Help preschoolers with unclear speech get ready to learn to read

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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 wearing glasses and a suit, standing in front of a bay

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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