Speech clarity

• May not use sounds accurately in words, affecting how easy it is for them to get their message across successfully.
• Children and young people may use alternative strategies to communicate, such as gesture.
• May struggle to speak at an appropriate rate or lack fluency when talking.
• May not produce all parts of longer words accurately. This can also be a sign of underlying difficulties with storing and retrieving words accurately. Consider language skills alongside any observable speech sound difficulties.
• Speech sound difficulties and underlying gaps in phonological awareness (syllable, rhyme, first or last sound identification etc.) are likely to affect literacy development including progress with Phonics.

Based on need, some of this provision will be effective.

• Adult to model the target sounds and words in any speech sound intervention. This is a key part of the programme.
• Ensure hearing has been checked.
• Discreet praise for successful pronunciation or a good attempt. The child or young person is discreetly praised for successful pronunciation or a good attempt, or using other ways to get their message across successfully, such as leading the adult to the item, gestures, using a different word.
• Respond to what the child or young person has said, rather than how they have said it.
• Model back, with accurate pronunciation, without correcting the child. Recast what the child or young person has said by modelling back with accurate pronunciation and without correcting them.
• Provide targeted intervention support using guidance from assessments, for example Speech Link intervention (see their sound games and phonological awareness programme as well as programme which target the production of specific sounds).
• Make sound bags – gather a range of objects that all begin with the same sound or pattern of sounds. Listen for the sounds in the words together, for example snake, spider, snail, scuttle, slither, small, scary, slimy (for modelling ‘s’ clusters).
• Provide alternative ways to communicate. Some children and young people may need alternative ways to communicate whilst they are developing their speech sound system, such as Makaton or communication boards. Specialist support may be needed to implement these approaches.

Support services

• Speech, language and communication | Children and Family Health Devon
• Training for TAs: Supporting school age children with speech and sound difficulties | Children and Family Health Devon

Further reading and information

• Typical speech sound development guide
• Online (pre-recorded) speech sound training | Children and Family Health Devon
• Listening games for speech sound training | Children and Family Health Devon
• Speech and language difficulties and the Phonics Screening Check
• How teachers can help in the classroom – Secondary | Afasic

Resources to share with parents

• Parent hand-out: Speech | Afasic
• What age do speech sounds develop? | BBC Tiny Happy People
• Speech development series | Children and Family Health Devon