Speech Sounds in Children: 3 Simple Ways to Support Clearer Speech

“Say it again.”

“Try that sound.”

“No, put your tongue here.”

When a child is difficult to understand or says certain sounds differently, it can be tempting to correct every word.

But supporting speech sound development does not mean turning every conversation into speech therapy.

This week’s Cafecito Tips are all about making speech practice more natural, functional, and connected.

Here are three things families can try.

1. Model the Sound Without Correcting Every Word

Children need opportunities to hear accurate speech models, but they do not necessarily need to repeat every word after us.

If your child says:

Child: “I see a tat!”

Instead of:

❌ “No. Say CAT.”

Try:

✅ “Yes! A cat! That cat is so fluffy!”

You acknowledged their message and gave them another opportunity to hear the word correctly.

This type of natural recasting is one approach used in speech sound intervention: the adult provides the correct production within a meaningful interaction without requiring immediate imitation.

The goal?

Keep communication going while providing good speech models.

2. Practice Speech Sounds During Real Life

Speech practice does not always need flashcards or a long homework session.

If your child is already working on a particular sound with their speech-language pathologist, look for that sound during everyday routines.

Working on /s/?

You might notice:

🧦 Socks

🥣 Cereal

🧼 Soap

☀️ Sun

Going grocery shopping? Find words with the target sound.

Reading a favorite book? Listen for it together.

Playing? Choose toys or activities that naturally include it.

Speech sound intervention often progresses from establishing a sound toward using it in increasingly complex contexts—including words, sentences, and eventually conversation. Functional words that matter to the child can also be useful therapy targets.

At home, keep it simple.

A few meaningful opportunities are better than making every interaction about getting the sound “right.”

3. Remember: Bilingual Does Not Mean Speech Disorder

This one is especially important at Brainstorm.

A bilingual child may pronounce a sound differently depending on the language they are speaking.

Why?

Because languages have different:

• speech sounds,

• sound combinations,

• syllable structures,

• and pronunciation rules.

  
  

A pattern influenced by Spanish while a child is speaking English—or vice versa—does not automatically indicate a speech sound disorder. ASHA specifically notes that cross-linguistic influences between a multilingual child's languages should not be mistaken for a disorder.

That is also why evaluating a bilingual child only against English-speaking expectations can be misleading.

A comprehensive bilingual speech evaluation should consider the child's languages, linguistic history, exposure, speech patterns, and communication across environments.

At Brainstorm, we ask:

Is this a speech difference related to bilingual development—or is there evidence of an actual speech sound disorder?

Those are not the same thing.

When Should I Consider a Speech Evaluation?

Some speech sound differences are expected while children are developing.

But consider talking with a speech-language pathologist if:

• your child is frequently difficult for others to understand,

• speech frustration is affecting communication,

• you notice many sound omissions or substitutions,

• certain patterns seem to be persisting,

• your child avoids particular words because they are difficult,

• or you simply have concerns about how their speech is developing.

A speech sound evaluation looks at more than whether a child can pronounce one particular sound. Depending on the child, an SLP may examine speech in individual words and conversation, intelligibility, sound patterns, oral structures and movement, hearing history, and the languages or dialects the child uses.

The Big Takeaway

Helping your child communicate clearly does not require correcting every mistake.

Try:

💛 Modeling instead of constantly correcting.

💛 Practicing sounds during meaningful everyday moments.

💛 Looking at the whole child—including all of their languages.

And most importantly, remember that the message still matters.

We want children to become confident communicators—not children who are afraid to say a word because they might say it “wrong.”

☕ This week’s Cafecito tip: Speech practice can happen through connection, play, and everyday conversation.

Until next time!

Your Friendly Local Speech Therapist,

Irene Gutiérrez

Bilingual Speech and Language Pathologist

Founder, Brainstorm Speech Therapy