Help preschoolers with unclear speech get ready to learn to read

For preschoolers with speech sound disorders, we should do both speech sound therapy and phonological awareness training before school starts.

Why it matters:

Kids with speech sound disorders are at risk for later reading and writing problems. This isn’t surprising given speaking and reading both require phonological skills.

Banter tip:

Not all phonological awareness skills are equally important for literacy.

In our clinic, we focus on letter-sound links, blending, and segmenting skills – all linked to reading – and always include letters – not just pictures or sounds.

Go deeper

Cabbage & Algeo-Nichols (2024). Literacy-Based Intervention for Children With Speech Sound Disorders: A Review of the Literature. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups. Volume 9, Issue 4.

Free parent resources: 

Is my preschooler ready for school? Communication skills that lead to success: a free guide for families with preschoolers

eBook: My child’s speech is unclear: things to know and how to help


Man with glasses standing in front of a bookcase

Hi there, I’m David Kinnane.

Principal Speech Pathologist, Banter Speech & Language

Our talented team of certified practising speech pathologists provide unhurried, personalised and evidence-based speech pathology care to children and adults in the Inner West of Sydney and beyond, both in our clinic and via telehealth.

David Kinnane
Speech-Language Pathologist. Lawyer. Father. Reader. Writer. Speaker.

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