Most people read books to their children to teach them language, concepts or just so that they learn to read. Today you're going to learn about another way that books can help your child.
Reading books can help your child to pronounce sounds correctly!
This does mean however that the book needs to provide lots of opportunities for you to say the sound that they need help with.
SO, is it worth reading books with children before they can read? The answer to this question is YES!! Book sharing with children from a young age has many benefits. Firstly, it creates a closeness between the child and parent which helps the child to learn concepts and words which they may not otherwise learn in their everyday lives. Books are portable and children are often happy to read the same book multiple times which is perfect for teaching a sound.
So, how do you read a book with a child to fix a sound?
● POSITION YOURSELF SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THE BOOK AND YOUR CHILD’S FACE
It is important that you can see your child’s face during book reading as this helps you to see what your child is showing interest in and allows you to engage in this with them. Your child can then also see your facial expression and your mouth as you model different words and sounds. If your child is looking between the book and your face they are more likely to be engaged with the book and this will help them to learn.
● TEACHING THE SOUND
If your child is having difficulty making the ‘sh’ sound, choose ‘The Green Sheep’ to read and talk about what all the different sheep are doing, for example, ‘look there’s a purple SHEEP, the purple SHEEP is in the bath, he’ll be a wet SHEEP, oh look the SHEEP has made a mess’. Remember to also give your child an opportunity to talk about the book too!! If they say the 'sh' incorrectly don't correct them directly, continue to 'bombard' their ears with the correct way to say the sound.
When your child hears the sound over and over again it helps them to learn how to make the sound…MAGIC! A Speech Pathologist who has researched this technique found that a child needs to hear the sound 18 times per minute for it to effectively correct their speech... yep that's a lot! This is why we recommend choosing a book that targets the sound rather than trying to naturally talk to your child and say the sound enough times without sounding crazy!
● USING THE WORDS
I said to ignore the words written in the book, but not totally! Some children like to hear you read the words while you run your finger under them. If this helps to engage the child, still do it - while also talking about the pictures. Point out the child’s target sound as you see it in the words…. So using the above example, point out all the written ‘SH’ sounds and talk about how ‘S’ and ‘H’ together make ‘SHHHH’.
If you are unsure about whether your child is having difficulty with their speech sounds or you would like support choosing a sound to target, OR want more information please refer to our website where you can contact us 😊
BOOKS FOR SOUNDS- The following is a list of books which can be used to target each consonant sound. Please note that this does not include the vowel sounds ‘a, e, i, o, u’. Please contact us if you are concerned about any of these sounds.
P: Hop on Pop by Dr Seuss
B: Bubble Bear by Scholastics Inc
W: Mrs Wishy Washy’s Farm… by Joy Cowley
M: Is Your Mama a Llama? by: Deborah Guarino
N: Bunny Needs a Nap by: Lavina Pereira and Michelle Solomon
Ng: Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by: Eileen Christelow
T: Where’s Spot? By: Eric Hill
D: Digging Up Dinosaurs by: Aliki
K: Cow Cake by: Lavina Pereira and Michelle Solomon
G: Good Night, Gorilla by: Peggy Rathmann
H: Happy Hiding Hippos by: Bobette McCarth
F: One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by: Dr. Seuss
V: I Love You, Stinky Face by: Lisa McCourt
TH: Are You My Mother? by: P.D. Eastman
SH: Where is Green Sheep by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek
CH: Chicky Chicky Chook Chook by: Cathy MacLennan
J: The Giant Jam Sandwich by: John Vernon Lord
S and S blends: Spot books by Eric Hill
Z: Whose Nose? by: Jeannette Rowe
L: Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
R: Harriet’s Horrible Hair Day by: Dawn Lesley Stewart
Y: The Yak Who Yelled Yuk by: Carol Pugliano-Martin
REFERENCES
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