Monday, January 14, 2008

Duh...

As I've mentioned in previous posts, by youngest daughter receives speech therapy at the local university. She has made wonderful progress! I was getting frustrated this past semester, however, as her progress seemed to stall. She had been working on the vocalic /r/ sound. (like in four and car). She had made such great progress with all the other sounds she worked on, I was afraid we were hitting a wall in her speech. I initially thought it may have been that the other sounds were more visible and easier to teach. You can show a child how to place their tongue to make the /l/ sound, for example. The vocalic /r/ was more difficult to "see". When reading over her most recent progress report, it finally hit me. It said she tended to vowelize this sound. Wait a minute! Doesn't everyone in Rhode Island vowelize the vocalic /r/? How can we expect her to correctly say "car", when all she's ever heard is "cah". Of course she vowelizes this sound! I feel so much better! When she starts up again in a few weeks, I'm going to suggest we just move on. After all, I don't want her to be the only freak in the state that pronounces her Rs!

5 comments:

Amy said...

The dangers of living in New Englad...good thinking!

Anonymous said...

Hello. This post is likeable, and your blog is very interesting, congratulations :-). I will add in my blogroll =). If possible gives a last there on my site, it is about the CresceNet, I hope you enjoy. The address is http://www.provedorcrescenet.com . A hug.

Stephanie Kay said...

As soon as you gave the example for the "r" I thought, well, she lives in RI. She doesn't hear the "r" pronounced. = ) Unless she lived in a house with a southern momma. In which case she'd say her "r"s like my boys do. = ) We're still working on the "l" sound with Will. He'll get it eventually.

Anonymous said...

LOL! Sounds normal to me.

Rachel said...

Hi...thanks for commenting on my Wordless Wednesday. I found your blog and love it!!! I was reading back a few posts to where you said you always envied Ma Ingalls. I always wanted to be Laura. I thought it would be great to live like that...and I had a crush on Alonzo Wilder when I was 8. :) Have you read the blog by Pioneer Woman? http://www.thepioneerwoman.com You would love it. They live on a working cattle ranch in OK and she homeschools her four "punks" as she calls them. She's a great photographer too! I hope you like it. I'll be back! :)