Speech Sound Questions

My child can’t say the “r” sound. Should I be concerned?

The “r” sound can be difficult because the tongue position is complex and cannot be easily seen. Whether your child needs support will depend on their age, the type of error, whether they can produce the sound with help and how much it affects their speech.

A speech sound assessment can determine whether the difficulty is likely to resolve with development or whether targeted intervention would be helpful.

My child says “w” instead of “r”. What does this mean?

Saying “w” instead of “r”, such as saying “wed” for “red”, is a recognised speech sound pattern. It may be developmentally expected for a younger child, but a persistent pattern can make a child’s speech sound younger than their peers.

My child can’t say the “l” sound.

Some children replace “l” with “w” or another sound, saying “wion” for “lion”, for example. A speech pathologist can assess whether your child understands the difference between the sounds and can learn the correct tongue placement.

My child says “f” or “d” instead of “th”.

Children may say “fink” for “think” or “dis” for “this”. The two “th” sounds require careful coordination of the tongue, teeth and airflow. An assessment can determine whether the error is still developmentally appropriate or requires support.

My child has a lisp. Will they grow out of it?

A lisp can occur when air travels in the wrong direction during sounds such as “s” and “z”. Some speech patterns change with development, but others persist without intervention.

Assessment is recommended when the lisp continues, affects intelligibility, causes frustration or concerns your child.

My child says “s” instead of “sh”.

Replacing “sh” with “s”, such as saying “sip” for “ship”, can occur when a child has not yet learned the difference between the two sounds. Therapy may focus on hearing the contrast, establishing the correct mouth position and using the sound in increasingly complex words and sentences.

My child has difficulty saying “ch” or “j”.

The sounds “ch” and “j” combine a brief stopping action with controlled airflow. Children may simplify them to sounds such as “sh”, “t”, “d” or “z”. A speech assessment can identify the pattern and the most appropriate starting point for intervention.

My child says “t” instead of “k” or “d” instead of “g”.

This pattern occurs when a child produces sounds at the front of the mouth instead of lifting the back of the tongue. You might hear “tat” for “cat” or “do” for “go”.

Persistent difficulty with “k” and “g” can significantly affect how clearly a child is understood.

My child cannot say consonant blends such as “sp”, “bl” or “str”.

Words containing two or three consonants can be difficult to coordinate. A child might say “poon” for “spoon”, “blue” as “boo”, or “street” as “teet”.

Assessment can identify whether your child is simplifying a small number of blends or using a broader speech pattern.

My child leaves sounds out of words.

Children may omit sounds from the beginning, middle or end of words. The effect on intelligibility depends on which sounds are omitted and how frequently this happens.

Leaving sounds out can also affect spelling because children need accurate awareness of all the sounds within a word.

My child says the same word differently each time.

Inconsistent productions can make a child particularly difficult to understand. For example, the same word might be produced in several different ways during one conversation.

This pattern should be assessed rather than treated as a single-sound error because it may require a different intervention approach.

My child talks a lot, but unfamiliar people cannot understand them.

Parents and siblings often become skilled at interpreting a child’s speech. Difficulty may be more noticeable when the child speaks to teachers, peers or unfamiliar adults.

A speech pathologist can examine which sounds and patterns are affecting intelligibility and whether the child is becoming frustrated, quiet or reluctant to participate.

My child becomes upset when people do not understand them.

Repeated communication breakdowns can be frustrating and embarrassing. Some children repeat themselves, become angry, withdraw or allow an adult to speak for them.

Support can focus on clearer speech as well as strategies for repairing communication when a listener does not understand.

Language and Developmental Language Disorder Questions

My child has difficulty following instructions.

Following instructions requires a child to understand vocabulary, grammar, concepts, sequence and the amount of information they are expected to remember.

A child may follow simple instructions but struggle when directions contain several steps, unfamiliar words, positional concepts or words such as “before”, “after”, “unless” and “except”.

My child forgets what I have just asked them to do.

This can happen when an instruction places too much demand on language processing or working memory. It does not always mean the child was not listening.

Breaking instructions into smaller steps and using visual support may help, but persistent difficulty should be investigated.

My child does not answer questions properly.

Different questions require different types of information. A child might answer “what” questions but struggle with “when”, “why”, “how” or hypothetical questions.

Assessment can explore whether the difficulty relates to understanding the question, finding the words, organising an answer or remembering the relevant information.

My child understands more than they can say.

Some children have strong ideas but difficulty finding words, constructing sentences or explaining what they know. They might use gestures, brief phrases or general words such as “thing”, “stuff” and “that one”.

A language assessment can compare your child’s understanding and spoken expression.

My child uses short or grammatically incorrect sentences.

You may notice missing words, incorrect pronouns, limited joining words or errors with verb tense. For example, a child might say “her go shop yesterday” rather than “she went to the shops yesterday”.

Persistent grammatical difficulty can affect classroom participation, reading comprehension and written sentences.

My child has trouble finding the right word.

Word-finding difficulty can look like long pauses, using vague words, describing the word instead of naming it or saying a related but incorrect word.

A child might know the answer but be unable to retrieve the exact word quickly enough.

My child has a limited vocabulary.

Vocabulary involves more than naming objects. Children need to understand and use verbs, describing words, concepts, curriculum vocabulary and the relationships between words.

A limited vocabulary can make instructions, classroom discussions, reading comprehension and writing more difficult.

My child cannot retell a story or explain what happened.

Storytelling requires a child to organise characters, setting, events, problems, actions and outcomes in a logical sequence. Children also need appropriate grammar and vocabulary to connect their ideas.

A child who struggles with narrative language may give disconnected details or leave out information the listener needs.

My child gives very disorganised explanations.

Your child may know what happened but describe events out of order, move between topics or assume that the listener already knows important information.

Visual planning, sequencing and explicit teaching of explanation structures can help.

My child takes everything literally.

Understanding humour, sarcasm, implied meaning and non-literal language requires a child to combine the words spoken with context and background knowledge.

Persistent difficulty with inference and non-literal language can affect classroom learning, friendships and reading comprehension.

What is Developmental Language Disorder?

Developmental Language Disorder, or DLD, is a persistent difficulty understanding and/or using spoken language that significantly affects everyday communication, learning or social participation.

DLD can affect vocabulary, grammar, instructions, questions, storytelling, conversation, reading and writing. It is sometimes described as a hidden difficulty because a child’s language needs might not be immediately obvious.

What are possible signs of DLD?

Possible signs include difficulty:

• understanding instructions
• learning and remembering new words
• answering questions
• constructing complete sentences
• using grammar and verb tense
• explaining ideas
• telling or retelling stories
• understanding what has been read
• participating in conversations
• learning to read and write.

These signs can also have other causes, so a comprehensive assessment is needed.

Can a child with DLD be intelligent?

Yes. Language difficulty is not the same as low intelligence.

A child might understand a topic, solve problems or have strong practical and creative skills while still finding spoken and written language very difficult.

Can DLD affect reading and writing?

Yes. Reading comprehension and written expression rely heavily on vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, background knowledge and the ability to organise ideas.

Some children with DLD also experience difficulty with phonological awareness, decoding or spelling.

Can language difficulty look like poor behaviour?

Sometimes. A child might avoid an activity, copy another student, change the subject, become silly, shut down or refuse when they do not understand the language being used.

Behaviour should not automatically be assumed to be caused by language difficulty, but communication demands should be considered.

Spelling, Reading, & Writing Questions

My child has trouble hearing the sounds in words.

The ability to notice and work with the sound structure of spoken words is called phonological awareness. It includes recognising rhyme, counting syllables and identifying, blending, segmenting or manipulating individual speech sounds.

These skills are important foundations for learning to read and spell.

My child cannot recognise rhyming words.

Rhyming requires a child to notice that words share the same ending sound pattern. Some children can recite familiar rhymes but cannot decide whether two new words rhyme.

Difficulty with rhyme can be one sign that a child needs further support with phonological awareness.

My child cannot clap or count syllables.

Syllables are the beats or parts within a spoken word. For example, “computer” contains three syllables.

Syllable awareness is an early phonological skill and can support later work with smaller individual sounds.

My child cannot identify the first sound in a word.

A child might know that “sun” starts with the letter S but have difficulty identifying the spoken sound /s/. This distinction matters because reading and spelling require children to connect letters with speech sounds.

My child cannot identify the last sound in a word.

Final sounds can be harder to notice, particularly in words containing consonant blends. A child might hear the first sound in “milk” but miss the final /k/.

This can contribute to omitted letters when spelling.

My child cannot blend sounds to make a word.

Blending involves combining separate sounds, such as /m/–/a/–/p/, to produce “map”. It is a core decoding skill.

A child who cannot blend orally may have difficulty reading unfamiliar words, even when they know the individual letter–sound relationships.

My child cannot break a word into sounds.

Segmenting is the ability to separate a spoken word into its individual sounds. For example, “ship” contains three sounds: /sh/–/i/–/p/.

Children use segmentation when deciding which letters or letter groups are needed to spell a word.

My child cannot remove or change sounds in words.

Sound manipulation includes tasks such as saying “smile” without /s/ or changing the /m/ in “map” to /t/ to make “tap”.

These more advanced phonological skills support flexible and efficient reading and spelling.

My child knows the alphabet but still cannot read words.

Knowing letter names is different from knowing how letters represent sounds and how those sounds combine within words.

A child may sing the alphabet accurately but still need explicit teaching in letter–sound relationships, blending and decoding.

Can speech sound difficulties affect reading and spelling?

They can. Speech production and literacy are different skills, but both involve detailed knowledge of the sound system of language.

Some children with a history of speech sound difficulty also experience difficulty recognising, storing or manipulating sounds for reading and spelling.

Reading, Decoding and Dyslexia Questions

My child can’t read. Where do we begin?

The first step is to identify which component of reading is difficult. Assessment may examine letter–sound knowledge, phonological awareness, decoding, word reading, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.

Intervention should be matched to the skills your child has not yet developed rather than simply providing more difficult books.

My child guesses words instead of sounding them out.

Guessing from a picture, the first letter or the shape of a word can allow a child to appear successful with familiar books. It does not provide a reliable strategy for reading unfamiliar words.

Your child may need explicit support to look through the whole word, connect letters with sounds and blend those sounds accurately.

My child memorises books but cannot read new words.

Children can remember repeated books, predictable phrases and familiar classroom texts. This can hide difficulty decoding unfamiliar words.

Trying carefully selected unfamiliar words or texts can help determine whether the child is reading the print or recalling the text from memory.

My child reads very slowly.

Slow reading may occur when decoding is not yet accurate or automatic. The child might use so much effort to identify each word that little attention remains for understanding the sentence.

Assessment can distinguish between decoding, word recognition, fluency and language-comprehension difficulties.

My child reads accurately but it takes enormous effort.

Accuracy alone does not provide a complete picture of reading ability. A child may achieve correct answers through intense effort, repeated self-correction or very slow processing.

The amount of effort, fatigue and avoidance associated with reading should also be considered.

My child skips small words or word endings.

Skipping words such as “the”, “of” or “was”, or missing endings such as “-ed” and “-s”, can change sentence meaning.

This may reflect inaccurate tracking, guessing, weak attention to the whole word or difficulty processing grammatical information.

My child can read the words but does not understand the story.

Reading comprehension requires more than accurate word reading. Children also need vocabulary, grammar, background knowledge, inference, memory and the ability to connect information across sentences.

A child can therefore have adequate decoding but still require language and comprehension support.

My child refuses to read aloud.

Refusal may indicate that reading is effortful, embarrassing or associated with repeated correction. Some children avoid reading to protect themselves from a task in which they expect to struggle.

The priority is to identify the source of the difficulty rather than increasing pressure.

My child refuses to read books.

A child may avoid books because decoding is difficult, the language is too complex, the topic is not interesting or previous reading experiences have become stressful.

Comics, graphic novels, magazines, instructions, fact books and interest-based texts can provide useful starting points while the underlying reading skills are assessed and supported.

What is dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a language-based reading disorder involving persistent difficulty with accurate and/or fluent word reading and spelling.

Children with dyslexia commonly require more explicit instruction, repetition and practice to develop phonological awareness, decoding and spelling skills.

What are possible signs of dyslexia?

Possible signs include:

• difficulty learning letter–sound relationships
• difficulty blending sounds
• inaccurate or slow word reading
• guessing unfamiliar words
• inconsistent spelling
• difficulty reading nonsense or unfamiliar words
• avoiding reading and writing
• needing much more effort and repetition than peers
• a family history of reading or spelling difficulty.

A checklist alone cannot diagnose dyslexia. Assessment must consider the child’s learning history, instruction, response to intervention and current reading profile.

Does reversing letters mean my child has dyslexia?

Not necessarily. Letter reversals can occur while children are learning to distinguish and form letters.

Dyslexia is primarily associated with persistent difficulty developing accurate or fluent word reading and spelling, rather than being a visual problem.

Should I wait for my child to grow out of their reading difficulty?

It is usually better to investigate persistent difficulty than to rely only on waiting. Support can begin as soon as a skill gap is identified; a formal diagnosis is not required before a child receives targeted teaching.

Can an older primary-school child still improve their reading?

Yes. Older children can continue to develop decoding, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and spelling skills.

Intervention should remain respectful and age-appropriate while directly teaching the foundational skills the child has not yet mastered.

What are decodable books?

Decodable books are written so that much of the text can be read using the letter–sound relationships a child has already been taught.

They can provide focused decoding practice, but the text still needs to be carefully matched to the child’s current skills.

Spelling, Writing and Dysgraphia Questions

My child refuses to write sentences.

Writing refusal may occur when a child has difficulty generating an idea, constructing a sentence, spelling, handwriting, punctuation, remembering the task or organising several processes at once.

It is important to determine which part of writing is creating the barrier.

My child can tell me the answer but cannot write it down.

Speaking and writing place different demands on a child. Writing requires the child to hold an idea in mind while selecting vocabulary, constructing grammar, spelling words, forming or typing letters and applying punctuation.

Oral rehearsal, visual planning and sentence scaffolds can help identify and reduce these demands.

My child says, “I don’t know what to write.”

The child may genuinely have difficulty generating or organising ideas. Open-ended writing tasks can be especially challenging when the expected structure is unclear.

A picture, verbal discussion, word bank, sentence starter or graphic organiser can provide a clearer entry point.

My child’s spelling is very poor.

Spelling draws on phonological awareness, letter–sound knowledge, spelling patterns, syllables, morphology and word memory.

Assessment can identify whether your child is missing sounds, representing sounds inaccurately or having difficulty applying spelling conventions (spelling rules).

My child spells the same word differently each time.

Inconsistent spelling may indicate that the word has not been stored securely or that the child is relying on guessing rather than a stable spelling strategy.

Examining the child’s attempts can reveal whether the difficulty relates to sounds, spelling patterns or meaningful word parts.

My child leaves sounds or syllables out when spelling.

This can happen when the child cannot segment the complete spoken word or hold all its sounds in memory while writing.

Words with blends, multiple syllables or less obvious vowel patterns may be particularly difficult.

My child’s sentences are missing words or do not make sense.

Written sentence difficulty may reflect challenges with grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary or holding the entire sentence in mind.

Explicit sentence instruction and oral rehearsal can help a child learn how complete sentences are constructed.

My child has good ideas but their writing is disorganised.

Planning and organising writing requires a child to select relevant ideas, group them logically and connect them for the reader.

Graphic organisers, paragraph frameworks and explicit teaching of text structure can reduce this load.

What is dysgraphia?

The term dysgraphia is used in different ways. In an educational and diagnostic context, a persistent difficulty with spelling and/or written expression may be identified as a Specific Learning Disorder with impairment in written expression.

Difficulties may affect spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence construction and the organisation of written work. Handwriting difficulty can also occur, but handwriting and written expression are not the same skill.

Is poor handwriting the same as dysgraphia?

Not necessarily. A child may have difficulty with letter formation, fine-motor coordination or writing speed while having age-appropriate spelling and sentence skills.

An Occupational Therapist may be involved when the primary concern is handwriting or motor coordination. A speech pathologist can assess the language, spelling and sentence-level components of written expression.

Can speech-to-text help my child?

Speech-to-text can allow a child to demonstrate knowledge without handwriting and spelling demands blocking the task. It can be a useful adjustment while the child continues receiving instruction in the underlying skills.

Children may still need support to plan, dictate, review and edit their sentences.

Executive Functioning During Learning Activities

My child knows how to do the work but cannot get started.

Starting a task requires the child to understand the goal, identify the first step, organise materials and manage uncertainty.

A clear model, visual checklist or very small first step can reduce the demand.

My child becomes overwhelmed by multi-step activities.

Long instructions can overload language processing and working memory. The child may start the wrong step, complete only one part or repeatedly ask what to do.

Providing one or two steps at a time and showing the sequence visually can help.

My child cannot remember instructions while completing the task.

Working memory allows information to be held and used for a short period. Reading, spelling and writing can place heavy demands on working memory because the child must manage several pieces of information simultaneously.

Visual reminders and reducing unnecessary language can make the task more manageable.

My child cannot stay focused during reading or writing.

Attention can be affected by many factors, including task difficulty, fatigue, environmental distractions, language demands and anxiety about making mistakes.

A child who focuses well on preferred activities but avoids literacy tasks may be communicating that the work is too difficult or effortful.

My child rushes and makes careless mistakes.

What appears careless may reflect impulsivity, fatigue, weak self-monitoring or an attempt to escape an uncomfortable task quickly.

A short review checklist can teach the child exactly what to check rather than simply telling them to “be more careful”.

My child cannot change strategies when they get stuck.

Cognitive flexibility allows a learner to stop an unsuccessful approach and try another one. Some children continue guessing, repeat the same error or become distressed when the first strategy does not work.

Teaching a small number of clearly named strategies can make this decision easier.

My child cannot plan a story or written response.

Planning requires the child to decide what information is relevant, organise it and keep the overall goal in mind.

A visual story map, paragraph framework or oral planning conversation can support this process.

My child has tantrums or meltdowns during homework.

A tantrum or meltdown may occur after demands exceed the child’s available language, literacy, attention or regulation capacity. Continuing to push through the same task does not identify the cause.

Record which activities trigger the reaction, how long the child can participate and what support makes the task easier. This information can be valuable during an assessment.

Helping Your Child Engage With Reading and Writing

How can I get my child to read with me?

Begin with shared enjoyment rather than testing. Let your child choose the text, read most of it aloud yourself and invite them to join in with a word, sentence or repeated section they can manage.

Stopping while the experience is still positive is often more productive than continuing until the child is exhausted, and/or becomes uninterested.

What can I do if my child refuses books?

Books are not the only meaningful form of reading. Try comics, graphic novels, joke books, recipes, game instructions, sports information, animal facts, menus or material connected with your child’s interests.

Avoidance should still be investigated when your child consistently refuses any activity involving print.

Should I let my child choose very easy books?

Yes. Easy and familiar books can help rebuild confidence and enjoyment.

Your child can also use carefully selected material for targeted decoding practice. The two activities have different purposes and do not need to happen with the same book.

Do audiobooks count as reading?

Audiobooks provide access to stories, vocabulary, knowledge and more complex language. They are particularly useful when a child’s understanding is stronger than their word-reading ability.

Audiobooks do not directly replace decoding instruction, but they can help a child continue developing language and enjoyment of stories.

Are comics and graphic novels real reading?

Yes. They require children to interpret words, pictures, dialogue, sequence and implied meaning.

They can be an effective way to increase engagement, although a child with decoding difficulty will still need targeted teaching and practice at an appropriate level.

Should I correct every reading mistake?

Correcting every error can make shared reading stressful. During enjoyable reading, maintain the flow and help when needed.

During targeted decoding practice, respond to errors using prompts connected with the sound or spelling pattern the child is learning.

How long should we practise reading at home?

A brief, predictable practice period is often more manageable than a long session that ends in conflict. The appropriate length depends on the child’s age, skills and tolerance.

Regular successful practice is more valuable than occasionally completing a very long and difficult activity.

How can I make blending and sound practice more engaging?

Keep practice brief and use physical objects, counters, magnetic letters or simple movement. Your child might push one counter for each sound and then sweep a finger across the row while blending the word.

Games should still involve the exact skill being taught rather than distracting from it.

How can I encourage my child to write?

Give writing a clear and meaningful purpose. Your child might create a shopping list, caption a photograph, write a message, design a game, label a drawing or dictate a short review.

Reduce unnecessary demands so that the activity targets one manageable skill at a time.

Should I write down my child’s ideas for them?

Scribing can help separate idea generation and sentence construction from handwriting and spelling. Ask your child to say the sentence, repeat it together and then decide which part they will write.

Scribing should support participation rather than permanently replacing opportunities to build writing skills.

How can I stop literacy homework becoming a battle?

Choose a predictable time, remove unnecessary distractions and make the goal specific. Instead of “finish your reading”, use a clear target such as “read these five words and then I will read the rest”.

If homework repeatedly causes distress despite support, speak with the classroom teacher and investigate whether the task matches your child’s skills.

Should I reward my child for reading?

Encouragement and recognition of effort can help, particularly when reading has become associated with failure. Rewards should not be used to conceal a task that remains inaccessible.

The child still needs appropriate instruction, achievable material and opportunities to experience genuine success.

Speech Pathology Assessments and Support

When should I seek help?

Consider seeking advice when a difficulty:

• persists over time, months to a year or more
• affects how well other people understand your child
• affects classroom learning
• causes frustration or avoidance
• affects friendships or participation in social events
• requires substantially more effort than expected
• has not improved despite doing class homework
• concerns you, your child or their teacher.

You do not need to wait until a child is failing before requesting an assessment. Get in touch today to have a chat.

What does a speech pathology assessment examine?

The assessment is selected according to your concerns. It may examine:

• speech sound production
• understanding spoken language
• vocabulary and word retrieval
• grammar and sentence construction
• following instructions
• storytelling and narrative language
• phonological awareness
• decoding and word reading
• reading comprehension
• spelling
• written sentence construction.

Information from parents, teachers and previous reports also helps build a complete picture.

Can a speech pathologist help with reading and spelling?

Yes. Speech pathologists work with spoken language and the language skills that support literacy. This can include phonological awareness, decoding, vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension, spelling and written language.

Can a speech pathologist diagnose dyslexia?

A speech pathologist can assess the speech, language, phonological-awareness, decoding, spelling and comprehension skills associated with reading difficulty.

A formal diagnosis of Specific Learning Disorder with impairment in reading is generally made by an appropriately qualified psychologist. The speech pathologist’s assessment can contribute important information to that process and intervention does not need to wait for a diagnosis.

Can a speech pathologist diagnose DLD?

Speech pathologists assess and identify language disorders, including DLD. Diagnosis requires consideration of the child’s language profile, functional impact, developmental history and whether another known condition better explains the language difficulty.

Assessment may also involve information from teachers, psychologists, paediatricians, audiologists or other professionals.

Who assesses dysgraphia?

Persistent difficulty with spelling and written expression is generally investigated through educational and psychological assessment. A speech pathologist can assess the language and literacy components, while an occupational therapist may assess handwriting and motor skills.

The professionals involved will depend on the child’s particular profile.

Does my child need a speech pathologist or a tutor?

A tutor generally teaches curriculum or provides additional practice that supports achieving the curriculum outcomes. A speech pathologist assesses the underlying communication and language processes that may be affecting speech, reading, spelling, comprehension or writing.

Some children benefit from both, with the professionals working toward complementary goals.

Can you work with my child’s school?

With parent consent, collaboration may include communicating with teachers, discussing assessment findings, identifying classroom barriers, recommending adjustments and coordinating goals.

This helps connect individual intervention with the language and literacy demands the child experiences at school.

What happens after an assessment?

Assessment should lead to a clear explanation of:

• your child’s strengths
• the areas creating difficulty
• how these difficulties affect everyday learning
• whether intervention is recommended
• appropriate goals
• strategies for home and school
• whether another professional should be involved.

Support From Frankly Speaking Speech Pathology

Frankly Speaking Speech Pathology provides mobile assessment and intervention for children aged 3-16 years.

Support is available for children experiencing difficulty with:

• speech sound production
• understanding and using language
• phonological and phonemic awareness
• blending and segmenting, decoding and word reading
• reading comprehension
• spelling
• sentence construction and written language
• participating in language and literacy learning activities.

Mobile services are provided in homes, preschools and primary schools between Penrith, Hawkesbury, and the Lower Blue Mountains.

Not sure which service your child needs?

You do not need to identify the diagnosis or choose an assessment before making contact. Describe what you have noticed, and we can discuss the most appropriate next step.

Contact Frankly Speaking Speech Pathology - 0482 055 097

This information is general in nature and is not a substitute for an individual assessment. Every child develops differently, and similar red flags, signs and presentations can have different underlying causes.