Stage 5 is for practising using the speech sounds in sentences. A therapist will tell you which target sounds to practise and whether to practise at the beginning, in middle or at the ends of words.
Practicing Sounds
Take turns with your child. When it’s your turn, occasionally say the wrong sound in the word and see if your child notices. This increases your child’s awareness of the sounds in words.
Give useful feedback about your child’s efforts. If your child produces the word correctly, praise them. If they make a mistake you could say, ‘I heard X, can you try that one again?’ If they are finding it difficult, praise them for having a ‘good try’.
Your child will need reminders to help them to use their new speech skills in everyday talking. You won't be able to remind them every time they make a mistake, so choose times of day when your child can practise their new speech skills for up to 5 minutes. Explain that you will be listening to their talking and encourage them to use their new sounds.
At the end, give them plenty of praise. Gradually, increase the number of times or length of time that this happens. This can help your child to remember their sounds more often.
You can contact the Norfolk & Waveney Speech & Language Therapy Service by calling Just One Number on 0300 300 0123. Our opening hours are 8am-6pm Monday-Friday (excluding bank holidays) and 9am-1pm on Saturdays.
You can speak to other Norfolk parents and carers by clicking our online community forum below.
