“He just says ‘wabbit’ instead of ‘rabbit’, it’s cute!”
“She mixes up ‘g’ and ‘d’ sounds — but she’ll grow out of it, right?”
It’s normal for young children to make pronunciation errors. But what if these errors persist longer than expected? And what if they start to affect how your child learns to read and write?
Research has shown that persistent speech sound disorders can impact more than just communication — they may also put children at risk of reading difficulties and literacy delays.
Let’s explore why.
🧠 What the Research Says
A 2022 study from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (Melbourne) found that children who had speech sound disorders at age 4–5 were more likely to have:
- Difficulty identifying sounds in words (phonemic awareness)
- Trouble connecting letters with sounds (phonics)
- Challenges in reading fluency and spelling by Year 1–2
“Speech production skills in the preschool years are a strong predictor of early literacy outcomes.”
— Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, 2022
This aligns with international studies (e.g., Gillon, 2004) which confirm that phonological awareness — the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words — is the foundation of learning to read.
🔍 Why Speech Sounds Matter for Reading
Learning to read in English requires children to:
- Break words into individual sounds (e.g., “cat” = c / a / t)
- Match those sounds to letters
- Blend sounds to form words
- Use this skill repeatedly and automatically
If a child consistently confuses speech sounds, e.g., saying “tat” for “cat” or “gog” for “dog”, they may also struggle to map those sounds to letters when learning to read.
🚩 Signs Your Child May Be at Risk
- Still making many unclear or immature speech sounds after age 4
- Teachers or peers have difficulty understanding them
- Avoids talking in front of others
- Shows frustration when reading or writing
- Struggles with rhyming, sound matching, or breaking down words
👪 What Can Parents Do?
- Don’t wait — seek a speech screen if unsure
Children don’t always “grow out of” speech sound errors — especially if they’re still present after 4 years old. - Play sound-based games
E.g., “I spy with my little eye something that starts with ‘s’…” or rhyming challenges like “What rhymes with cat?” - Model correct pronunciation without pressuring
Child: “I see a wabbit!”
Parent: “Yes! You see a rabbit hopping!” - Expose children to print and sound awareness
Read books with repetitive sound patterns (e.g. Dr. Seuss), and talk about the sounds at the beginning or end of words. - Work with a speech pathologist
A speech-language assessment can identify whether sound errors are age-appropriate, or if intervention is recommended.
✅ Final Thought
Speech and reading go hand-in-hand.
By supporting your child’s sound awareness and clear speech early on, you’re setting them up for success — not just in conversations, but in literacy and learning.
📞 Concerned your child may be at risk of reading difficulties due to unclear speech?
SPOT Allied Health offers early screening, speech therapy, and parent coaching across Greater Sydney.
📖 REF:
McLeod, S., & Harrison, L. J. (2022). Speech sound disorders and later literacy: A longitudinal study. Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
Gillon, G. T. (2004). Phonological awareness: From research to practice. The Guilford Press.
