Saying Sounds
Aims
This activity is designed to:
- help your child explore their voice and the sounds they can make
- teach your child to say the individual sounds they need for saying words
- encourage your child to practise 'turn-taking' for conversation - being both the speaker and the listener
When to start
Your child is ready to start the Saying Sounds activity when either:
- they can regularly discriminate between at least 10 sounds (5 pairs) - or -
- they regularly say at least 5 sounds
You can confirm this from the records kept for the Selecting Different Sounds activity.
Your child can start this activity while still continuing to practise the Selecting Different Sounds activity.
Getting ready
Selecting a set of sounds
We recommend working through the sounds using the three sets suggested for the Listening to Single Sounds activity (see Figure 1). We have grouped the sounds in these sets in approximate developmental order.
Choose the first set to start with. This set contains the sounds many children will produce in babble so should include some many children will be able to imitate.
Cards
Gather the cards for the appropriate set (see Figure 1). Within a set, the cards can be presented in any order.
Apps
Select Activities > Saying Sounds and select the required set of words.
The apps are designed so that you can hold a tablet against your chest and operate the controls at the bottom of the display. If you are using a larger computer display you should try to position yourself so that your child can easily switch their attention from the screen to your face.
Initially, the recorded voice prompts are switched off so your child can hear and see you saying the sounds. These options can be changed via the settings menu.
Saying the sounds
The pictures on the sound cards illustrate a word containing the target sound. When using the cards, say only the sound prompted by the picture, not the whole word.
Instructions
| 1 | Show your child the first card. | |
Cards: Hold up one of the sound cards close to your face, making sure you do not cover your mouth. ::::
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Apps: Begin the activity and position the tablet/computer screen so that your child can see the screen and your face. (You can hold a tablet device against your chest below your chin.) ::::
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| 2 | Attract your child's attention. Give your child time to look at the card that you are showing them. |
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| 3 | Clearly say the sound represented on the card. Make the target sound represented by the sound card. Please remember that it is the single sound that is the target, not the word, so you should only make the sound - for example, say "o" but not "o for octopus". Encourage your child to look at your face as you make the sound so that they can see your mouth shape and movements. |
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| 4 | Repeat the sound several times. Repeat the sound on the card three times - not too quickly - so your child can take in the information. Encourage your child to shift their attention between the card and your face. |
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| 5 | Encourage your child to imitate the sound. Leave some time for your child to vocalise (make a noise) in response. If your child does vocalise, repeat the sound and wait for your child to copy. Try to continue this imitation game for up to 5 turns. If your child does not vocalise, continue with another card. |
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| 6 | Show your child the next card. | |
Cards: Select the next card and hold it next to your face, near - but not covering - your mouth.
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Apps: Select the next card by tapping or clicking the right arrow at the bottom of the screen. Position the tablet/computer screen so that your child can see the screen and your face.
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| 7 | Repeat steps 2-6 with different sound cards. Continue with the sounds in the set, repeating steps 2-6 until you finish the set. |
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| 8 | Praise your child. Reward your child for working through the set. Praise them for their attention and focus with 'good looking' as they are learning by watching and listening. By default, the apps will play applause at the end of each set when the check button displayed to the bottom right of the screen is tapped or clicked. |
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| 9 | Stop prompting when your child can say a sound. When your child has said a sound correctly in imitation at least 5 times then you can show the card but remain silent (ignore steps 3 and 4) and wait for your child to make the sound independently. If your child can make a sound (indicated by a picture card) without prompting, we can assume that they have stored an accurate memory for the sound. The ability to imitate a sound is an important step forward as it shows the child can actually produce the sound. However, until they can make the sound independently, we cannot be confident that they have stored an adequate memory for the sound to support using the sound in speech. |
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Recording progress
To monitor progress, you should use the Saying Sounds record forms ( Figure 5). In the appropriate row for the sound, record the dates your child can:
- Say the sound in imitation - note the date when your child first said the sound after you said it
- Say the sound independently - note the date your child was able to say the sound when you showed them the card (without you saying it first)
You can note any other responses or reactions in the Observations column. For example, some children will begin to copy lip patterns without using their voice and you may wish to note this.
Figure 5 | Example Saying Sounds record form
Additional activities
- Respond to all of your child's vocalisations in a positive way.
- Interpret what you think your child is trying to say in daily activities and model the 'real' words.
- Imitate your child's vocalisations and babble and encourage him/her to 'babble' back in conversation. This will encourage your child to use their voice and help your child to realise that this is a 'talking game'.
Moving on to See and Learn Combining Sounds
Children can start the activities in See and Learn Combining Sounds when they:
- Can say at least some of the consonants [b], [m], [p], [h], [c]/ [k], [l], [r], [sh], [t], [w], [z]
- Can say the vowels [ar] as in [arm], [ee] as in knee, [oo] as in moon.
You should continue the Saying Sounds activity to practise saying the consonants and sounds they are still learning, alongside starting See and Learn Combining Sounds.
