When Should My Child Be Producing Specific Sounds?
If you have little ones at home who are in the process of developing their articulation skills, you may be wondering – “is it normal that my child has difficulty producing that sound”? Children develop their sounds for speech when developmentally appropriate. For example, the /s/, /r/, and /l/ sounds have more time to develop and be mastered than the /p/, /b/, and /m/ sounds.
The list below details when your child should master each consonant sound:
By age 3: /p/, /b/, /m/, /h, /n/, /w/
By age 4: /k/, /g/, /d/, /f/, /y/
By age 6: /t/, /ng/, /r/, /l/
By age 7: /ch/, /sh/, /j/
By age 8: /s/, /z/, /v/, /th/
As your child’s speech sounds develop, they may distort, omit, or use substitutions for these sounds. When sampling your child’s speech, it is recommended to listen to their sound productions across different settings. For example, you may choose to video your child narrating their play, talking with a sibling, or answering questions about their day. If you think your child may be experiencing difficulty mastering certain sounds or you think they may have a speech sound disorder, reach out to their pediatrician. They may write you a referral for a formal speech and language evaluation by a speech-language pathologist. In addition, it is recommended to monitor your child’s speech sound production as it relates to school. If this directly impacts their academics (i.e., they spell words incorrectly, as they would say them out loud), your child may be eligible for a speech evaluation within the school and possible determination for services within the public school system.
For a visual representation of the consonant development chart, please visit the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
If you have questions regarding your child’s speech sound development, feel free to reach out to our speech-language pathologist, free of charge, at alyssa@collaborativecorner.org.
Alyssa Bloxam, M.A., CCC-SLP
Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist
alyssa@collaborativecorner.org