Preschool age is the period of the most active development of a child. Significant physiological changes occur in his body, the development of thought processes, the psyche, the emotional-volitional sphere and the personality as a whole is underway.
Research has shown that all mental processes in a child develop with the direct participation of speech. And, obviously, a violation of this human function leads to difficulties in the harmonious development of the baby. In order to promptly help a child master speech, parents must know the patterns of speech development of a preschool child.
Age-related deviations in speech development
Normally, by the age of three, a child should be able to master almost all the sounds of the language, with the exception of hissing sounds (Sh, Shch, Ch, Zh) and the sounds R, Rb. This age is characterized by an increase in speech activity; children begin to use speech in order to learn new facts for themselves. In other words, this is the age of “whys”.
Here are common mistakes that children make at this stage of speech development:
- replacing the sound R with L, L (hand - hatch),
- replacing the sizzling Sh, Shch, Ch, Zh with soft Sy, Zz (scarf - syarf),
- replacing L with the sounds L, Y (bow - hatch, lamp - yampa).
A five-year-old child should already correctly pronounce all speech sounds and use not only simple, but also complex sentences to express his thoughts.
If a child pronounces sounds incorrectly for a long time, then his motor articulatory skills are strengthened, and the perception of speech sounds is distorted. The baby pronounces the sound incorrectly, but does not understand it himself. If you do not help your child in time, he will develop a persistent speech defect, which will be much more difficult to overcome.
Formation of correct pronunciation of sounds in a child
Often, if a child does not have chronic diseases, pathologies in the development of the organs of the speech apparatus (tongue, soft and hard palate, lips), or disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system, adults at home can help the baby master one or another sound. In this case, you only need to know the procedure necessary to produce the missing or distorted sound.
- Firstly, the main thing parents should start with is strengthening articulatory motor skills. This is achieved through various exercises, of which the literature provides many.
- Secondly, this is the production itself or clarification of the sound. Each sound has its own technique.
- The next stage will be to consolidate the sound first in syllables, then in words.
- After the child successfully pronounces a sound in words, he is offered tasks for differentiation (discrimination) of oppositional sounds (Zh-Sh, Ch-Shch, Z-S, T-D, etc.).
- Next comes the stage of memorizing nursery rhymes, tongue twisters, riddles, poems with sound.
- And finally, we fix the sound in speech: telling tales, writing stories.
How to teach a child to pronounce the hard sound “L” at home
In this article we would like to dwell in more detail on the production of the hard sound “L”.
Most often, when pronouncing the sound “L”, the following disadvantages are encountered: the sound is completely absent, replaced by others - L, V, U, I. (bench - “lyavka”, “yavka”). Due to the fact that pronouncing this sound requires the upper position of the tongue, you need to find out whether the child can lift it up.
In order for the tongue to clearly hold the desired position, we offer the following exercises designed to strengthen the muscles of the tongue:
- “Sting” – show a narrow tongue
- “Sting” - “Scapula” - show either a narrow or a wide tongue.
- “Swing” - the tongue touches alternately the lower and upper lips.
- “Pendulum” - the end of the tongue turns into the corners of the lips.
- “Let’s punish the naughty tongue” - stick out your tongue, pat it with your lips (five-five-five) so that it becomes wide.
- “The tongue is sleeping” - lightly bite the end of the protruding tongue, opening and closing your mouth, lips and tongue relaxed and motionless.
After you notice that the child can easily cope with the proposed exercises, you can proceed directly to making the sound “L”.
The first way to call L: the spread out tongue lies motionless between the teeth (“The tongue is sleeping”), the mother suggests singing AAA and, without interrupting, bite the tip of the tongue, continuing to sing the same sound - it turned out ALL. I would like to warn you that at this stage there is no need to ask the child what sound he made. This can only be done after repeating the exercise many times, when everything works out.
Second way of setting: sing YYYYY, while biting your wide tongue. This exercise is shown to the child silently so that the sound L is not heard, otherwise he will pronounce it with the usual distortion.
The sound obtained with these techniques is first fixed in closed syllables (AL, IL, OL, UL); further - between vowel sounds (ALA, ILA, ULO...), then in open syllables (LA-LA, LO-LO, LU-LU, LA-LU, LO-LU, etc.).
- where the sound L is at the end of the word: rear, donkey, chair, roll, glass, etc.
- where the sound L is at the beginning of the word: skis, bast, boat, puddle, horse, etc.
- where the sound L is in the middle of the word: fang, class, glory, eyes, flea, etc.
Next, you begin to memorize simple poems, nursery rhymes, and riddles with your child, in which the sound L is often found. This will allow you to automate the resulting sound and introduce it into speech.
Examples:
On the surface of the window glass
heavy drop of glass.
A drop fell on a blue flower
and opened one petal.
Ran away, ran away
the milk ran out.
I had a hard time catching it
Being a housewife is not easy!
Everything is white, white, white.
There was a lot of snow.
These are fun days!
All on skis and skates!
If you are not confident in your abilities or are afraid of harming your baby in some way, then there is always a way out to turn to specialized centers, of which there are now a large number. Having attended several speech therapy classes and mastered the skill of pronouncing a “difficult” sound, your child will be able to continue working on speech development with his parents.
We suggest you do the exercises with your child shown in the following video by speech therapist Natalia Gorina.
How to prevent speech impediments
Parents must remember that their behavior can also affect the child’s speech development. How should parents behave if they want their child’s speech to develop without unnecessary difficulties?
- First of all, you need to talk to your baby slowly and calmly. This is due to the fact that due to insufficiently developed auditory perception, the child will not have time to hear and recognize the speech of an adult.
- It is necessary to tell the child how to correctly pronounce a word that he finds difficult to say. Usually kids are happy to repeat after adults. Just don’t forget that excessive demands can offend a child, and he can become completely withdrawn.
- It is not advisable to overload a child with early learning of letters and reading, especially if this is done without his desire, since the expected result may be the opposite.
- It is a mistake to force a young child to recite poetry in front of guests. This is a lot of stress for a baby whose speech has not yet fully developed. Subsequently, such adult mistakes can lead to stuttering.
- With late development of speech, you should not panic; you just need to pay more attention to speech games with the child in order to replenish his passive vocabulary.
- In addition, the prevention of speech development deficiencies is facilitated by the normal functioning of other speech organs (auditory, vocal, respiratory apparatus, vision, smell, touch), the coordinated work of which contributes to the formation of correct speech.
Don't forget, the work of speech development does not end quickly. This is a long process. It is necessary to constantly expand the baby’s vocabulary, read books to him, compose stories based on pictures, based on the impressions that he has. Encourage the child to communicate in every possible way, gently and unobtrusively correct his mistakes, while giving him a sample of correct speech.
We bring to your attention the following video, in which you can consider in detail the production of the sound “L” at home.
The production of the soft sound “L” is discussed in the following video.
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Difficult consonants: b;p | w;w | z;s | g;k | s;ts | v;f | r;l | p;l | r;p;l | z;s;c | h;f;sh;sch;ts;x |
Teachers of speech therapy and mass groups will find a lot of necessary material on the website. Try to perform speech therapy exercises correctly yourself, and then start working with your child. Individual lessons help solve diction problems in children. Thanks to the site (), the child will learn to overcome speech disorders and build confidence in their abilities. It is better to study often and in short portions than to arrange long lessons, but with long breaks. A child, first of all, needs your attention, care and love. Use tongue twisters, riddles, retellings (teaching retelling), stories, fairy tales to develop speech. The more active you are with your kids, the faster he will learn to speak correctly.
SOUND PRODUCTION L.
Articulation gymnastics exercises.
- Proboscis frog.
- Spatula.
- Let's punish the naughty tongue.
- Delicious jam.
- Cup.
- Sweet tooth.
- Swing.
- Steamboat.
- Turkey.
- Painter.
- We brush the upper teeth.
- Count the top teeth.
- Let's catch the sound "L"
L - consonant, oral, transitive, anterior lingual, sonorant, hard.
BOGOMOLOV.
Normal setting when pronouncing a solid sound.
1) The tip of the tongue is raised and comes into contact with the front part of the palate (alveoli), and remains motionless when the voice is turned on. A gap is formed on the sides of the tongue through which air passes.
2) Lips are open.
3) Teeth are open.
4) The air is exhaled in a moderate stream; a warm stream of air is felt in the palm of the hand raised to the mouth.
5) Sound l voiced.
PREPARATION EXERCISES
Exercises for lips and jaws.
Open your mouth wide, as when pronouncing the sound A. Jaws and lips are tense and motionless. The teeth are open to the width of one and a half fingers. The tongue should lie at the bottom of the mouth. The child should hold this position for some time. Close your mouth. Repeat the exercise.
Exercise for the tongue.
1) Stick your tongue out. Bend the tip and edges of the tongue so that a “cup” (“bucket”) is formed. The middle part of the tongue lies on the lower lip and does not come into contact with the upper teeth. Relax your tongue and pull it into your mouth. Repeat many times.
2) "Chatterbox". With a tense, curved tip of the tongue, with the voice turned on, move (scrape) across the palate back and forth, either slowly or quickly. The teeth are separated to the width of a finger. The lips are open and do not cover the teeth. The jaws should be motionless, only the tongue works.
Note. The following inaccuracies may occur: the tip of the tongue does not reach the palate, scrapes in space, and the goal of the exercise is not achieved; lips and teeth are close together, so there is no clarity of sound; The exercise is carried out without turning on the voice, so a dull sound is heard, but it should be ringing.
3) As in the “talker” exercise, make the tongue “cup”. Round your lips. Open your teeth to a distance of one and a half fingers. Without changing the position of the tongue, insert it into the mouth and reach the palate with the curved tip at the alveoli. The convex part of the tongue is located between the teeth and gives the tongue a comfortable position. The lips take an oval shape. Repeat the exercise several times.
Note. The tip of the tongue may rest not on the alveoli, but on the middle of the palate, and therefore the convex part of the tongue will be too far from the teeth. This will interfere with the formation of the correct l sound.
4) Pronouncing a long sound l.
Make the tongue a “cup” and raise it to the alveoli, as in the previous exercise. Turn on voice. The tongue should be motionless. A long sound is heard. The lips are oval in shape, the teeth are open and, together with the jaw, are motionless. Control with the palm of the hand: a warm air flow is felt.
Note. The following must be avoided: the tongue moves (but should be motionless), and therefore the sound turns out to be intermittent, unclear sounding; a stream of air passes into the nose, and instead of the sound L, the sound N is heard. This happens because the edges of the tongue, pressing tightly against the upper molars, do not allow the air to escape freely.
TRUTH.
Vowel A seems convenient as an initial auxiliary sound, since its structure includes a spread-out and fairly protruded tongue. They offer to pull the sound A and at this time push your tongue between your teeth, and then bite it in the middle. At this moment the sound A turns into sound L. If it is immediately possible to lift the spread tongue onto the upper lip or behind the upper teeth, you can immediately make a dental sound L.
Vowel pattern Y most convenient for transition to sound articulation L, since the root part of the tongue is raised, the front part is wide; protrusion of the tip of the tongue, biting it lightly with the teeth, or raising the tongue to the upper teeth against the background of a continuous sound Y gives good sound quality L. Sound production L from sound Y It is especially indicated when replacing the sound l - l, since in this case the incorrect sound depends on the tension of the tongue in the anterior-middle part of it, and not in the back.
Sometimes all attempts to raise the root of the tongue, i.e. get a soft sound instead L sounding it firmly turn out to be unsuccessful.
In these cases, you can apply the following techniques:
propose to apply possible tension in the area of the shoulder girdle and neck, for which you need to bend your head forward and in this position pull out the sound L at the lowest possible pitch.
You can also use mechanical assistance: with two fingers - index and ring - apply light pressure from the outside of the neck so that each finger is at a point at the inner edge of the back third of the left and right sides of the lower jaw.
During these exercises, it is important to pay attention to the kinesthetic sensation that arises from the lifting of the root of the tongue.
With bilabial or labial-dental pronunciation of the sound L articulation of the tongue is replaced by simpler articulation of the lips. It is necessary to slow down the forward movements of the lips, strengthening the grin of the lips, and then move on to sound production L using one of the indicated methods.
At nasal pronunciation It is useful to pay attention to the expiratory stream coming out of the mouth on the sides of the tongue, and also to push the tongue forward in one way or another.
All cases paralambdacism are eliminated by mandatory work on sound differentiation L with a substitute sound.
LEVINA.
1. The child is asked to open his mouth slightly and pronounce the combination ya. Wherein Y pronounced briefly, with tension in the organs of articulation (as if on a firm attack of the voice). The speech therapist shows a sample pronunciation. As soon as the child has mastered the desired pronunciation, the speech therapist asks him to pronounce this combination again, but with his tongue clamped between his teeth. At this moment the combination is clearly heard la. When performing the task, the speech therapist ensures that the tip of the child’s tongue remains between the teeth.
2. You can use another technique. Using soft as a base sound LH, ask your child to repeat the syllable several times LA, then insert probe No. 4 so that it is between the hard palate and the middle part of the back of the tongue; press the probe down on the tongue - to the right or left, and ask the child to say the combination several times LA. At the moment of pronunciation, adjust the movement of the probe until the acoustic effect of a solid sound is obtained. L.
The main difficulty in producing sound L lies in the fact that, pronouncing a sound correctly, the child continues to hear his previous sound. Therefore, it is necessary to attract the child’s auditory attention to the sound that is produced at the moment of its production. Sound L It can be obtained by auditory imitation if, at the preparatory stage, the child has learned to recognize it and distinguish the correct sound from the incorrect one.
When mastering speech skills, children often distort words. They also experience difficulties in pronouncing individual sounds. The notorious “rrrr” is known to many, but what to do if a child changes the letter “l”? The defect can be easily corrected. Parents should show the child to a speech therapist - the specialist will determine the cause of the defect and determine the method of training that will help eliminate it.
If there are speech disorders, it is better, if possible, to show the child to a specialist: he will determine the degree of deviation and help the family cope with it
What influences the occurrence of a defect?
Most sounds are perfectly mastered by a child by the age of 4-4.5 years. If you notice that your baby is having difficulty pronouncing several letters or one “l” sound, look for the reasons. One of the factors may be a speech defect in an adult who is in constant contact with the baby. The child imitates the speech of mom or dad. Pronunciation problems have also been observed in children growing up in bilingual families. It is difficult for a child to master two languages at once; he gets confused and replaces the sounds of one language with the sounds of another. Among the physiological reasons we note the following:
- disorders that arise during the development of speech hearing (the child hears sounds incorrectly);
- pathologies of the hearing aid and speech breathing;
- changes in the structure of the articular apparatus (in the case of the sound “l” this may be a shortened frenulum).
All anatomical changes are determined by a specialist. Self-diagnoses often lead to incorrect treatment and worsening of the defect.
If your child is diagnosed with a shortened frenulum, there is no need to worry. For a long time, the defect was corrected using an incision, but today a new technique has been developed in which the frenulum is stretched to the required size using special exercises.
Pronunciation options for the distorted sound “l”
When trying to pronounce “l”, the child may replace it with other sounds. There is no definite dependence on the reason that caused the defect - the baby speaks in a way that is easier for him. It might sound like this:
- the child misses the letter “l” (shovel – opata);
- replaces “l” with “y” (horse - horse);
- pronounces the sound “y” instead of the sound “l” (milk - moyoko, spoon - yoshka);
- speaks the hard “l” well and replaces the soft letter with another.
Correct articulation
To fix something, you need to know what it looks like right. It's the same with the sounds we make. It is unlikely that you will be able to pronounce the letter “p” without connecting your lips. In order to make the sound “l”, you need to:
- rest the tip of the tongue against the base of the upper teeth or into the gap formed between the upper and lower teeth;
- when pronouncing the letter, release air strongly along the sides of the tongue;
- The edges of the tongue should not come into contact with the upper and lower teeth located on the sides of the jaw.
If the speech therapist does not find any serious problems with the articulation apparatus in your baby, the correct pronunciation of “l” can be easily done at home. A few lessons with your baby are enough to teach him to reproduce sound well. A few special exercises will make your task easier and your child will enjoy it. They will improve the mobility of the muscles of the larynx, tongue and lips.
In order for the child to understand where he is making a mistake, it is necessary to sit him in front of a mirror and practice the correct position of his tongue and lips Learning to pronounce the sound “l”
Classes at home are comfortable for both the child and the parents. Experts have developed various exercises that you can do with your baby, turning them into a fun game. Children love to make faces, but our exercises also have benefits. Through a fun and exciting activity, we teach the baby and give him the opportunity to train his tongue for the correct pronunciation of “l”. List of exercises:
- Smile . Ask your baby to smile widely without opening his lips. Let him hold the smile for 8-10 seconds. Repeat the exercise 7-8 times a day.
- Breeze. Open your mouth slightly, insert the tip of your tongue between your lips, and lightly “bite” it, squeezing it with your lips. Leaving your tongue in this position, you need to blow hard for three minutes.
- Clattering. The baby should click like a horse, changing the intensity of the sound. Ask the child not to move the lower jaw, but to click only with the tongue and the upper jaw. The first part of the exercise is done with acceleration, in the second the clicking should be quiet, as if the horse is sneaking.
- Delicious jam. Invite your child to lick his lips with his tongue as if he had eaten something very tasty. Movements should be wide and circular.
- Long tongue . Favorite exercise for kids. Children stick out their tongue to its full length and try to reach their nose or chin.
- Tube. Several times a day, ask your child to roll his tongue into a tube.
- Long "s". The tip of the tongue is retracted deep into the mouth, the back of the tongue rises to the palate, the child draws out the sound “s”. The exercise is difficult, but it improves the flexibility of the tongue.
- Breathing. Accompany your lessons by improving your breathing skills. Let your baby blow bubbles more often and encourage his desire to sing. In summer, the baby can blow away ripe dandelions.
- Fine motor skills. Fine motor exercises help stimulate nerve endings. Modeling, drawing, cutting and gluing appliqués have a positive effect on the development of speech skills and enhance the intellectual development of a little person.
It will also be useful to pronounce tongue twisters and combinations of letters in which “l” is adjacent to different vowels.
How to conduct classes correctly?
When starting classes, remember that in front of you is a small child. The best way to teach him anything is through play. Speech therapy exercises carried out under pressure quickly get boring for kids, so you should not force the child to repeat them for a long time. Start with 1-2 times a day for 3-4 repetitions. Use your own example. Sit with your baby near the mirror so that he can see how he is doing. Children love to imitate the actions of adults; use their interest for educational purposes. Accompany every success of your baby with praise, explain to him what you are teaching and why.
In what situations do you need the help of a speech therapist?
Despite the ease of adjusting the sound, it may turn out that practicing at home will not lead to success. The reasons may be different:
- Russian is not your family’s native language, and its adult members speak with an accent;
- some adults already have speech defects and find it difficult to conduct classes;
- Long lessons could not help the baby learn to pronounce the letter “l”.
In such situations, you need to contact a specialist. A speech therapist will help you correct the exercises and suggest other ways to correct them.
You will need a lot of patience and the ability to entice your child. The slightest progress should be noticed and praised. If your child does not succeed in something, do not scold him, so as not to discourage him from learning.
Difficulties in pronouncing the letter “r” become a common problem (more details in the article:). We recommend that you refer to one of our materials that tells you how to deal with this problem. The principle is almost the same: it is necessary to stimulate children so that they speak words with this sound more often. Study the articulation when pronouncing “r”, show it to your baby. Use pictures of animals with “r” in their names in your classes, and learn poetry and tongue twisters with it.
Clinical and perinatal psychologist, graduated from the Moscow Institute of Perinatal Psychology and Reproductive Psychology and Volgograd State Medical University with a degree in clinical psychology
Competent, beautiful speech without defects is the key to socialization and successful development. When communicating, everyone pays attention to how a person speaks. If the speech is beautiful and “flows like a stream,” it is pleasant to listen to such a person. In childhood, it is necessary to correctly formulate the child’s speech. The main problems and difficulties are the consonants “l” and “r”.
The pronunciation of “l” seems simple to an adult, but in some cases it is possible to pronounce it only by the age of 6. This article will help you follow the rules when it comes to pronouncing the hard and soft sound “l” in a child.
Preschool age is an important period for everyone. Until this moment, babies learn to walk, talk, understand the world around them and themselves. Some consonants are difficult to pronounce and develop over time. It’s worse when parents don’t pay attention to their child’s speech defects. In adulthood, it is already very difficult to eliminate them, which is why speech therapists work with children in groups and individually in all kindergartens.
The most common consonants that are difficult to pronounce are “l” and “r”. Of course, as you grow older, problems may go away without outside help, and sometimes they don’t. The job of speech therapists is to help the preschooler develop correct pronunciation. The sound “l” can be both soft and hard. Sometimes a baby cannot pronounce one type, but more often children have problems pronouncing “l” in both cases.
Incorrect pronunciation of sounds
Each period is characterized by the appearance of new sounds. By the age of three, children should be able to pronounce all letters except difficult sibilants and “r”, a derivative of it “ry”. At this age, children develop increased speech activity.
By the age of five or six, the child should pronounce all sounds and express his thoughts not in simple sentences, but use complex phrases. This age refers to the period of growing up and transition to school age. If a child has difficulties with pronunciation, then you should seek help from a doctor or study hard at home.
The most common sound errors:
- hissing ones are replaced by the sound “s”, “z” (sorokh - rustle, hay-puppy, ez-hedgehog);
- r are replaced by “l”, “l” (work-labota, rul-lul, labor-ladost).
What is lambdacism and paralambdacism?
Incorrect pronunciation of the sound “l”, “l” or its complete absence has a scientific name - lambdacism. It is divided into 4 types:
- nasal. The sound coming out with the air flow tends to enter not through the mouth, but through the nose. This occurs when the root of the tongue pushes against the roof of the mouth, obstructing the passage. In such cases, instead of “l”, it turns out “ng lapa-ngapa, lak-ngak;
- bilabial. The child puts his lips in a tube, so that instead of the prescribed “l”, the result is “u”: doctor-whecker, lamp-uampa;
- interdental. The tip of the tongue gets into the space between the teeth, producing an incorrect sound;
- lack of "l". One of the most common options. The baby does not pronounce “l” at all; instead, words without it are obtained: Luk-uk, lens-inza.
What lambdacism is is now clear, but what then is paralambdacism. This includes replacing “l” with other sounds. Such replacements include:
- replacing “l” with the sound “v” or “b”: lala - woman, lava-vava, moon-wuna;
- replacing “l” with “g”: gog-gog, table-stack;
- replacing “l” with “d”: horse-horse, lupa-dupa;
- replacing “l” with “ya”, “yo”, “yu”: lader-yager, spoon-hedgehog, bow-yuk;
- replacing “l” with a soft “l”: doing-sharing.
Reasons for incorrect pronunciation of “l”
Incorrect pronunciation of L occurs for certain reasons. These reasons include:
- a preschooler, due to his small age, cannot yet pronounce this sound. This defect is natural up to 4 years of age. At the age of 4-5 years, the baby should already know how to learn to pronounce the letter “l”, and by the age of 6 years he should distinguish between hard and soft “l” in words;
- weak muscles of the tongue and lower lip. Language performs the main function in the production of speech. If a child has problems with weak tongue muscles, then “v” will be heard instead of “l”;
- violation of phonemic perception of sound in the stream of speech. This effect is typical when a baby says “l” and at that moment puts his tongue between his teeth. This option also includes bilabial pronunciation, when the tongue is adjacent to the lower jaw and interferes with the correct pronunciation of sounds.
Such reasons are often not associated with any developmental defects. The problem occurs due to incorrect position of the tongue, or incorrect distribution of the released air.
If a preschooler has difficulty pronouncing the “l” sound, this can be easily corrected. It will take time to stage it. Usually 15-20 minutes a day at home, and after a while the child will achieve success. If after a long period of time your efforts are in vain, you should contact a speech therapist. .
Formation of correct pronunciation of sounds
If the child does not suffer from diseases or pathological developments of the speech apparatus, then adults can quickly solve the problem. To understand how to make the “l” sound at home, you should follow a few simple rules.
- Work should begin with strengthening articulatory motor skills. Its strengthening is achieved through exercises and games.
- The next stage is sound production. The methods are different. There is a method for each case.
- The production of sound flows into pronunciation. When the student has learned to pronounce the letter, he must move on to syllables, and then to simple words and sentences with many repeating sounds.
- Let's move on to more labor-intensive work. We learn rhymes and tongue twisters. A preschooler will learn sounds faster and develop memory.
- Results should be consolidated through telling and repeating fairy tales, short stories, poems, stories, and singing songs.
These simple rules should be given very little time a day. It is easier to transform a unique curriculum into a game. The process won't be boring. You and your child will be passionate about business, not tedious work.
How to make the sound "l"
The very first thing to start with is to tell and show the student the correct pronunciation of the sound, and how the tongue and lips behave. There are many free photos and videos available online for this purpose. Many methodological works have been developed on how to teach a child to say the letter “l”. To put an "l" you need to work on your breathing and articulation.
At home, you yourself can explain how to correctly pronounce this or that sound. Just think about how you do it, and then show it. Children always learn better from the example of others. Just show the principle and let the child repeat after you.
Problems with speech production in children are common. The lessons will help the child develop auditory perception of the sound “l”.
It is important to breathe correctly and position your tongue and lips. Breathing exercises are designed as a game.
The simplest exercises will be interesting to the baby. Having fun outside can be educational. While walking, you can play with dandelions, offering to blow off all their “feathers” and blow soap bubbles.
At home you can play with a lit candle, blowing it out, or a match, but only under the strict supervision of adults, and various similar games for blowing air. Such games will interest your baby and will at the same time be educational in nature.
It is necessary to develop the child’s fine motor skills. It is necessary for speech correction, intellectual and physical development.
Articulation "l"
First you need to work on the articulation of your tongue. The tip of the tongue should be pressed against the upper teeth and shaped like a hammock. Air leaks along the tongue. This situation should be shown to the child by example, so the kids learn better. This is the first thing required in the initial work.
Mistakes when trying to pronounce "l"
When working on the production of the “l” sound, a child may encounter some errors. In this case, learning attempts may fail.
Reasons why you cannot pronounce “l”:
- incorrect placement of lips;
- the tongue is not located near the upper teeth, but goes into the inside of the mouth;
- incorrect exhalation of air - using the cheeks or through the nose.
To get the correct pronunciation of “l”, you should use articulatory gymnastics.
Articulation gymnastics
Articulatory gymnastics is the main method for setting “l”. The average duration of classes should be 15-25 minutes, it all depends on the age of the baby. Its basis should gradually include various elements in order for the child to find it interesting. It consists of several stages.
- Tasks for the development of speech breathing.
- Exercises to automate pronunciation.
Articulation gymnastics training
The most effective and efficient speech therapy exercises for the sound “l”: “Steamboat”, “Turkey”, “Horse”, “Breeze”. Let's take a closer look at how each exercise works mechanically.
"Steamboat". Aimed at helping the student learn to control the muscles of the tongue. The baby should smile a little and open his mouth slightly, stick out his tongue about halfway, bite it and sing repeatedly “Y-y-y-y.” The result is an imitation of a steamship whistle. If you hear a different sound, check the position of your child's tongue.
“Turkey baby.” The mouth is slightly open, the curved tongue is placed on the upper lip, and movement is made up and down the lip. We quickly exhale the air, producing a sound reminiscent of a turkey “talking.”
"Horse". The first thing is to teach a preschooler to clop like a horse. The lower jaw should be motionless. The tongue rests on the roof of the mouth, a slight smile, a slightly open mouth. The next stage is to make a clicking sound, but without a voice and volume, silently. This is how the jaw muscles are developed.
"Breeze". We imitate the breeze. It should not come out along the central part, but along the edges. To do this, a novice student needs to bite the tip of the tongue and release the air. You can check the correct execution using cotton wool. Bring it to your mouth and see the direction of the stream.
Hard "l"
If a child can pronounce a soft “l”, then a hard one is a little more difficult for him due to the fact that the position of the tongue requires him to occupy the upper position. Usually in such cases there is no sound at all or is replaced by others.
To raise the tongue up, there are several exercises that also strengthen the muscles of the tongue.
- "The tongue is sleeping." The tongue is motionless between the teeth. The child is given the task of repeating “a” protractedly and continuously; after a little time, the baby is given the task of periodically biting the tip of the tongue, which results in “al.”
- Another exercise for a hard “l” is to sing “y”, but already biting your wide tongue.
After this, we ask you to pronounce words with different placements of “l” in the words. The sound “l” at the beginning of a word: puddle, ski, fly, flying, burst, laser, bark, light bulb, lion, fox, pour, burst. In the middle of the word: class, eyes, analysis. At the end of the word: table, glass.
The next stage is the pronunciation of rhymes and tongue twisters, where the hard “l” is often found.
Automation
A number of articulation exercises carried out require consolidation and constant pronunciation. If the child does not yet know how to read, parents should pronounce the words themselves and then ask their children to repeat them. This way the preschooler better assimilates spoken sounds.
First, the syllables “l” with vowels are pronounced: l-a, l-o, l-i; then vice versa: o-l, a-l, i-l, e-l.
Then the full words are spoken. “L” is at the beginning, middle, end of a word, softened or made hard, next to other consonants, and so on.
We repeat and learn poems and tongue twisters. When working, all phrases and sentences must be pronounced slowly and clearly to avoid distortion. If your child makes a mistake, go back to the beginning of the sentence and repeat it all over again. Praise him, this will help him feel confident. Repeat everything several times.
These simple rules should be followed to teach your child to pronounce the letter “l” automatically.
Help from a speech therapist
Don't worry if a child under 5 years old has trouble pronouncing one or more sounds. However, if at a later age it is difficult for him to master letters, first resort to self-correction. If your attempts are unsuccessful, then you should contact a specialist. A common mistake parents make is their own mispronunciation, unclear speech, speech impediments, and so on.
There are other cases when you need the help of a speech therapist:
- if the baby has problems with the speech apparatus (ONP, dysarthria);
- for neurological diseases;
- for mental illness.
In these cases, self-help can only do more harm than good.
Conclusion
Speech is an important attribute of every business person. It needs to be corrected from childhood, when these problems first appear, more often after 5 years. You can resort to DIY home remedies. Open access on the Internet will provide you with various graphic pictures, drawings and video tutorials, and teaching aids.
If your efforts are in vain, and the child does not know how to pronounce the letter “l” by the age of 6-7, you need the help of speech therapists who can quickly give your child beautiful, correct speech and give general advice.
Sometimes it takes a child several years to master the sound “L”. This is the latest sound that children master; its pronunciation can often be achieved only by the age of six. “Ozhka” - instead of “spoon”; “otka” - instead of “boat”. Children skip “L”, replace it with other consonants, and don’t pronounce it at all. Producing this sound requires patience and perseverance, but success can be achieved both by working with a speech therapist and at home. It is important to master the technique.
Lambdacism
Speech therapists call the inability to pronounce the sounds “L” and “L” correctly the term lambdacism. This means that the sound is not only mispronounced, but is also missed. This could be a congenital speech defect or simply incorrect pronunciation. Lambdacism, in turn, is divided into several types:
- Bilabial. In this version, the child replaces “l” with the sound “u”. For example, he says “horse” instead of “horse”. The lips are involved in pronunciation, the tip of the tongue is lowered, resting at the bottom of the oral cavity.
- Nasal. In this case, instead of “l”, “ng” is pronounced. For example, instead of “forest” you get “nges”. The root of the tongue touches the soft palate, and air is directed into the nose, which helps replace sound.
- Interdental. During pronunciation, the tip of the tongue goes into the space between the teeth.
- No sound is produced at all. For example, instead of “spoon,” “ozhka” comes out.
Paralambdacism
This term refers to the replacement of the correct “l” sound with another. For example:
- “g” – pronounced “kogeno” instead of “knee”
- “v” – pronounced “stov” instead of “table”
- “e” – pronounced “yokot” instead of “elbow”
- “l” – pronounced “lyozhka” instead of “spoon”
All these flaws in pronunciation can be treated by regularly doing exercises with a speech therapist and at home. Specialists are often expensive, but there are cases when just one lesson with a doctor on speech production gives a positive result, and consolidation can already be done at home.
Why do you need to put the sound "L"
Speech impairment - even in individual sounds - is not at all a harmless defect; it can lead to developmental difficulties: it will be difficult for the child to learn to write and read (doctors call this disorder dyslexia and dysgraphia), and to educational lag. Children who cannot pronounce their letters often become the object of ridicule and mimicry, which is something every parent and the child himself would like to avoid. Therefore, the best investment in your child’s future will be to work on pronunciation.
Reasons for incorrect pronunciation of “L”
There are no unexplained causes of speech impediment. Doctors identify only three main conditions under which children cannot pronounce “l” correctly:
1. In speech, the child does not perceive “L” phonemically.
Phonemic hearing is what allows a person to distinguish one speech sound from another, hear words correctly and understand them well. Doctors recommend developing this hearing in babies from birth. That is, you need to talk to children without distorting words, so that they hear what will later be used in everyday speech. It must be remembered that written language is also formed on the basis of oral speech. Phonetic awareness thus influences future reading and writing skills. Normally, by the age of 4, a child should confidently distinguish one sound from another and not confuse “night” with “daughter” and “bear” with “mouse.”
2. The second reason for the incorrect pronunciation of “l” is the short hypoglossal ligament, due to the anatomical structure.
3. The inability to say “l” can also be a consequence of weak muscle tissues of the tongue.
We should not forget that for two- to three-year-old children, errors in speech starting with “l” are considered the norm. The formation of the correct pronunciation of “L” refers to older ages - 4 and even 6 years.
Correct articulation of "l"
When pronouncing any sound, certain organs work. The totality of their actions necessary for the speech apparatus to make a certain sound is called articulation. What organs are involved in the correct pronunciation of the sound “l”? These are lips, teeth, and tongue. All important articulatory instruments are involved. When pronouncing “l” correctly, the following happens:
- The lips occupy the position dictated by subsequent consonants and vowels
- The tip of the tongue rests on the upper incisors or their gums
- The edges of the palate, lips and the entire oral cavity are not connected to the upper incisors, so there are passages for exhaled air on the sides
- the root of the tongue rises when pronouncing the hard “L”
- the soft palate is also raised, blocking the passage into the nasal cavity
- The vocal cords should be closed and their vibration can be felt
If all these conditions are met, the correct pronunciation of the hard sound “l” is obtained. For soft, there are a number of conditions:
- It is not the root of the tongue that is raised, but the anteromedial part of its back
- There is a closure of not only the tip of the tongue with the gums, but also most of the back of the tongue with the alveoli
- Often a soft “l” is produced if the tip of the tongue is lowered and the front part of the back closes with the alveoli
Some speech defects can be corrected by imitation. That is, by teaching the child to repeat sounds, syllables and words by ear. As experts note, in the case of the “l” sound, using only this method will not work. Precisely because of the complex articulatory work of organs. You will have to work on setting them up point by point. Especially if difficulties arise due to weak muscle tissue of the tongue.
Mistakes when trying to pronounce "l"
Among the errors when pronouncing “l” there are the most common ones. They occur in both children and adults, but it is best to correct them at a young age, when the speech apparatus is just subject to adjustment. The most popular mistakes:
- Instead of “l” it sounds “y”. For example, the word “lie down” will be pronounced “yoozhsya”. This happens because the tongue is pulled too far into the depths of the oral cavity.
- Instead of “l”, a combination of “uva” sounds is pronounced. So, “took” will turn into “took”. The lips are placed incorrectly here.
- Replacing “l” with the sound “r”. For example, “medicine” instead of “medicine”.
- Instead of “l”, a sound similar to “f” or “n” is heard. This occurs due to a sharp, forced exhalation and participation in the articulation of the cheeks or nose.
Preliminary articulation exercises
Before moving directly to exercises for making the “l” sound, experts advise doing a series of articulation tasks, the so-called, that precede the approach to making the “l” sound. This is a kind of tuning of the speech apparatus to master the rebellious sound. Here we work on the movements of the lips and tongue.
To begin with, the child is told and shown the structure of the mouth: lips, upper and lower; behind them are the teeth, upper and lower; at the top - a tubercle; behind it is the hard palate, it continues with the soft palate and ends with the velum palatine, on which there is a uvula. If a child is diagnosed with lambdacism in any form, then first you need to do the following articulation exercises (perform every day in front of the mirror, counting from one to five, for five to ten minutes, twice a day):
- “Smile” - part your lips into a smile, exposing your upper and lower teeth.
- “Tube” - lips are closed and extended forward.
- “Tongue punishment” - the tongue remains on the lower lip, it is spanked, saying “Pa-pa-pa.”
- “Cleaning the upper teeth” (from the inside) - the tongue is made wide, it is moved from side to side at the upper tubercles, also known as alveoli.
- “Sail” - the tip of the tongue should be rested on the row of upper front teeth. The tongue is like a hammock that has sagged. There is no need to move the tongue, it is simply held in this position while counting. The longer you can hold on, the better.
- “The cat drinks milk” - a wide tongue licks the upper lip from top to bottom.
- “Turkey chatter” is the same as in the “cat” exercise, but the movements are fast and accompanied by the sounds “bl-bl-bl-...”.
- “Swing” - with your mouth slightly open, you need to smile widely. On the count of “1-2”, the tip of the tongue rests on the upper and then on the lower incisors (from their inner side).
- “Horse” - click the wide tip of the tongue on the palate behind the upper front incisors. The mouth is open, but the lower jaw does not move at all.
- “Fungus” - the tongue seems to be glued to the palate, the hyoid frenulum is tense.
It is recommended to carry out such gymnastics for two to four weeks. In this way, the skill is developed to fix the necessary articulatory posture, accurately make all movements and monitor the lips, tongue and the entire speech apparatus.
Speech therapy exercises for the sound “L”
After mastering articulatory gymnastics, you can proceed directly to producing the sound “l”. The following exercises are used:
1. Imitation method: the student is shown how to correctly articulate the sound “l”. Smile, open your mouth slightly, open your teeth so that you can place your finger between the upper and lower teeth. The wide tip of the tongue rises and presses against the tubercles, when exhaling, the air flows along the sides, the cheeks vibrate. The child pronounces “l” after the adult. The sound should be produced when the tongue is torn away from the tubercles.
2. Setting from interdental sound (this method is not used if the defect is due to interdental lambdacism). An adult tells a fairy tale “About a steamboat that learned to whistle.”
“Once upon a time, a very tiny one sailed along the sea along with large steamships. He did everything the same as adults, but no one paid attention to him. All because he did not know how to speak - to make a steamship whistle. Instead of the beautiful “L”, he made some incomprehensible and very timid sounds. One day the steamboat decided to learn how to talk and hum like a big one. He learned by saying: “U!O! Everything is wrong." No one answered him and there was no dial tone. The steamboat was so upset that he bit his tongue and said: “Y.” Then an amazing thing happened: a clear and clear “L” flashed over the sea. The steamboat said it. He thought, “It must have seemed like it,” and tried again. He bit his tongue again and said: “Y.” It turned out to be a beautiful “L”. And suddenly large steamships began to answer him from all sides: “L!” "L!" So all the big ships learned about the tiny steamer, and it became heard throughout the whole sea.”
After listening to this fairy tale, the child performs all the actions behind the steamer. He, like a fairy-tale character, may not immediately, but he should get the sound “L”. After this has happened, it must be combined with vowels. It is allowed in the reverse order IL, YL, OL, etc.
3. Method for bilabial lambdacism.
The main thing in this exercise is to learn to subjugate unruly lips. Often they are to blame for poor pronunciation - they stretch out into a tube, wrap themselves up and produce the sound “v” at the output. Speech therapists associate the inability to position the lips correctly with a long period of weaning from the pacifier. The “Smile” and “Fence” exercises are recommended: the lips are specially stretched as much as possible in a smile, the front teeth are exposed and clenched. This position must be fixed and maintained for as long as possible. At first you can’t do this without the help of an adult - you need to hold your lips, parting them into a smile.
4. Setting “L” from soft “L”
At first, learning is possible by pronouncing a soft sound instead of the correct “L”. Then it should be “tidied up” by teaching the child to pronounce the syllables LO, LU, LY, LA, touching the upper lip with the end of the tongue. And gradually removing it behind the upper teeth. It is recommended to massage the muscles around the mouth and lightly spank them with your fingers.
Three exercises to relax your muscles:
- “The horse snorts” - blow hard on your lips, imitating a horse.
- “Fish” - slap your lips together, imitating a fish.
- “Tired” - blow hard on parted lips.
Automation of the sound "L"
To fix the sound after at least a month of work, you need to use the following methods:
- Pronounce soft syllables and words. For example: “Lyu: cradle, people, love.”
- Learn and speak simple phrases. “LE-LE-LE – leaves were lying on the ground” and others. You can compose them yourself.
Automation of the hard “L” occurs by analogy. First, the child repeats after the adult, then does the exercises himself.
The exercises suggested above can be done independently at home. But if there is no improvement, you should definitely go to a speech therapist.
