TheTheFixed-Up One Fixed-Up One

RoutineRoutineCaroline Bowen

Developing clearer speechDeveloping clearer speech

Question

What can families do in order to encourage better speech patterns and clearer speech in their own children who have speech sound disorders?

AnswersAnswers• They can learn effective ways of

modelling and recasting • and encourage their children to

use revisions and repairs.

Revisions and repairsRevisions and repairs

As adult speakers we constantly make little mistakes when we talk, and then quickly correct them, almost without noticing.

This process of noticing our own performance, or self-monitoring,

and then self-correcting when we notice we’ve made a mistake is called …

… making revisions and repairs.

Simple languageSimple language

When we talk to young children about making revisions and repairs we need to use simple language that they can relate to. We can use terms like …

‘fixing up’ what we say, or doing ‘fixed up ones’.

Some children with speech sound disorders are not very good self-correctors.

This is partly because it is hard for them to self-monitor, in order to know when to ‘fix up’ their speech.

Activities and routinesActivities and routines

The following activities and routines can be used by families to encourage the development of children’s self-monitoring,

and their ability to make revisions and repairs.

1.1.Talk about fixing up mistakesTalk about fixing up mistakes

You might say something like this: “If I said ‘yam’ when I should have said

‘lamb’, I would have to fix it up. I mean, if I said, ‘Mary had a little yam’, I would have to fix it up and say, ‘Mary had a little lamb’”.

Talk about fixing up mistakesTalk about fixing up mistakes

Or you might say something like: “When I accidentally say the wrong thing

I have to say it again properly. If I said, ‘Wook at the wadder’, I would

have to quickly fix it up and say, ‘Look at the ladder’”.

2.Model self-corrections2.Model self-correctionsDraw attention to real self-corrections of

yours. You might say:

“We’ll go shopping on Thursday night...uh oh...I mean, ‘Saturday morning’. That was a fixed-up-one. First I said, ‘Thursday night’ and then I quickly fixed it up and said, ‘Saturday morning’. We’ll go shopping on Saturday morning”.

Modelling self-correctionsModelling self-corrections

Draw attention to manufactured self-corrections of yours. You might say:

“It is too wet to mow the yawn...um...I mean ‘lawn’. That was a fixed-up-one. First I said ‘yawn’ and then I quickly fixed it up and said ‘lawn’. Too wet to mow the lawn”.

3.Reinforce self-corrections3.Reinforce self-corrections

Draw attention to your child’s spontaneous self-corrections. Comment when your child self-corrects without adult prompting.

You might say: “That was a good fixed-up-one. First you

said ‘tar’, and then you fixed it up all by yourself and said ‘car’. The best thing was that you reminded yourself!”

4.Use labelled praise4.Use labelled praise The term ‘labelled praise’ implies being

precise about what you are praising.

Very specific feedback such as:

“I like the way you said ‘shoe’ with a good ‘sh’ in it” …

…will be more powerful as a reinforcer than a general comment such as:

“You said that nicely”.

Labelled praiseLabelled praise

Labelled praise can be used for:

• clear speech attempts

• spontaneous revisions and repairs

Labelled praiseLabelled praiseLabelled praise can also be given when a

child makes an IMPROVED attempt at pronouncing a word. For example:

Adult: What colour is that? Child: Bat. Adult: Mmm? Child: Berlat. Adult: That sounded more like black.

I like the way you fixed it up.

5.Talk about making sense5.Talk about making senseAs natural opportunities arise, talk about

‘making sense when we talk’.Talk about words, and the need to say the right

word the right way so that people know what we mean.

You might say something like: “You couldn’t say, ‘I eat my dinner with a walk’,

could you? People would get mixed up if someone said that. I really should say, ‘I eat my dinner with a fork’”.

6.Explain why6.Explain why

Explain WHY fixed-up-ones are important.

You might say something like:

“When you do a fixed-up-one all by yourself it means that you are learning to remind yourself to make your words sound right…

… just like I have to when I make a mistake myself”.

The following is a ‘script’ for The following is a ‘script’ for families to use when talking to families to use when talking to children about fixed-up-oneschildren about fixed-up-ones

• There is a handout to go with the script.

FFiixxeedd--UUpp OOnneess

horsehorse “Listen, if I accidentally said

‘hort’ when I meant to say ‘horse’ it wouldn’t sound right would it? I would have to fix it up and say ‘horse’. Did you hear that fixed-up-one? First I said ‘hort’, then I fixed it up and said ‘horse.’”

catcat “Listen. If I said

‘tat’ it wouldn’t sound right. I would have to fix it up and say ‘cat’.”

cup of coffeecup of coffee “If I said ‘cup of cottee’

instead of ‘cup of coffee’ I would have to do a fixed-up-one again. I would have to think to myself, ‘It’s not cup of cottee, it’s cup of coffee’. Did you hear that fixed-up-one?”

planeplane “‘Pane’ isn’t right,

is it?

I would have to do a fixed-up-one and say ‘plane’.”

bb u u t t t t e e r f l r f l yy “What if I said

‘buttertie’ for this one? I would have to do a ...” [fixed-up-one].

elephantelephant “Would I have to

do a fixed-up-one if I said ‘edertant’ for this one?”

Thank you!

ReferencesReferences

Bowen, C. (1998). Developmental phonological disorders: A practical guide for families and teachers. Melbourne: The Australian Council for Educational Research Ltd. 

Bowen, C. & Cupples, L. (1998). A tested phonological therapy in practice. Child Language Teaching and Therapy. 14, 1, 29-50.