How to Help Your Toddler Say Consonants

Reading frequently to your toddler encourages correct pronunciation.

For a toddler, learning to speak is an exciting and fascinating experience, one filled with triumphs and frustrations. Even if your tot began talking several months ago, she still speaks certain words and letters more clearly than others. Tongue placement and inflection make consonants like L, V or Q difficult to pronounce. As a result, toddlers substitute easier consonants for difficult ones, turning video into "bidio" or laugh into "waugh." Your toddler's pronunciation will improve with time and practice, but specific actions encourage correct speech and consonant formation.

Instructions

1. Model the correct pronunciation of consonants when your toddler says them incorrectly. For example, if your toddler asks for "wemonade," rephrase her request and emphasize the L. "Oh, you'd like some Lemonade? I think I'll have some Lemonade too. Here is your Lemonade!"

2. Read books that involve challenging consonants and your toddler's to help you say them. For example, read a story about Peter Rabbit and have your toddler say "Peter Rabbit" with you each time the word appears. Sit her on your lap and show her with your mouth how you pronounce the P in Peter and the R in rabbit.

3. Narrate your actions to your toddler. Explaining everyday activities like getting dressed and making lunch strengthens her vocabulary and subsequently improves her understanding of consonants. Descriptive phrases like, "we just put on your diaper and now we're going to put on your purple pants," gives your tot another opportunity to absorb correct language. Toddlers learn language through hearing those around them. The more you speak, the more exposure she has to correct pronunciation.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid quizzing or drilling your toddler in correct consonant pronunciation when reading books or conversing. This will cause frustration and disinterest in the activity.

• Recognize that every toddler struggles with consonant pronunciation in the beginning.

• Consult your pediatrician if your child's language isn't improving over the course of a few months.

• Consult your pediatrician if your toddler doesn't use any consonants, for example, saying, "i" instead of "milk" or "ow" instead of "cow."

References

• Baby Center: What Are the Indications That My Toddler Needs a Speech Therapist?
• Family Education: Teaching Your Baby to Speak
• Parenting: Baby's First Words