How do you teach a child to read the "r" sound when they cannot make the sound?

[Nakia]

My five year old stills says "w" for the "r" sound. I know this is perfectly normal for her age, and that she is too young for speech therapy (I have a friend who is a speech pathologist). She can hear the difference. For example, my youngest is named Cora. Emma calls her Cowa. If I say Cowa, she tells me that is wrong. So she does know the difference when someone else says it. We are working (very lightly!!) on some simple speech therapy techniques, and when she is really prompted and shown, she can sometimes say the correct "r" sound. She is beginning to read CVC words. What should I do about teaching her the "r" sound? I know she will say "wat" instead of "rat", and so on. TIA!!

[jacqui in mo]

I don't think it's a big deal to worry about. The point is to be able to read & decode the symbols of reading and a single pronunciation error won't interfere. I don't think it will confuse her at all. I am a ST too so if you have already been gently working on the R sound then phonics work is a great time to practice the speech sound. Just don't make too big a fuss over it. I work on my son's S sound a little bit while doing phonics. Jacqui

[Nakia]

Whew. I am so glad my post was clear! I thought it sounded like a post from someone who just brought 3 crazy princesses home from trick-or-treating that are high on chocolate! Oh, that's me!!!

But seriously, thanks. That's what I thought. And, yes, I am definitely being very gentle. I don't want to aggravate her or upset her. She is very timid!

[cillakat]

<<I know this is perfectly normal for her age, and that she is too young for speech therapy (I have a friend who is a speech pathologist).>>


My little one also was still saying 'w' until about3 mos shy of six, then it magically went away. She was reading at 4 and 5...she'd say her 'w' for 'r' and we'd say 'uh- huh' and what's this one...:)

I am surrounded by sp's.....my mom (MS in speech path, MS in preprimary impairment), several dear friends who are speech paths...

Just to clarify, it's still normal through 5, but not past that....at six if it's still happening, help would be in order as articulation issues get harder to treat as they continue.

For other issues (not 'just' r, w, l, s etc) kids start speech much much younger. So it's not that she's too young overall, just too young for this particular issue.

But anyhoo, sounds like you're on the right path.

All the best,
Katherine

[Laurel]

We have a similar situation, only it's the "th" sound that she can't make. I was worried at first, but she comprehends the reading no problem. (Spelling isn't as easy - she will spell "with" as "wif" for example, but since at 5 I'm not concerned about formal spelling at all, it doesn't bother me.) If anything, I think the phonics work has helped her learn to say the "th" sound, as it's been isolated, and we've practiced trying to say it a few times.

[Nakia]

Just to clarify, it's still normal through 5, but not past that....at six if it's still happening, help would be in order as articulation issues get harder to treat as they continue.





Thanks for your post Katherine! According to Trish (my friend who is a ST), the "r" sound is not officially treated until age 7. But she did say that it is one of the very hardest to correct if it goes that long, so she is helping me work with Emma now.

Thanks again!

[Nakia]

We have a similar situation, only it's the "th" sound that she can't make. I was worried at first, but she comprehends the reading no problem. (Spelling isn't as easy - she will spell "with" as "wif" for example, but since at 5 I'm not concerned about formal spelling at all, it doesn't bother me.) If anything, I think the phonics work has helped her learn to say the "th" sound, as it's been isolated, and we've practiced trying to say it a few times.


Emma had trouble with the "th" sound, too, until she was about 4.

Thanks for posting!!

[Jane]

This topic always delights my heart.

In all seriousness, *my* children learn to properly pronounce their Rs from learning to read. It's almost a bittersweet time because I know as they learn to read they will no longer sound so little in their speech. Still, I giggle and delight over those moments in our lessons. :) (We really need a "happy cry" smilie.)

Enjoy your precious little girl.

[Shay]

My 6yo finished MFWK last year and he had mulitple speech problems . We ended up doing speech therapy at the local school. Overrall, I didn't think it affected his learning to read . Like yours, he knew when we pronounced it wrong, he just couldn't make the sound. BTW, the "r" sound is the only sound the therapist is now having to work on this year and it is SLOW. Unlike all the other sounds, this one is not going away easily.

Just a funny from our MFWK last year. On the day when the dc has to draw a picture of something with the beginning sound of the week (It was the "Ww Water" unit) my dc liked to draw a picture and I had to guess what it was. I was just stumped at his picture that day, and finally he said "its a Wadio, mom!" Yes, it was a very good drawing of a radio. That was the only issue that cropped up, and I just let him read the words and he'd always pronounce "r" words with the "w" sound (still does).

I will have to confess that he is my youngest and I just sort of dread the day when it is fixed, KWIM?? It sounds so cute at this age. If my first born had this problem, I'd have likely not felt the same.

Shay