W

I was discussing with a a client whose son has difficulty in saying ‘W’. Both teacher and mother have run out of patience.

To be fair to the kid, I suggested a step-by-step approach:
1. Start with ‘da-da-da-da-da’
2. Followed by ‘bel-bel-bel-bel-bel’
3. Continue with ‘you-you-you-you-you’
4. Try pairing ‘da-bel’ and ‘bel-you’
5. After gaining confidence, put them together and encourage the kid to say, ‘da-bel-you’

I persuaded the mother to stop forcing the kid to memorize as he has been struggling with speech as well. Look at it this way –> A , B, C, …..P, T, V ..most alphabets must one syllable only. Thus, W is so HARD to the memory and the mouth to a 4-year old.

Reward can be applied after a job well done. Most importantly, the kid learns not to give up and will tackle any obstacle in life later on as W stands for WINNING.

Ideas:
Just remember, learning can take place anywhere and anytime. Play with ‘water’ and have fun eating juicy ‘watermelon’. If you are lucky, try experiencing cold ‘winter’ by using shaved ice. Or play catch and run and the shout ‘win’. Cut a picture of a ‘whale’ and paste it onto the bedroom or bathroom wall.