IELmoderator
Greetings, IEL Chat participants. Welcome to the first IEL Chat of 2004. Our Chat tonight is titled "Speech Delays in Young Children: When Will They Talk?" To get started, let me introduce our guest speaker, Marlene Christ, SLP, Project Director, Star Net Region VI, and Educational Consultant, Infinitec Assistive Technology School Coalitions.

Marlene Christ
I am so happy to be here tonight! Thank you for joining me. I look forward to your questions!

IELmoderator
The procedure for the live Chat session is as follows. Participants can send questions to the Chat guest at any time. When you send your question, please note that it will not be visible to all Chat participants. The IEL Moderator receives the question first and will post it to the whole Chat group. If there's a long queue of questions, the Moderator will notify the questioner that the question was received. Then, at the next break in the discussion, the question will be posted for all to see and for our guest to answer.

Note that there will be a pause after a question is posted while the Chat guest speaker composes a response to the question. So please be patient! During these pauses, the Moderator will post occasional information about the IEL Web site. Because some Chat participants enter the Chat in the middle of the session, some of these messages may be posted more than once.

Questions will be posted in the order they're received, unless there's some obvious reason to group similar questions together. Participants may send follow-up questions. If you do send a follow-up question, please remind the guest and other participants of the earlier question (something like "In my earlier question about the third-grader's reading difficulty...") because it's easy to forget earlier questions in the long list of questions that occur during the Chat session.

If your question is not answered by the time the Chat session ends at 8 pm, the question and its answer will be included in the Chat transcript that will be made available online approximately 3 weeks from today.

If, at any time during the Chat, you want to review the procedure for participating in the Chat session, go to this Web page: http://ecap.crc.uiuc.edu/info/ecapchat.html.

IELmoderator
Now let's begin our Chat. Ms. Christ, we have a question that we received in advance of the session.

How can I tell whether a 3-year-old who is not speaking much needs special help or is simply a late talker?

Marlene Christ
By the age of 3, children are typically speaking in three- and four-word phrases, and their speech is generally understood by most people. If a 3-year-old is not using words or if his or her speech is not clear, the child should be screened/evaluated by a speech-language pathologist. Your local school district can provide this service when the child is 3. Or if you wish, you may obtain names of certified speech-language pathologists in your area on the Web site of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (http://www.asha.org).

Cindy Mahr
Could you share a little concerning your background in working with young children with speech delays?

Marlene Christ
Cindy, I have worked with young children in public schools. I worked on an early childhood diagnostic team evaluating children from birth to age 5. I supervised services in an early intervention program. I am also a speech and language pathologist by training.

Jill A.
My 20-month-old grandson points to objects, makes sounds that all seem about the same, and has very few understandable words. Should we be worried? He seems to understand a lot that's said and is very interested in books and toys and music. I'm just concerned that he's not talking more, the way his older brother did at his age.

Marlene Christ
Jill, it is good that he seems to understand everything and enjoys books and toys. Some children talk sooner than others. By the time he's 2, he should have some understandable words. If not, you may suggest to the parents that they have a speech-language screening and/or they could talk to their doctor about his hearing. Speech development can be affected in children who have many ear infection or allergies.

IELmoderator
You can find additional resources on Speech Delays in Young Children: When Will They Talk? in the supplement to this Chat session. This supplement is available on the IEL Web site at this URL: http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat/christ/sup.htm.

IELmoderator
Ms. Christ, here's another question:

Some people say that language develops later in boys than in girls. Is there any basis for that view?

Marlene Christ
Research shows that girls are typically more advanced in talking (or expressive language) than boys. Some of this difference may be a result of higher activity levels of boys or more limited opportunities to be exposed to language throughout the day. If a boy is able to follow directions and appears to understand what is said, his receptive (listening) language is developing appropriately. It is important for a parent or caregiver to remember that all children need rich language experiences throughout the day. Talking and reading to all children will further the development of both receptive and expressive language.

IELmoderator
Here's our next question:

What are some of the things that I can do to help children develop language--for example, to increase their vocabularies? What kinds of activities are most effective in helping develop speech and other important aspects of language?

Marlene Christ
Effective activities for babies would include encouraging sound play by imitating their vocalizations and facial expressions. Teach babies to imitate actions (such as clapping hands, waving "bye-bye," playing peek-a-boo). Talk to infants and toddlers about everything--what you are doing, where you are going, what you are eating, what you are wearing. Read to children--describe the pictures in the book. Speak to children clearly to provide them with good models, and acknowledge all of their communication attempts.

IELmoderator
The transcripts of the IEL Chat sessions from 2002 and 2003 are archived on the IEL Web site. Go to the IEL Chat page at http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat.htm, then scroll down the page to the section called "Past Chat Sessions." For each Chat in that section, you'll see a link for "Chat transcript." Click on that link to view the transcript for that particular Chat.Editor's note: This url has changed:http://illinoisearlylearning.org/askanexpert.htm#pastchat

Note that a few of the Chat sessions in 2003 were called "Web Talk." The format was approximately the same, except that the discussion was conducted over the course of an entire week.

The most recent Chat (one of the discussions that was called a "Web Talk") was on the topic of "Communicating with Parents during Sensitive or Difficult Situations" with Karen Stephens. The transcript of this Chat session is available from the IEL Chat page, or go directly to http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat/stephens/trans.htm.

Note that IEL Chat transcripts are also available in Spanish. To find IEL Spanish Chat transcripts (Trasuntos de chateo), go to the Spanish Chat page at http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat-sp.htmEditor's note: This url has changed:http://illinoisearlylearning.org/askanexpert.htm#pastchat.

jpm
Ms. Christ, I have heard of children who do not speak until they are 3 or older, so that their first word is actually a full sentence along the lines of "I'd like orange juice please." Is there a name for that situation? And what is its significance in terms of the child's functioning?

Marlene Christ
jpm, I have seen this happen occasionally especially in large families. Often, in this situation, the child does not have to speak, because the older siblings are doing all of the talking. However, I would pay attention to how the child is following directions and watch their social interactions. Once they begin to talk and realize the power of their own communication there is usually no long lasing significance. If you have a concern in any area you should have the child screened. This example of a child not speaking until they are three years old should not be confused with selective mutism which is defined as a failure to speak in specific social situations despite speaking in other situations, and is typically a symptom of an anxiety disorder. Other symptoms associated with selective mutism can include excessive shyness, withdrawal, dependency upon parents and oppositional behavior. If parents are concerned they should speak to their doctor or a speech-language pathologist who can refer them to the appropriate professionals.

IELmoderator
Ms. Christ, here's our next question:

My son is 17 months old. He babbles a lot and uses a lot of different letter sounds. He can say about four or five different words, but he does it very infrequently. He really loves his toys, and he's very good at such things as stacking rings and cups. But he doesn't really "communicate." No pointing, except putting his hands up when he wants to get picked up. He basically doesn't pay attention when you read to him. Is there something that I can do to help his vocabulary and his communication?

Marlene Christ
I would keep reading to him, pointing out pictures and encouraging his babbling. When you read to him, try to direct his attention to some of the pictures in the book, talk about the book and some of the names of his toys. See if this technique helps foster his communication.

Cindy Mahr
I have always believed that children learn speech best by hearing and listening to others speak, the adults that model speech and the other children they play with. Could you explain the "pull out" model of speech therapy--placing children together who have similar speech delays? How can they best learn correct speech from children with the same problems?

Marlene Christ
Cindy, I agree that children learn to speak by hearing the correct production of sounds. In the "pull-out" model of speech therapy, the child is removed from the class activity for therapy. Sometimes two or three children with similar needs will be grouped for these sessions. I am certainly an advocate of providing services within the context of the classroom instead of "pull-out". It is a much more natural environment and the use of peers often facilitates progress. There are times, however, when "pull-out" can be effective. These sessions can be used to teach a specific skill such as sound production and then the therapy can continue in the classroom. Another advantage of providing services in the classroom is that all of the staff see the techniques used by the speech-language pathologist and can hopefully provide reinforcement throughout the week.

Jan
I have many years' experience in early childhood special education and have completed additional coursework in early literacy development. I feel my background is strong in early literacy and my classroom is literacy rich. I am seeing many students who exhibit development that is consistent with a true communication disorder. These students may be English speaking or non-English native speakers. This concept is often difficult to explain to parents. Any thoughts on this subject?

Marlene Christ
Jan, first of all, I would consult with the speech and language pathologist who works in your school to see if you can come up with a way to talk to parents together to explain to them the difficulties their child is having in the area of communication. I would then recommend you move on to the referral process in your district so that the child can have a complete speech-language evaluation. Based on the results of the evaluation the child may be eligible for services and it would be wonderful if the SLP could work in your classroom. With your background in early literacy the two of you would make a strong team. With children who are non-English native speakers there is an additional challenge. As you know we need to give these children time to acquire skills in English. If you truly suspect a communication disorder in a child who is a non-English speaker and want to go through the referral process, it is very important that a professional who speaks that language is a part of that evaluation. It is also important that an interpreter is present whenever you speak with the parents.

Sooz
Last year, a student in my preschool class never spoke a word. This year, the same child will whisper to me or a few close friends but still won't speak in group situations. His parents say he speaks normally at home and is fluent in two languages. Since he HAS made progress, can we expect normal speech without any formal intervention?

Marlene Christ
Sooz, this selective mutism does happen occasionally. If he is whispering this year, he is showing progress. If he speaks normally at home and there does not seem to be a speech or language problem there or in other family situations his not speaking at school may be the result of some form of anxiety. Try to make school a comfortable place for him to be and if he does not continue to improve, refer him to appropriate professionals. I will add some information to the resource list.

jpm
I have noticed that my baby granddaughter concentrates closely on our mouths sometimes when we talk. I get the sense that she is really thinking about where the sound comes from. She's 1 year old now and has been doing this for many months. Since she vocalizes and seems to have a good "heard" vocabulary, I'm not so much concerned about her as I am wondering about the role that vision has in a child's learning to speak. If she couldn't see us clearly, would it be harder for her to learn to form words? Or am I just imagining that this "close watching" has any significance?

Marlene Christ
jpm, vision is important when children are learning to speak. They are not only looking at our mouths but at our facial expressions. So much communication is conveyed through facial expression, and she's reading that meaning.

IELmoderator
Here's another question that we received prior to the Chat:

Is there any connection between talking late and the development of intelligence? Do late talkers have any problems with later school success?

Marlene Christ
If "late talkers" seem to understand what is said to them and can follow directions, we are not as concerned about language development as we would be if the children did not seem to understand. We would certainly want to have a child’s hearing evaluated to see if that is a factor. We would also want to observe to see if a child uses gestures or facial expressions to communicate. If children seem to be late in developing language, have them evaluated as soon as possible so that intervention can occur before they begin school.

IELmoderator
Ms. Christ, here's another question:

My 3-year-old child is in a child care program with children who are all younger than he is. Will that delay his speech and language development in any way?

Marlene Christ
If the staff at the preschool is using good speech and language modeling and providing opportunities for the older child to talk and expand on his language development, the child should not experience delays just because he is in child care with younger children. Of course, parents should also follow through with home activities such as reading, using clear speech, and being interested in what their child has to say.

IELmoderator
At the beginning of this Chat session, an explanation was provided about the procedure for posting messages during the Chat. If you want to review that information, it is available at http://ecap.crc.uiuc.edu/info/ecapchat.html.

IELmoderator
Ms. Christ, here's the next question:

My child is in a program with children whose primary language is not English. Will that affect her speech and language development?

Marlene Christ
As long as you are providing good and consistent language models at home, being in a program with children whose primary language is not English should not have a harmful effect on speech and language development. You would want to make sure that program staff are providing good language models no matter which language they are using. Sometimes children who are exposed to two languages have slightly less-developed language skills for a while; however, in the long run, this experience could be very enriching.

IELmoderator
Here's our next question:

What effect does TV watching and video games have on a child's speech and language development?

Marlene Christ
Watching TV and playing video games are not harmful in themselves; however, time spent in these activities should be reasonable and not surpass the time spent in looking at books or being read to, "conversing" with family members, etc. You may even watch a TV show with your child and talk about what is happening, the characters, the sequence of events, and what may happen next. After the show is over, you could ask questions about the show and see what your child can remember and how well he or she can express his or her thoughts.

Cindy Mahr
I have a preschool teacher who works with toddlers and 2-year-olds. She is very interested in learning how to encourage their speech development. While I believe she does well now, do you have any introductory resources that you could recommend for working with this age group?

Marlene Christ
I will certainly post some resources at the end of this CHAT, but one that I like is: The Language of Toys: Teaching Communication Skills to Special-Needs Children by Sue Schwartz and Joan Heller Miller. Even though the title says "special-needs children", the activities in this book are good for all children. I also like the article by Ostrosky and Kaiser in the Summer 1991 " Teaching Exceptional Children" , 'Preschool Classroom Environments that Promote Communication'. I would encourage her to continue to read to the children, talk to them about what they are doing (this helps to develop their vocabulary), sing songs, and recite nursery rhymes. There are all good methods to encouraged language development. It is also important to be a good listener and give the children time to respond to what we say to them.

IELmoderator
Here's our next question:

What should a parent or a caregiver do if she suspects a child has a speech and language delay?

Marlene Christ
If parents suspect that a child has a speech and language delay, they should have their child evaluated. If a child is under the age of 3, the local Child and Family Connections office of the State of Illinois Early Intervention System can be contacted. To obtain the phone number of the local office, a parent can call the "Look What I Can Do" number: 1-800-323-GROW. If the child is 3 years old or older, the local school district is responsible for evaluation. Other caregivers should express their concerns to the parents and encourage them to have the child seen by a professional.

IELmoderator
As mentioned earlier, Ms. Christ is affiliated with Star Net Region VI and with Infinitec Assistive Technology School Coalitions. Marlene Christ has a master's degree in communication disorders and holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She has worked as a school-based speech-language pathologist; diagnostician on an Early Childhood Diagnostic Team; Early Intervention service provider; supervisor of an Early Intervention program; supervisor of the speech-language program and assistive technology program of Southwest Cook County Cooperative Association for Special Education; and as an educational consultant and trainer for Infinitec, the technology division of United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Chicago. Currently, Marlene is the project director of the Illinois State Board of Education's Star Net Region VI and a consultant for Infinitec.

You can visit the Web site of the Infinitec Assistive Technology School Coalitions at http://www.coalitionconnection.org/includes/index.cfm.

You can visit the Web site of Star Net Region VI at http://www.swcccase.org/.

Lisa
Is speech delay a result of a child's environment and experiences, or is it a result of something biological, or both?

Marlene Christ
Lisa, it could be both. Speech may be delayed for biological reasons such as a hearing loss, or it could be delayed if children do not experience language stimulation in their environment as infants and toddlers.

jpm
Ms. Christ, I came in late and may have missed a response to this question. If so, I'll wait for the transcript. What exactly is involved in a screening for speech problems, and how might a parent help a child prepare for it (psychologically, etc.)?

Marlene Christ
jpm, I have not addressed that topic yet. In a screening or evaluation, a speech and language pathologist would observe the child, listen to what the child has to say (hopefully in a play situation), and with a very young child, would talk to the parents about their concerns. Some standardized tests might be used, but this testing would be done in a setting that would look like play to a child (looking at books, talking about pictures). I think the best preparation a parent can do is just to talk to the child about "visiting ___" (use the name of the therapist). Tell the child that he or she will be playing some games and looking at pictures. Keep it nonthreatening.

Jill A.
Are there any games that I can play with my 20-month-old grandson to further his language development?

Marlene Christ
Jill, singing songs and reciting nursery rhymes are great activities. Talk about what you are doing, what you are eating... If you are giving him a bath, name the body parts as you wash him. Also, look at books and talk about the pictures in the book. Do the same with family photos.

IELmoderator
Remember that the IEL Web site is available not only in English but also in Spanish. The Spanish home page is at http://illinoisearlylearning.org/index-sp.htm.

Diane
Our daughter was taught baby sign language (Garcia) beginning at 8 months and began using it at 10 months of age. It was very helpful in getting many of her needs met with minimal frustration. However, she ended up being speech delayed and has begun getting speech therapy, which has been very helpful. Is there any connection between signing and speech delays?

Marlene Christ
Diane, most children learning sign do not typically have speech delays. We have seen frustration eased in many children by learning signs or even informal gestures to communicate. As soon as they learn to talk they typically drop the signs. The speech delay in your daughter is most likely unrelated to her using baby sign language and if she didn't use the signs she may have even been further delayed.

Cindy Mahr
With all of the emphasis now on the importance of literacy development, do you have any concerns that there can be too much of a good thing? In other words, will children be overloaded, or will people push them at a pace faster than they are capable of going?

Marlene Christ
Cindy, I would hope that parents and teachers would not push children to do more than they can do. I think we should always try to look at children's frustration levels and make sure we're not asking them to do something that they can't do yet (such as expecting them to read before they are ready).

Jill A.
I've been hearing lately about teaching sign language to very young children--infants, really--so that they can communicate more easily before they can talk. I think it is supposed to help them feel less frustrated about communicating. Is this just a fad? Does it work? Does it help them or hinder them in developing language skills?

Marlene Christ
Jill, I think that parents have been using informal sign language with their babies for years. We call it gestures. If a child gestures and we respond to it — that is communication. This often eases frustration for the child when an adult cannot understand them. I have seen this work personally with my grandchildren. Some people now are using more formal sign language, but you can just make up your own if you wish. I don't believe that early signing will hinder in the development of language skills.

IELmoderator
Remember that you may send a question at any time to the IEL staff. Just email your question to iel@uiuc.edu. You can also phone in a question. Please note that IEL's toll-free telephone number has changed since the previous Chat. The new number is 877-275-3227. IEL staff are usually available between 8-12 and 1-5 on business days.

Jill A.
Is there anyone that you know in central Illinois who is teaching sign language to parents and infants?

Marlene Christ
Jill, I am not familiar with specific people in central Illinois who are teaching sign language to parents and infants. However, some good resources for you: Sign With your Baby by John Garcia; and the videos Baby See'n Sign and Baby Signs. If you do an Internet search for "baby sign language" you will find many more resources.

Jill A.
Are there any communication disorders that seem to be increasing rapidly these days? For example, we've seen a big increase in autism in recent years, and researchers are trying to find out why. Is there any similar increase in any of the communication disorders?

Marlene Christ
Jill, I'm not aware of any dramatic increase in any particular communication disorder. We have certainly seen that increase in the diagnosis of autism with its related communication disorders and have been able to provide intervention at a much earlier age than previously. I did some informal questioning of providers to see if they had seen any increases in particular communication disorders. They have seen deaf/hard of hearing children being referred much earlier (which is great) and have seen some additional referrals for children who may be apraxic (oral-motor problems).

IELmoderator
Here's a comment from Diane on some earlier postings:

Diane
Jill and Lisa, as someone who has used the signing, I can speak from my experience that it was very useful. I think it isn't a fad, just that it has gotten more publicity recently. It's actually been around for a while. It really works, and you can easily learn and teach it with a very readable book by John Garcia called Sign with Your Baby.

IELmoderator
The next Chat in the IEL Chat series is scheduled for March 4, 2004, from 7:00 to 8:00 PM Central Time. The topic of the Chat is "How to Enrich Curriculum with the Illinois Early Learning Standards" with Linda Housewright, Teacher and Director, Pre-Kindergarten Program, Dallas Community Unit District #336, and Faculty, Western Illinois University.

Please join us for this next Chat. We expect this Chat to be a very popular event. IEL staff receive many questions related to the Illinois early learning standards. The Illinois early learning standards were prepared by the Illinois State Board of Education. Note that you can find these standards on the IEL Web site at this URL: http://illinoisearlylearning.org/standards/index.htm.

The Illinois learning standards are organized in eight categories. For each category, a number of benchmarks are included to help caregivers and parents know whether the standards are being met. Besides presenting the standards on its Web site, IEL also provides lists of activities that are related to each of the benchmarks.

Jill A.
What is the most common communication disorder?

Marlene Christ
Jill, one of the most common communication disorders in the area of speech would be in the area of articulation (how we make speech sounds). Some children fall behind in the developmental sequence of speech sound production and may have a difficult time being understood. Sometimes this can be caused by a hearing loss. Children who have many ear infections or allergies may have fluid in their middle ear which affects the way they hear sounds. Other children may have a disorder called apraxia. This is a neurological problem which affects oral motor function. Common communication disorders that involve language would be the lack of ability to make or understood new words or to combine words together to make phrases/sentences. If a child cannot understand language there is a "receptive" language disorder. If a child cannot share thoughts, ideas, or feelings there is an "expressive" language disorder.

jpm
Have you addressed stuttering in young children yet--is it stress related, neurological, etc.? What is the current thinking? When should a parent worry?

Marlene Christ
jpm, there is a period of time around the ages of 3-5 where children can have what we call "normal disfluencies"--this is quite common. Children sometimes think faster than they have the words to explain themselves. Don't call attention to it. Give the children time to speak and be relaxed.

Jill A.
Are teachers/caregivers in early childhood settings generally trained in dealing with children with communication disorders?

Marlene Christ
Jill, some teachers may have training in communication disorders. In public school settings, a teacher would have access to a speech pathologist for consultation.

Cindy Mahr
Are speech delays often related to other developmental problems? If so, which ones, and how do they seem to be related?

Marlene Christ
Cindy, speech delays can be present in children who have cognitive delays or some children who have neurological problems where the speech mechanism would be affected. Children with cerebral palsy may have speech delays because of other motor delays that also affect our speaking mechanism.

Diane
We have had a screening hearing evaluation at 3 years and one earlier at 2 years, and she has "passed" those. However, I understand that there can be more subtle hearing impairment that will affect speech articulation. How can this be assessed, and at what ages is it tested?

Marlene Christ
Diane, children can have fluctuating hearing loss. This condition is typically seen in children who have a lot of ear infections or allergies. They hear fine one day but not the next. This condition is difficult to monitor. You might want to have a tympanogram, which looks at fluid in the ear. Sometimes we just have to be good observers of when children are hearing better. Frequently these children need speech therapy.

Cindy Mahr
What is the most important thing that you would like us to understand and learn from tonight's discussion?

Marlene Christ
Cindy, I think the most important thing for parents and caregivers is to talk to their children, sing to them, and read to them.

jpm
Thanks very much for sharing your time and expertise with us, Ms. Christ. It's been very interesting.

Diane
Yes, thank you very much.

IELmoderator
OK, I think we'll bring tonight's Chat session to a close. If you have additional questions, you can always send them to iel@uiuc.edu.

Cindy Mahr
We appreciate the opportunity.

IELmoderator
Thank you, Chat participants, for your interesting questions and also for your patience in waiting for responses. Please join us for the next IEL Chat.

Again, that Chat is scheduled for March 4, 2004, from 7:00 to 8:00 PM Central Time. The topic of the Chat is "How to Enrich Curriculum with the Illinois Early Learning Standards" with Linda Housewright, Teacher and Director, Pre-Kindergarten Program, Dallas Community Unit District #336, and Faculty, Western Illinois University.

Thanks, Marlene Christ, for sharing your time and insight with us tonight.

Marlene Christ
Thank you so much for all your questions. I have enjoyed spending this time and having this conversation with you.

IELmoderator
Thanks also to Chat participants. Have a good evening.

Additional Questions

Kathy
Children with early language delays often have reading comprehension difficulties by mid-elementary school. Syntax continues to cause confusion for these students. In order to provide early intervention for these students, what assessments should be done, when, and what criteria should be used to identify those that might need extra help?

Marlene Christ
Kathy, we often see the impact of language delays once children reach mid-elementary school. Some of these children slip through the system when they are young because we don't see overt signs of language disorder and they seem to be able to handle the primary grade school curriculum. Some of these children may have had intervention at a young age and then were successful in the early grades and were released from services. The children who then begin to exhibit difficulties in the reading areas typically have a processing disorder and/or a language/learning disability. I would recommend that teachers look at the "early warning signs". The first one would be phonemic awareness. Research has shown that children who exhibit difficulty in this area exhibit difficulty in learning to read and write. Other warning signs would be — poor strategies for learning, attending, organization, memory, listening, and study skills. Discuss your concerns with the speech-language pathologist and learning disabilities specialist at your school.

Question
Why is it important to get help for a young child who is delayed in her speech and language? Won't she catch up eventually once she starts school?

Marlene Christ
If there is a delay in speech and language development, early intervention is necessary to avoid future learning problems. We want to know why the language is delayed--is there a hearing problem or possibly some other medical problem that may be the cause. If we don't address the delay at an early age, the child goes to school with a real disadvantage--he or she lags in development with his or her peers. Once children are behind, it is very difficult for them to catch up, especially with the expectation of building on age-level language in school.

Question
Should I do anything about a preschooler in my class who lisps?

Marlene Christ
Many preschool-age children have not yet developed the "s" sound. Some children don't develop this sound until the age of 5 or 6. You may hear "thun" for "sun" or "thu" for "Sue." Adults should be good speech models for children, pronouncing words clearly and correctly for children to hear. If the child says, "Look at the 'thun'," the adult would say, "Yes, I see the sun."

Question
I have a child in my 4-year-old class who often stutters, especially when she gets tense or angry. Her parents are not worried about her. Should I be worried about the child and perhaps intervene?

Marlene Christ
Follow the lead of the parent. Many children at this age repeat sounds, syllables, and whole words. These hesitations and repetitions are perfectly natural in a child's early speech and may continue for several weeks or months. Don't call attention to these repetitions, be calm, and give the child plenty of time to talk without interruption.