Useful information
Please contact the Speech and Language Therapy Department if
you require any further advice:
Children’s Speech & Language Therapy
2nd Floor
Court Building
Alexandra Business Park
Prescot Road
St Helens
WA10 3TP
Telephone number: 01744 646548
Monday to Friday, 8.30 am to 4.30 pm
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© Version No: BRIDGE0059 – DATE June 2015 to June 2018
reviewed by Warrington Parents and Carers Group
St Helens Children’s Speech and
Language Therapy Service
Developing mature speech
Introduction
Your child may find it difficult to use the correct sounds in a
word. This may make their speech hard to understand. They
are not being lazy but are still learning their speech sounds.
Things you can do to help
You can show you have understood by responding to what your
child has said.
Things you can do to help:
This takes time; children can take up to seven years to
develop a full speech sound system.
To help them learn the right way your child needs to hear the
correct word from you. So accept what they have said and
repeat the word clearly to them.
• Repeat the word your child has said, but say it in the right way
• Develop your child’s listening skills through participating in
games / activities
• Encourage your child to join in nursery rhymes and songs
We do not recommend criticising or getting them to repeat the
word as your child may not be ready for this step.
Your child’s speech
You may understand your child’s speech, but other people may
find it difficult.
You may have had times where people ask you to ‘translate’’ your
child’s conversation. This can be avoided by talking about what
your child has said in a way that helps the listener understand.
• Hide different musical instruments or noisy toys behind a
screen or box. Your child has to pick up the one you used to
make the noise
• Encourage your child to group speech sounds together in a
scrap book with different sounds on each page, e.g. collect
pictures beginning with ‘s’ sock, sun, sofa and ‘f’ foot, fish, four
• Collect items in a box starting with a chosen sound e.g. ’k’.
Each day add a new item and say the word. At the end of the
week empty the box and say the words together.
It will help to prevent your child from becoming self conscious
about their speech.
When your child is learning to talk they need to know they have
mostly been understood or they may be reluctant to try again.
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