Toddler Speech / Language Tip 4 : Emphasizing Sounds

This week, we are going to be talking about some of the sounds that your child is going to start to get soon, or has already gotten. If you focus on these sounds once in a while, your child is more likely to pick up on them and attempt them.

They are : the sounds that come from the lips, like “m”, “p”, and “b”, the sounds that come from the tongue touching the front / top part of the mouth (the “alveolar ridge”) : “t, d, and n.”

So how do you get your chidto use these sounds? And if she already does, how do you get her to use them more frequently?

To overemphasize our target sounds, hold them out (1-2 seconds with a popping noise), and maybe even show where they come from.

For example, you can say “bbbbbbblow” before blowing bubbles, and then point to your lips. Or you can say “pppoppppp” then point.

Or, for /t/ and /d/ - try – “your tturn!” or “all ddddone!”

Bonus : repeat 3 times (with pauses) and see if your child chimes in!

For a printable checklist, more examples, and a tracking sheet / more ideas about emphasizing sounds, download the "Toddler Parent Education Handout 4 " on our Teachers Pay Teachers store!

Happy Talking!

Disclaimer : Smarter Speech is a pediatric speech therapy / speech-language pathology practice for toddlers and children providing in-home and teletherapy services in and around Mountain View, CA and Los Gatos, CA. Smarter Speech Blog aims to provide free speech and language tips for parents educators and therapists. However, this post is not providing speech-language pathology services. This is general information, not speech -language pathology or speech therapy. This article does not assume or create a client – SLP relationship. The author is not liable for any losses or damages due to actions or failure to act based on the content in this article. If you need assistance with a child’s speech or language needs, please contact a speech-language pathologist in your area.