Should I Correct My Child’s Speech?

Should a parent correct their child when they make speech mistakes? When they make grammatical errors? “Look, I catched the ball!” When they mispronounce a word? “I see a wabbit!”

In a nutshell, no. Parents should not “correct” their child. Read on to find out why.

Parents should always practise positive communication, even when their child makes mistakes. It is essential for kids to enjoy communicating and to feel that they are able to communicate effectively. If a child thinks they are incapable of expressing themself properly or no longer find communicating with others enjoyable, they are likely to become more and more closed off.

For this reason, it is not a good idea to point out when your child misspeaks or to correct their speech. Doing so will merely cut the conversation short and hurt your child’s confidence.

Instead, focus on what your child says, not how they say it. Whether they are recapping their school day, explaining why they feel sad, or telling you about a challenge they overcame, you should listen to and appreciate the message they are trying to convey.

To learn how to use language properly, kids have to be regularly exposed to the words and sounds they have trouble with. Anytime they make a mistake, they should immediately hear the correct wording or pronunciation. This method of repeating what your child has said using the correct words is known as recasting. It helps them learn what they should have said.

Here are two examples:

• If your child says, “Look, I catched the ball!” you can reply, “Yes, you caught the ball!”
• If your child says, “I see a wabbit,” you can reply, “That’s right, it’s a rabbit.”

And so on and so forth. There is no need to expressly point out your child’s mistake.
 

Tip 1: Always maintain a positive tone. The aim is not to “correct” your child, but to give them something to emulate.

Tip 2: Do not ask your child to repeat after you. The goal is for them to mentally compare what they said to what you said and notice the differences. In addition, asking your child to repeat after you draws attention to their mistake, which is not helpful.

You can go a step further by stressing words or sounds to emphasize corrections: “Yes, that’s right, you caught the ball” or “You see a rabbit.” This ensures that your child hears the word or sound they need to learn. The process of hearing words and sounds over and over again is how kids come to memorize them and use them properly.