Tips for Teaching Your Child Vowel Sounds

Before your child ever develops the capability to use words, they will first begin to make sounds, babbling their way toward eventual speech. At two months, you will hear the child uttering cooing sounds. At six months, the cooing progresses into something that might sound like gibberish, as the tongue tests out vowel sounds. Nearing the one year mark, your child may finally begin to say those long-awaited first words.

This is a typical progression, but not one that every child experiences as he or she develops. If you suspect that your child may have developmental problems, there is something you can do about it. Seeking the help of a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) can help determine why your child is experiencing these difficulties. This includes assessing whether or not there is an indication of hearing loss, cognitive deficit, or a motor speech disorder such as Apraxia. Knowing why your child is experiencing a delay in speech is an important step in devising the right treatment plan.

If the SLP determines that your child can only produce a few vowels, teaching vowel sounds might be the first approach, starting with the five earliest sounds – uh, ah, ee, oo, and oh. Hand cues are often suggested as a way to give visual feedback, which can be done with the ASL alphabet signs. From these early vowels, you can begin to teach diphthongs – I, ou, oye, and you. Another method used is to shape vowels, especially when teaching the high and low vowels, such as ee and oo. Other forms of visual feedback you may use include diagrams or vowel word strips.

No matter what technique you decide on, it is important to be patient and turn this learning experience into something fun that you can enjoy working on together.

At Home Healthcare offers a wide range of services, including pediatric speech therapy, which can be beneficial for children diagnosed with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other language-learning disabilities.

Learn more about our services and contact us today at 877-959-9093.