with the below descriptions here.

S: Lips slightly open, tongue sides on top side teeth. Tip of tongue behind top front teeth. Air is blown through front of the mouth (not out the sides). Voice off.

Z: Lips slightly open, tongue sides on top side teeth. Tip of tongue behind top front teeth. Air is blown through front of the mouth (not out the sides). Voice on.

F: Top teeth on bottom lip, tongue grooved, air blown through teeth. Voice off. 

V: Top teeth on bottom lip, tongue grooved, air blown through teeth. Voice on.

K: Lips slightly open, back of tongue touches the back of the roof of the mouth and drops as the air is released. Voice off.

G: Lips slightly open, back of tongue touches the back of the roof of the mouth and drops as the air is released. Voice on.

L: Lips slightly open, tip of tongue lifted and touching behind the front top teeth on the ridgy bit. Voice on.

R: Lips open slightly in a relaxed smile, tongue grooved. Voice on.

TH: Lips slightly open, tip of tongue between teeth, air is blown through teeth. Voice on or off (TH can be voiced or voiceless.)

SH: Mouth slightly open, sides of tongue touching sides of teeth, tip of tongue pulled back, air expelled. Voice off.

CH: Lips slightly open, tip of tongue behind the top front teeth. Tongue drops to release air as jaw moves forward. Voice off.

J: Lips slightly open, tip of tongue behind the front teeth, tongue drops to release air as jaw moves forward. Voice on.

I've made video courses for each of the above common speech sound errors. In each course, I teach you everything you need to know to work on the sound with your child yourself, in the comfort of your own home, at times that work for you.

You won’t be left to do it alone though: you’ll have access to me, a qualified and experienced Speech Language Therapist. You can message me and send videos of your child practicing for personal feedback and recommendations. And best of all, it’s fun, so you and your child will enjoy yourselves while you work. Click here to register your interest or sign up for a course.

And if you'd like regular support with weekly trainings and access to me, then my Speech Support Annual Membership is perfect for you: details below ⬇️