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Answers |
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1) |
Q |
What is articulation? |
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Articulation is the process by which sounds, syllables, and words are formed when your tongue, jaw, teeth, lips, and palate alter the air stream coming from the vocal folds.
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2) |
Q |
What is an articulation problem? |
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A person has an articulation problem when he or she produces sounds, syllables, or words incorrectly so that listners do not understand what is being said or pay more attention to the words sound than to what they mean.
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3) |
Q |
Is an articulation problem the same as "baby talk'? |
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An articulation problem sometimes sounds like baby talk because many very young children do mispronounce sounds, syllables, and words. But words that sound cute when mispronounced by young children interfere with the communication of older children or adults. Older children and adults have so many severe errors that their articulation problems are very different from "baby talk."
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4) |
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What are some types of sound errors? |
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Most errors fall into one of three categories-omissions, substitutions, or distortions. An example of an omission is "at" for "hat" or "oo" for "shoe." An example of a substitution is the use of "w" for "r" which makes "rabbit" sound like "wabbit," or the substitution of "th" for "s" so that "sun" is pronounced "thun." When the sound is said inaccurately, but sounds something like the intended sound, it is called a distortion.
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5) |
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What causes an articulation problem? |
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Articulation problems may result from physical handicaps, such as cerebral palsy, cleft palate, or hearing loss, or may be related to other problems in the mouth, such as dental problems. However, most articulation problems occur in the absence of any obvious physical disability. The cause of these so-called functional articulation probmems may be faulty learning of speech sounds.
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6) |
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Is an accent an articulation problem? |
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It can be for some persons. We all have accents-Southern, Eastern, Northern, Western, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Brooklyn, or Boston. An accent may be a problem if it interferes with a person's goals in life.
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7) |
Q |
Can ear problems during infancy have any effect on late sound development? |
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Children learn their speech sounds by listening to the speech around them. This learing begins very early in life. If children have frequent ear problems during this important listening period, they may fail to learn some speech sounds.
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8) |
Q |
Will a child outgrow a functional articulation problem? |
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A child's overall speech pattern will usually become more understandable as he or she matures, but some children will need direct training to eliminate all articulation errors. The exact speech pattern of the individual child will determine the answer to this question.
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9) |
Q |
Do children learn all sounds at once? |
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Sounds are learned in an orderly sequence. Some sounds, such as "p," "m," and "b," are learned as early as 3 years of age. Other sounds, like "s," "r," and "l," often are not completely mastered until the early school years.
At what age should a child be producing all sounds correctly? Children should make all the sounds of English by 8 years of age. Many children learn these sounds much earlier.
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10) |
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How can I help a child pronounce words correctly? |
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By setting a good example. Don't interrupt or constantly correct the child. Don't let anyone tease or mock {including friends or relatives.} Instead, present a good model. Use the misarticulated word correctly with emphasis. If the child says, "That's a big wabbit," you say "Yes, that is a big rabbit. A big white rabbit. Would you like to have a rabbit?"
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