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Lessons to Help Improve Articulation in Children

Speech articulation can greatly affect the way a person is seen. Confident, clear speech is often the mark of a great public orator. Culturally, we view clear speakers as confident decisive individuals even when this may not be the case, that is why it is important that children work on articulation from a young age.

  1. Games for Preschoolers

    • According to the East Prairie School, preschoolers often confuse sounds. For example, they may confuse "r" sounds with "w" sounds, saying words like "woom" instead of "room." In order to correct this, try playing games with your child that involve words that highlight that particular sound. The game "I Spy" can be very effective as long as you focus on objects with the sound you wish your child to learn. For example, if your child is having problems with the letter "r" try spying things like the bedroom, the race car and the rug. Be sure to have your child repeat the sounds and speak them with you. Flashcards with pictures of objects that have the problem sound in them -- "car" or "orange" for "r" -- can also work well.

    Articulation for School Children

    • Older children run into different problems than preschoolers. Common articulation problems in school-age children include stuttering, lisping and speaking too quickly. Sometimes these issues are not so much a speech issue as a confidence issue, or they can be a combination of the two. Like adults, children may stutter and speak too quickly while nervous.

      One way to combat this is to have your child practice speaking alone or with a trusted person, and then work up to giving small family speeches. Gaining confidence can help articulation because he won't worry as much about what to say and thus either spit it out too quickly or get stuck on particular words. Another way to get your child to focus on articulation is to have him imitate his favorite TV personalities who project positive examples. By doing so, he is getting a chance to slow down, study speech and learn particulars by watching another.

      If a child is having problems with a particular sound, it may be a good idea to let her watch you pronounce it correctly in a mirror, and then watch how her own mouth moves while she imitates the sound. Watching herself do this can help teach the proper mouth movements.

    Other Considerations

    • When articulating, it's important to emphasize breathing and pacing. At all ages, it can be important to remember to take a breath. Proper punctuation is a great reminder of this. For a child who can already read, emphasize the fact that the end of sentence is a good place to breathe. It may be beneficial to have a child write down something he has just said and then have him point out periods and commas, noting that those are good places to breathe. You can do the same as a child reads aloud.

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