The development of speech sounds and speech skills
As your child is learning what words mean and how to use them to convey meaning, their speech is also developing – the way they pronounce works and the range and clarity of the sounds they use.
Typical patterns in speech sound development
Speech sound development is sometimes called ‘phonology’ or ‘articulation’. You can think of speech sound development as a bit like the leaves on the ‘language tree’ because – just as the leaves can only grow once the tree has started to grow its branches – children’s speech sounds will develop after they have begun to establish their language skills. Many parents expect their child to imitate every speech sound they are able to hear. However, some sounds are very difficult for a small child to copy. In fact, children with normal hearing continue to develop their ability to make correct speech sounds up to eight years of age. The vowel sounds come first and your child may be saying all of them now. Consonants for normally hearing children develop in a particular order – as shown in the table below.
At first, very young children will use only sounds that are easy for them to say, for example, “p”, “b” and “m”. As they grow older, they will learn new sounds and will gradually start to use these in their words. By the time they are about 5 years old most children should have developed almost all of the sounds they need for clear speech, but some sounds are a bit more difficult and may not develop until the child is 6-7 years old (for example, the sounds “l”, “r”, “ch”, “j” and ‘consonant clusters’ or combinations of sounds together, such as “str” in “straw”, “tr” in “train”, “br” in “broom”). A child with normal hearing who is learning to talk often needs to repeat her words so that you can understand them. Sometimes only family members understand a child’s beginning words or they may make errors in her speech patterns. Your deaf child will need time to learn to talk, too.
Speech sound development
The following table shows the pattern of speech sound development for typically developing children.
| Age: | Sounds the child is able to use: | Common speech sound errors made at this age: |
| 1 year 6 months – 2 years | m, n, p, b, t, d, w |
|
| 2 years – 3 years | m, n, p, b, t, d, w, hMay start to use long sounds such as s and f |
|
| 3 years – 4 years | m, n, p, b, t, d, w, hUsing s and f by 3 years 6 months.
May start to use the back sounds k and g |
|
| 4 years – 5 years | m, n, p, b, t, d, w, c/k, g, f, s, shStarting to use other ‘long’ sounds like v, th, z |
|
| 5 years – 6 years | m, n, p, b, t, d, w, c/k g, f, s, sh, v, th, z, ch, j/dgCan now use clusters/blends of consonants like “tr” in train or “spl” in splash. |
|
| 6 years onwards |
|
|
Speech sound development for deaf children
When looking at this information, it is again important to remember that the patterns shown in the table above are based on the typical development of children without deafness – and that there is much variation even amongst typically developing children.
The rates of progress for any particular deaf child will be affected by the nature and severity of their deafness, the effectiveness of the hearing technology and how long they have used this technology (their ‘hearing age’). There is an even wider range in variation amongst deaf children – so please try not to compare your own child’s progress with that of another child – with or without deafness.
Your child’s hearing age
Your child’s ‘hearing age’ is particularly important to bear in mind as this has a crucial impact on the development of your child’s speech sounds. If a child is three years old and has been wearing amplification for one year, their hearing age is one year. One-year old babies generally use a variety of vowel sounds with ease (as shown in the table above). They should also be babbling with consonants such as /m/ and /b/. This child should have these sounds, and because they are physically three years old and able to better control their muscles, they should soon add more and more sounds. If their amplification is appropriate and they can hear most speech sounds, they should begin to catch up to their chronological age development in speech.
How does speech develop?
Gradually! Speech sound development for hearing children does not finish until 6-7 years of age. Children learn to talk before they are able to say all the sounds of speech. This means that their early words will not sound like the adult version – they have to use other sounds in place of the ones they can’t say. They learn new sounds over time, but this happens gradually and it takes a while before children will start using their ‘new’ sounds in words.
Deaf children will make some of the same ‘normal’ speech sound errors as hearing children do but may take longer to develop some sounds because of their younger ‘listening age’ and reduced opportunities to hear and overhear language. They can also have speech sound difficulties (for example due to a physical issue such as a cleft palate) that are separate to their deafness, just as some children without a hearing loss have.
‘Unusual’ errors
Deaf children sometimes demonstrate ‘unusual errors’ in the speech sound development – they are termed ‘unusual’ because they are not part of the usual pattern of development for hearing children but are more usual for deaf children. They can have speech sound difficulties that are specific to their deafness, such as problems with sounds at certain frequencies or problems due to a fluctuating level of deafness (words don’t sound consistent).
These ‘unusual’ errors include:
- difficulty with certain sounds, such as:
- sounds which look the same when produced, but sound different (e.g. p/b/m)
- sounds that are made in the back of the mouth and have fewer visual cues (e.g. k/g/h)
- making vowel errors
- using the sounds ‘k’ and ‘g’ instead of other sounds (such as ‘t’ and ‘d’).
- missing out lots of consonant sounds from the start or middle of words (e.g. “boat” sounds like “oat” or “teddy” sounds like “te-ey” or “e-ee”.
- nasal-sounding speech, or sounds made by blowing air through the nose, instead of through the mouth.
- use of sounds that are not normally heard in English speech e.g. clicks
- voice problems (sounding very croaky, breathy, hoarse etc for a long period of time – when this is not explained by illness/sore throat)
Take a tip – Record your child’s developing speech sounds
If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to start taking some notes about your child’s speech skills. Parents’ observations of their children are revealing and important. If you haven’t brought your notes about your preschooler’s speech development up to date, now is the time to do so. And it’s such fun to listen to your little one as they experiment in using their voice. Whether your child is babbling or jargoning, you will want to listen carefully. What sounds do they make? Do they combine these sounds? Is their voice loud or soft? Take some notes and write the date. Next month, take more notes. You might be surprised at the changes you hear.
What is ‘speech quality’ and how can you improve it?
On this page we will explain what we mean by the term ‘speech quality’ and the steps you can take to assess – and then improve – the quality of your child’s speech. If you have a Speech and Language Therapist they should also be able to provide some helpful advice based on your child’s particular needs.
Voice quality
Voice quality refers to the degree of naturalness in your child’s voice. If your child is wearing their hearing technology during their waking hours and this technology is appropriately mapped, their voice quality should sound similar to that of any child her age. Listen to your child carefully and you will soon realise how their voice quality can change in different situations. Most importantly, you will be aware of the effect on their speech when your child’s hearing changes as a result of colds, allergies, glue ear or ear wax.
Speech quality
Now we want to give you ideas to help you help your child develop duration, intensity and pitch, which are important speech qualities. Before continuing, you might like a quick review:
Duration
Duration is the length of time a sound is used in speech. In general, vowel sounds are used for a longer amount of time. They are also louder and lower in frequency. Therefore, they are usually the easiest for a deaf child both to hear and to produce. High frequency hearing is needed to distinguish well between vowel sounds. Many consonant sounds are generally higher in frequency, are softer in intensity and shorter in duration. Therefore, the less residual hearing a child has, the harder it is to distinguish between the consonants.
Intensity
Intensity, or loudness, is the second way in which speech sounds differ from each other. Say the vowel sound /o/ as loudly as you can. Then try to say the consonant sound /th/ with equal loudness. Didn’t you find that you were able to say /o/ much louder? Now, look again at the Audiogram of Familiar Sounds. As you can see, the vowel sounds are typically louder (between 40 and 50dB) and the some of the consonants are much softer.
Pitch
We usually say that a sound is high- or low-pitched. For example, the chirping of birds is a high-pitched sound. Thunder is a low-pitched sound. Speech sounds are also high and low pitched. Many of the vowel sounds like /oh/ and /u/ are low pitched and you will see them on the Audiogram of Familiar Sounds in the area of 500 Hz. Many of the consonant sounds are high pitched, such as /s/ or /th/. If you look on the Audiogram of Familiar Sounds, they will be found between 4000 and 8000 Hz.
Helping your child practise duration, intensity and pitch
Duration, intensity and pitch also help convey information as we communicate with one another through spoken language. A rising pitch or intonation at the end of a sentence can help convey the idea that someone is asking a question. A soft, low voice can indicate to your listener that you are sharing something sad or serious. A quick, high voice can let someone know that you are excited or anxious.
Here are some ideas for using everyday activities to work with your child on duration, intensity and pitch:
- If your child is just beginning to develop spoken language, you will want to use vowel and consonant sounds in association with actions:
- For example, when you are serving a favourite food like ice cream, you might say, “Mmmmmm. Ice cream.” This “mmmm” sound will be somewhat long (duration), louder than most consonants (intensity) and have a deep, more bass sound (pitch).
- Playtime is a great time for working on your child’s skills:
- Make a list of your child’s favourite toys. Maybe they love puzzles or cars and lorries. Stop and think about what sounds might be associated with these toys.
- The car might go, “Beep, beep, beep.” Now you have short duration, somewhat loud intensity and higher pitch.
- A favourite puzzle might be of an aeroplane. As you put it together, you can hold a piece and ‘fly’ it into place as you say, “Wheeeeee!” This is the perfect sound to end the activity, too. “All done! It’s an aeroplane. Wheee!”
- If your child is saying words and short phrases, you can demonstrate duration, intensity and pitch with your voice using the words your child knows:
- Possibly after lunch, your child puts their left-over food in the rubbish bin. You say to your child, “Throw it away!” and they respond, “Toh wa.” Now you will repeat your phrase, but stress the duration and pitch. Make the phrase sound a bit musical as you change the pitch. Lengthen the words to stress duration, “Throw it a-waaay.” Your little child will probably think this is all one word, and that’s fine. Right now your child needs to know the meaning of this phrase and the sound of it. Later the clarity will develop.
- You can also imitate your child’s words and create a ‘speech feed-back loop.:
- Say it is 5pm and your child has been looking out the window waiting for Mummy to return from work. As the car comes into the driveway, your child might say, “Mummy home.” Your response could be, “Mummy’s home. Mummy’s home.” Emphasise the intonation, make it song-like and let your voice reflect all the happiness you both feel as this special person enters the door. Soon your child’s use of this phrase will reflect her developing sense of pitch, duration and intensity.
Whispering (a subskill of intensity)
Even if your child cannot easily hear a whisper, they can learn this skill. When you whisper close to their hearing aid / speech processor, your child will be aware of your voice and the difference in its sound. Show them by your facial expression that you are whispering.
Then you can play whispering games:
- Choose a word that your child knows and whisper it while sitting in front of them.
- You may like to pretend that you are putting a doll or stuffed animal to sleep. Then tell them to whisper a word to you.
- It will take lots of practise, but this can be a good game for places like in a waiting room or on a bus.
- You can also play it while “baby” is sleeping. (Baby can be a sibling or a favourite stuffed animal or doll.)
Rhythm (a subskill of duration)
Our speech is based on rhythm. There is a rhythm in the number of syllables in each word and in the way we use words in sentences.
It’s easy to teach your preschooler about rhythm in speech. Phrases such as, “I s-e-e-e you” can be exaggerated a bit while your child learns their rhythm. Think of phrases that you say in a variety of rhythm patterns. Choose one or two and find opportunities to use them with your child every day.
Of course, singing is the best practise of rhythm. If your child is a bit older, you might want to find a few children’s songs that they will enjoy. Once your child is familiar with the songs, you can have fun singing them very fast, and v-e-r-y s-l-o-w.
Helping your child monitor their own speech
It is important for your child eventually to be able to monitor their own speech without relying on corrections. The more practise your child has using their speech, the more memory they will acquire of how to produce each sound. Your child does this by remembering how they hear the sound, and also how they feel it. Gradually your child’s speech will become more automatic and natural, and producing sounds won’t require concentration and thought from them.
Until this happens, you will want to encourage your child. It is important to let them know that you do understand what they have said, but that you just don’t understand their speech completely. You can simply be honest and tell your child, “I understand. You want an apple.” Say it one more time. “Apple. I want an apple.” Give your preschooler the opportunity to repeat your model of the word or phrase just once. If your child is able to say the word again much better, you will want to respond with lots of praise. However, even if they cannot make the word any clearer, you should still praise your child for trying: “That’s a good try! Here’s your apple!”
When you give your child the opportunity to attempt the word just one time, it is essential to respond with the appropriate response words and/or actions immediately. When you reward your child’s efforts to communicate by using their voice, you will motivate them to keep trying. Practise is essential, for improving speech quality is a gradual process. The activities in this lesson will help your child to improve the quality of their speech.
Good access to the sounds of speech is vital
As you have progressed through the lessons, you will have noted the emphasis we place on making sure your child wears their hearing aids or cochlear implant processors during all waking hours. This is because, as you now recognise, speech is an acoustic event. We speak because we hear and we speak what we hear. It is easy to understand then that your child’s aided hearing levels are very important for speech intelligibility.
Your child needs to have access to the all sounds of speech to learn spoken language and to speak well (so others can understand what they are saying):
- If your child has aided hearing levels of 50 dB in the low frequencies only, they will be aware of voice, and the intensity and duration of speech sounds. However, they will not understand words, as the speech they hear will not be clear enough for them to learn to talk.
- If your child has aided hearing levels of 40 to 50 dB in the mid frequencies, they will be aware of some vowels. They will be able to discriminate specific vowels such as /a/ and /u/.
- If your child has aided hearing levels of 30 dB in the high frequencies up to 4000 Hz, they will be able to identify all vowels and consonants.
Children develop speech sounds in a specific order beginning with vowels, consonants and then consonant blends. Babies begin with the vowel sound of /ah/ because it is very neutral and relaxed. Gradually the /e/ sound emerges as a baby develops more muscle control. The development of consonant sounds is also the result of muscle and breath control.
A child’s first word approximations are usually single vowels such as /e/ for “eat”; single syllables such as /ni/ for “Good night”; or repeated syllables like “nana” for “banana”. The next step is to add beginning or ending consonants or to increase the number of syllables. So, /ni/ might become /ga-ni/ and finally “good night.” If your child’s amplification provides access to all speech sounds, your child will follow the same pattern of speech development as a child with normal hearing.
Your child will need a therapist who has a very specialised education, with training to work on speech development for deaf children. Speech and Language Therapists are specialists in working with children who have normal hearing. It is very important to talk to your therapist to determine his or her education and training. It would be helpful to have a therapist who has had specialist training to work with children who have a hearing loss.
