How are Speech Sound Errors and Literacy Related?

True or false…
Children with speech sound difficulties are at a higher risk for difficulty with development of reading and writing skills.
 
Answer: This is true. The risk is greater for children who have speech sound errors AND significant difficulty with phonological awareness (PA) skills. This includes difficulty recognizing rhyming words, and blending and segmenting sounds in words (e.g., m + a + sh -> “mash”, “sheep” -> sh + ee + p). These foundation skills are important for learning to read and write.

Since difficulties with speech sound development can impact a child academically, it would be wise to assess PA skills and to consider incorporating PA into speech therapy activities – even for those who are “just being seen for speech”.
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If you have concerns about your child’s speech and language development, call for a free phone consultation.