General strategies to support your child’s speech development

Modelling means to provide a ‘model’ or example to a child on how to communicate. A model can involve demonstrating an example to your child of how a specific speech sound, word or sentence should be produced.

Recasting involves hearing your child produce a phrase containing an error, then repeating it back to them using the correct speech sounds, words or grammar. This is best done naturally, around what the child is interested in at the time. The child does not have to repeat your model. It is important for the child to simply hear the correct model.

Providing a ‘good’ model all the time requires you to use:

• natural speech rate (avoid speaking too fast or too slow)
• clear speech
• short sentences
• appropriate vocabulary
• more repetition and restating than you would use with an adult

Provide ‘good’ listening conditions by:

• reducing background noise
• getting face to face
• participating in shared interaction
• demonstrating shared attention and interest

There are both helpful and unhelpful ways to model the correct production of speech sounds to your child. Ineffective modelling occurs when a parent tries to correct a child’s speech sound difficulties but does not provide a model for the child to learn from. Examples of these are

Effective modelling for speech sound errors requires a parent to repeat the correct production of the word back to their child during natural conversation. The effectiveness of the model depends on how many times you can repeat the correct word back to your child. The more times the better!

After modelling or recasting a speech sound for your child, revisit it a few more times that day. Below is an example of how to do this. Keep in mind - your child will learn best from regular repetition. Frequency of modelling:

• for the same sound or sound pattern
• aim for 12 to 18 correct models per minute
• 3 to 4 minutes a day

An example: If your child has trouble with the ‘k’ sound at the start of words, you might start by modelling “cup” 15 times during breakfast after your child has said “tup”. Later, in the day your child might be playing with a toy car so you can use this opportunity to model “car” repeatedly, as it also starts with the ‘k’ sound. Try to model target sounds as frequently as possible during everyday interactions with your child. You do not need to recast constantly throughout the day, but ensure you are modelling the correct productions more often than you usually would.

Modelling and recasting are effective strategies for encouraging correct production of speech sounds in children; however, speech and language development is a gradual process. Expect your child’s progress to take time and practice.

Adapted from: Delivering Feedback - Modelling and Recasting. Caroline Bowen, 2011