F Says /w/

There are quite a few letters of the alphabet that Isaiah can't fully pronounce yet, which is why I'm holding back on my urge to teach him to read this year. However, I know that some of the battle is simply repetition. Sydney finally learned how to say her /s/ sound, therefore being able to correctly pronounce her own name, only the day before her third birthday. But the "sh" sound was different, and she kept substituting /d/ until almost 6 months later. Someone questioned a word that she spoke, and then she finally realized she could pronounce it right.

Isaiah has been substituting /w/ for the /f/ sound. It is kind of funny to hear woot, wor, wiretruck, wroot loops, and other words substituted in this fashion. But I decided, about the end of July or so, that it was time to start practicing the right way. I knew he could say the /f/ sound if he tried.

So, every time I heard Isaiah say an "f" sound incorrectly, I would make him repeat the word using /f/. And I mean every time. It was kind of annoying to me at first, but that was because it was a new pattern and he didn't want to comply. Then he got to the point where he knew what was expected, so he would easily comply. Then, he got to the point where he started correcting himself. And now, I am happy to announce, Isaiah is saying words that begin with "f" with the /f/ sound! How sweet it is.

Now I just need to figure out what sound combo we're going to work on next...