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How to Teach a Child to Articulate

You may not always find it easy to assess the point where a young child needs extra help with articulation. This is because most toddlers do not suddenly begin speaking perfect English. Many will mispronounce particular words and sounds. However, by the time a child is five or six years old his vocabulary and his general ability to speak will have developed to the point where a problem becomes more apparent. According to Eikeseth and Nesset's article in the "Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis," up to 10 percent of school age children have a phonological disorder. Parents and teachers can help the child to improve this condition and become more articulate.

Instructions

    • 1

      Assess the child's particular difficulty. There are many variations in children's articulation difficulties. Some children say "wunning," instead of "running." Other children lisp, sounding "th" instead of "s". Use repetition to help the child improve pronunciation of sound. Teach the child nursery rhymes and songs to help him relax and enjoy speaking, singing and making sounds.

    • 2

      Use cards and games. If a child cannot say "l" for instance --- saying "back," instead of "black' --- write a list of words, such as "blink," "blind" and "blank." Let the children choose a card and say the word. Praise the child if he gets it right, but do not reprimand him if he makes mistake. Target a few key words and sounds, gradually increasing the number as the child's ability improves.

    • 3

      Ask the child to draw a picture that incorporates some of the words he struggles to pronounce. Help him to name the items on the picture. Ask him to write labels using the appropriate words. As he articulates the name of the item, let him pin the label of the word on the picture.

    • 4

      Help the children to make basic hand puppets. Name the puppets and write a simple script so that the children can present a puppet show. This helps the child to relax and articulate through another "character."

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