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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

speaking properly!

19 replies

Dottydot · 30/04/2006 16:09

Ds1 is 4 and a bit and still doesn't pronounce his 'r's (says W) or L's (says W aswell). So we're constantly having to translate for other people and it's starting to niggle me that I want him to be talking 'properly' for when he starts school in September. When I try to get him to say 'lolly' properly (which is the only word he'll practise - and only because if he does he gets one!), he really struggles to move his tongue properly, and can't do it even when he's trying his hardest.

Will this correct itself do you think, over time naturally?

OP posts:

mrspitt · 30/04/2006 16:24

My ds is 4.5 and his speech is not great and i am also translating quite often for him.It is getting better but very slowly.
However we had a major achievement, he has real trouble with vowel sounds especially E ,unfortunately for him his name has a double E in it! Which comes out OO. Anyway it has suddenly came to him!! He is totally impressed with himself and i am the proudest mum ever.[GRIN][GRIN] He still has a way to go but it definatle takes time.
Don't give up and don't woryy about school too much yet.
Does he see a SALT?

TwoToTango · 30/04/2006 16:29

My ds was the same, in fact when he was a nursery I half expected that they would send him for speech therapy as he also pronouces "th" as "f". He started school last Sept (he is 5.5 now) and I was pleasantly suprised at how quickly his pronouciation (sp) improved. In fact both my parents commented on it. I think at school because it is more of a challenge and he is mixing with a lot more children (and also older kids) it is naturally improved. He used to think it was great fun when I would let him say willy all the time to practice. He still has a bit of trouble with "th" but he teacher just called me in and pointed out the method a speech therapist would use.

If it doesn't correct itself naturally I would mention it at the first parents evening you have or else pop in and see his teacher - just to put your mind at rest.

Original poster

Dottydot · 30/04/2006 16:36

Hi - no, we haven't mentioned it to anyone at his pre-school, and they've not mentioned it to us, so no SALT involved. He didn't talk for a long time - really until he was at least 2, and then wouldn't talk outside the house for about another year after that - at one point I was worried about elective mutism, but he does now talk at his pre-school and the staff are really pleased with how much he's come out of his shell. So I suppose they're not really worried about his pronunciation, beacuse at least he's talking! He's incredibly shy so I don't want to make a big issue out of it and put him off expressing himself...

OP posts:

TwoToTango · 30/04/2006 16:39

I think you are doing the right thing. If he is anything like my ds the more you push the less he will want to do it.
I think if it is in any way an issue the school will pick up on it pretty quickly.
He sounds like he is doing really well and I think you will notice even more of an improvement when he begins school.

You should look at the thread where someone asked for advice from mums of reception children - sorry but I am assuming his will be your first child to go to school

Hausfrau · 30/04/2006 16:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

Dottydot · 30/04/2006 17:12

It's funny really, because ds2 has beautiful pronounciation and it drives him mad that ds1 can't pronounce ds2's name, so the arguments will go something like this: (ds1) "Hewwo Dywan" (ds2)"It's NOT Dywan, it's DYLAN!!!"

OP posts:

Hausfrau · 30/04/2006 17:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

fruitful · 30/04/2006 17:20

Rs and Ls are the last ones they get, and if they don't get them till 5, 6 or even 7 that is still normal.

SIL is a speech therapist and was terribly impressed cos my dd (4 this month) occasionally manages to say an R. She quite often says D instead of TH and F instead of S, and that didn't phase SIL either.

She says if I'm bothered I should spend 10 minutes a day having a one-to-one conversation with dd, chatting about something that will involve using lots of words that dd has trouble with. I just have to say them very clearly myself a lot, rather than correcting her or trying to get her to say it right.

fruitful · 30/04/2006 17:21

Did I mean "faze" ?

Mercy · 30/04/2006 17:22

My dd has just turned 5 and it's only in the last few months she's been able to say 'yellow' properly - she said 'lellow' for absolutely ages, ditto the 'f' and 'th' sounds, eg, 'fevvers'. Still struggles a bit with r and w though!

I think it's normal and he will learn the correct pronounciation. I would have though any speech or language difficulties would have been obvious before now.

TwoToTango · 30/04/2006 17:24

fruitful, that is really helpful. I will certainly be trying the 10 min conversation thing. I have been making sure I prounouce words very clearly it has been making a difference.
I suppose its like a lot of things - they get it when they are ready.

misdee · 30/04/2006 17:25

lol at lellow. dd1 did this.

we used to go 'say yell'

'yell'

say 'low'

'low'

'say yellow'

'lellow!!'

she has literally only mastered it in the last 6months. she has just turned 6.

SaintGeorge · 30/04/2006 17:32

DS1 has wonderful pronunciation - when he isn't mumbling

DS2 (4.5) was a late starter, not speaking at all until he was nearly 3. He has come on in leaps and bounds since starting school (early intake, Sep last year).

He was seeing a speech therapist but she says she has taken him as far as she can, unless his problems persist beyond the next year. She reckoned pushing him too much at his age is counter-productive and can result in further problems, stammers etc.

snorkle · 30/04/2006 17:35

we had lellow for a long time, also 'b' for 'v' sounds so glubs instead of gloves. Can't remember now what age they grew out of it - but they did.

Mercy · 30/04/2006 17:40

lol misdee!

Yes I've forgotten about the 'glubs' too. dd still does this.

Tortington · 30/04/2006 17:49

ask to get his hearing checked

nooka · 30/04/2006 17:56

My ds still can't do "r"s at almost 7, but I'm not that worried - my dh pointed out that my father can't either, and I've always thought that he reads aloud beautifully. Are the people that you are translating for people without kids? I would expect that reception teachers are probably well practiced in interpreting little kid's speech. My dd at 5.5 can do her "r"s but still says glubs. I will miss it when it goes the same way as cloclate!

myturn · 30/04/2006 18:01

dd4 saw a speech therapist for about a year. I was told not to worry about R or L as these are the last letters to be pronounced and she could be 6 before she uses them. She was discharged when she was about 4 and a half.

She turned 5 in February, and though she can pronounce these letters at the beginning of words she is still in the habit of substituting them for W and finds it difficult to use them in the middle of words.

I wouldnt worry overly much. One tip I learned from the SALT though. Don't ask your DS1 to repeat words after you as they can become frustrated and discouraged. Instead, pronounce the word properly, look expectantly at DS1 and wait to see if he will copy. If he doesn't leave it and try again next time. I found this worked fabulously.

Original poster

Dottydot · 30/04/2006 18:49

That's all really helpful - thanks - especially the guidance around not expecting the r &l to be right for another year or two - I'll stop stressing. (ds1 says "wewwow" for yellow, by the way - hence the need to translate, but yes, mainly for people without kids, or the grandparents...).

OP posts:

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