Phonological Processes Series- Velar Fronting

Welcome to this blog series where I talk about one phonological process at a time to deepen your understanding of each pattern. Phonological processes are typical error patterns that many kids use as they are learning to talk. One of the most common phonological processes is velar fronting. When your child uses this pattern, you may hear them say “tup” for “cup” or “det” for “get.” Because these patterns are typical up until a certain age, it can be hard to know whether or not your child will eventually grow out of it on their own, or whether they need will speech therapy. Here’s some more information to help you know when to contact a speech therapist.

What is Velar Fronting?

With velar fronting, your child is taking a sound made in the back of the mouth, like K and G, and producing a sound in the front of the mouth instead, like T and D. Say a “kuh” sound. Feel how your tongue is in the back of your mouth as you say it. Now say a “tuh” sound and feel how your tongue touches the gum behind the upper front teeth. In this pattern, your child is saying a “tuh” sound to replace a “kuh” sound, and moving the sound from the back of the mouth to the front. Your child may say “tan” for “can” or “date” for “gate.”

At What Age Should My Child Stop Using This Pattern?

Typically, this pattern disappears by 4 years of age. If your child is 4 years old and is still doing this pattern, it might be a good idea to consult with a speech therapist. Continued use of this pattern can make it hard for others to understand your child’s speech and can increase frustration for your child.

How Can I Notice if My Child Is Using Velar Fronting?

Your child may be using the pattern at the beginning, middle, or ending or words. Sometimes children are using the pattern no matter where the sound occurs in the word. Here are some examples:

Beginning: Tat for Cat, Dot for Got
Middle: Unitorn for Unicorn, Adin for again
End: Lot for Lock, Bid for Big

How Do Speech Therapists Treat Phonological Processes?

Approaches to treating phonological processes include the use of the following:

1. Minimal Pairs: Research supports the use of minimal pairs to treat this pattern. The minimal pairs approach takes two words that differ in only one sound. The use of each of the sounds changes the word meaning. One way to use minimal pairs is to show the child two pictures to see if they can identify the one you are saying. For example, your child may say "key” for “tea.” So we show them one picture of a “tea” pot and the other is of “key” to see if they can identify the right picture when we say “tea” or “key.” This increases your child’s awareness that if they use the “t” sound and say “tea,” they are saying a completely different word than if they use the “k” sound to say “key.” Then as the child becomes more familiar, the child can tell you which one to identify, which requires them to differentiate between the two sounds when they speak, so that you know which picture they are talking about. You may ask the child, “How should we open the door?” while showing them a picture of “tea” and “key.” This helps them use their K sound to say “key.”

2. Teach How the Sounds Are Made: If your child has difficulty making a K or G sound, speech therapy can help your child identify that your tongue has to go to the back of the mouth when making these sounds. The use of a mirror or the self-view camera during a teletherapy session is helpful! The K sound is “quiet” with your voice turned off, and the G sound is “loud” with your voice turned on. I also talk to children about sounds that are made in the front of the mouth, and how your tongue touches behind your teeth to say T and D. That way, we can help the child to know that some sounds are made in the “front” and some are made in the “back” of the mouth as a way to help them differentiate.

3. Give Positive, Specific Feedback: Giving positive feedback when your child uses the right sound goes a long way to raise awareness. Instead of just saying “good job,” tell your child exactly what they did to communicate their message successfully. Sometimes I say, I heard your “K” sound! You said you would like your toy “back.” Or if there is an error, I may say, '“Did you mean “your toy bat” or “you want your toy back?” Oh, “back,” now I understand. Thanks for using your K sound to tell me!

I hope you learned a little bit more about one of the many speech patterns that can persist past the typical age of disappearance and how it can be treated. If your child is struggling with speech or language skills, contact me for a free consultation.