​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The above chart provides a guide outlining the typical monolingual development of speech sounds in children in the UK between the ages of 3 and 8 years. It highlights the sounds children should typically be producing at different age ranges, as well as common error patterns that are expected during these developmental stages.

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Note: Each child develops differently and norms vary depending on the background of the children used in each study - use this flexibility as a guide.

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Acceptable Error Patterns

These are speech mistakes that are still normal up to a certain age. Children may simplify and replace hard sounds in these ways:

• Gliding:
  Replacing “r” or “l” with “w”
  ➝ “rabbit” → “wabbit”; , “look” → “yook”

• Deaffrication:
  Changing sounds like “ch” or “dg” into simpler sounds
  ➝ “chair” → “tair”, “judge” → “dug”

• Fronting of velars:
  Saying a front sound instead of a back one
  ➝ “car” → “tar”, “go” → “doe”

• Cluster reduction:
  Leaving out one sound in a consonant group
  ➝ “spoon” → “poon”, “truck” → “tuck”

• Word syllable deletion:
  Leaving out entire syllables
  ➝ “banana” → “nana”

• Stopping of fricatives:
  Replacing long sounds like “f, v, s, z” with shorter sounds like “p, b, t, d”
  ➝ “sun” → “tun”, “zip” → “dip”

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What helps:

✓ Repeat the word correctly without asking your child to copy you. Child: “That’s a tat!” → You: “Yes, it’s a cat! A big fluffy cat.”

✓ Play sound games like ‘I spy’ with beginning sounds: “I spy with my little eye" something starting with /b/…” (ball, book, banana)

✓ Use mirror to help your child copy your mouth and tongue movements while making sounds together. This helps your child see how sounds are made.

 

What to avoid:

✗ Don’t ask your child to repeat after you. It can feel like a test and puts pressure on them.

✗ Avoid correcting them in a way that feels like criticism. Instead of: “No, say it properly—say ‘cat’!”. Try: “Yes, a cat! I saw that too.”

✗ Non-speech oro-motor exercises::

• Blowing: Blowing bubbles, horns, or through a straw.

• Pucker/smile movements: Pucker the lips, stretch the mouth into a smile.

• Tongue movements: Tongue pushups, wags, curls, tongue-to-nose-to-chin.

• Cheek puffing: Puffing the cheeks ou

There is no evidence to support the effectiveness of this approach even though you may see adverts that this works and therapists overseas in countries, such as  Poland, still recommend this. You can find out more about it's lack of evidence on the RCSLT website​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

 

Understanding of Language

 

What helps:

✓ Keep instructions short and simple. Instead of: “Go get your coat, shoes and bag,” try: “Get your coat.” (pause), “Now your shoes.” (pause)

✓ Use gestures, visuals or photos to help your child understand. Point to the coat or show a photo of “snack” if it’s time to eat.

✓ Use Makaton signs at least for key words like stop, more, finished, and toilet.

✓ Give your child time to respond. Count to 5 slowly in your head after giving an instruction before you ask again.

✓ Break down instructions into small steps. Instead of: “Tidy up and get ready,” try:

1. “Put the toys in the box.” (pause)

2. “Now, let’s get your shoes.” (pause)

3. “Time to go!” (pause)

What to avoid:

✗ Don’t repeat instructions quickly or keep asking “Did you hear me?” Slowing down gives your child time to process and respond.

✗ Give too much information at once 

✗ Give instructions in the reverse order (e.g. before you do X, do Y)

 

Using Language (Communicating)

 

What helps:

✓ Repeat and expand what your child says. Child: “Car!” → You: “Yes! A fast blue car!”

✓ Give choices to encourage talking. “Do you want juice or milk?” (Hold both up, wait for a response)

✓ Talk about the pictures in books—you don’t have to read every word! “Look! The bear is hiding! What do you think he’s doing?”

✓ Comment what your child is doing and what you're doing using short phrases, this will give them models of language, e.g. "I'm so hungry, let's eat", "You're eating a banana".

✓ Model functional words in context (I want + more/food/drink/finish/toilet, I like it, I don't want it/like it, action words (what doing), expressing opinions, and feelings (e.g. I'm happy/sad/scared/angry).

✓ Use your home language if you're bilingual; using more than one language does not confuse or delay children but it is beneficial for their cognitive development and cultural inclusion when interacting with other family members.

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What to avoid:

✗ Don’t ask your child to say something on demand, after you or use their words. It can reduce confidence and make them feel pressured to communicate (and reduce motivation to do so) or encourage their imitation skills but this does not transfer to independent communication at other times when they need to communicate.

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Social Interaction Skills and Autism Associated Needs (Early Years)

 

What helps:

✓ Follow your child’s lead. Join in with what they are interested in—even if it's spinning wheels over and over again, shredding paper, or lining up toys. 

✓ Use the Intensive Interaction approach. This means copying your child’s sounds, movements or facial expressions (without pressuring). This builds trust, connection, and helps your child learn that interaction can feel safe and fun.

Joining in with their rhythm—if they flap, flap with them! Getting into their world instead of pulling them into yours.

✓ Support your child’s sensory needs. Many children communicate through movement, sound, or behaviour before they use words. Examples:

• Rocking = self-regulation

• Spinning = sensory seeking

• Hiding = overwhelmed

• Avoiding eye contact = feeling safe

✓ Create a predictable environment.

✓ Use visual routines, timers, and simple schedules to help reduce anxiety.

✓ Focus on connection rather than compliance. True communication develops through meaningful connection, not just following instructions. Prioritise interactions that make your child feel safe, seen, and heard—this builds the foundation for authentic social connection, emotional development, and language growth.

 

What to avoid:

✗ Don’t force eye contact. Looking away can help children think and feel safe.

✗ Don’t interrupt repetitive play. It may be helping your child feel calm, focused or happy.

✗ Avoid social ‘training’ methods. Instead of teaching scripts like “Say hello,” focus on authentic connection and what feels natural to your child.

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