Modeling is also effective to encourage speech-sound development. In most cases, as your child develops speech sounds, you may hear your child substitute or omit sounds in words. This is part of normal speech development. You can help your child enhance his or her pronunciation by saying the word while exaggerating the sound. For example, your child says, "doddie" for "doggie," exaggerate the "g" in the middle of the word: "DoGGie!" If they omit a final sound in a word, "ca" for "cat," then exaggerate the final "t": "caT." Remember, you are not requesting that your child repeat it, you're just providing a correct model of the sound.

If you consistently use good speech and language modeling, chances are you will soon hear your child improve and use more "adult-like" sentences. But be patient. Rome wasn't built in a day!

Content on this site is not a substitute for professional medical or healthcare advice, diagnosis or treatment, and may not be used for such purposes. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical question or condition. Reliance on information presented on this site is at your own risk. This site contains the opinions and views of other users. Given the interactive nature of this site, we cannot endorse, guarantee, or be responsible for the accuracy, efficacy, or veracity of any content generated by our users.