Q: I am working with a child 4;0 with velar fronting. I have established a somewhat inconsistent K in initial and medial position. How can I get k in final position?

If he has K anywhere, he is on his way. At his age I would predict that he will learn it on his own given more time.

It is very unusual for a child to get K initial and medial but not final — final usually comes in first — but maybe he has lots of problems with final sounds and his problem is not really final K, it is Final Sounds.

However, to stimulate him for that final K, I would do the following things–

1. If he can say K in isolation, just practice it a lot. That may help him begin to generalize it.
2. Model the words rhythmically and make the final K its own syllable with a schwa. “Bike” will becomes “Bi—Kuh”. That’s the way many toddlers learn it.
3. Make the final K words a diminutive. “Bike” becomes “Bi-Kee”. That’s also the way many toddlers learn it.
4. If he can say K in isolation, teach him to prolong it by making K like a fricative (a velar fricative). This gives him more tactile info about the sound, and that also is the way many toddlers learn it.
5. Let him use the fricated K in the final position. Model “Bike” as “bikkkkkkkkkkk”. By prolonging K you help him hear it better too.
6. Pair words together. Practice phrases using a word that starts with K after a word that ends with a vowel. For example, practice “I can…” and “He could…” and “A car”. This way he is learning to sequence K after a vowel which is the very skill he needs to say words with final K.

Here’s a game I would do to work on#6 above –

1. Gather a set of toys that start with the K sound: Car, cat, cup, cop, key, cookie, candy, card.
2. Show the child all the toys and let him play with them for a minute.
3. Then hide them in a box or bag.
4. Take turns reaching in the container without looking, and use the hand to rummage round and feel the toys.
5. Grasp one toy and try to guess what it is before pulling it out.
6. While guessing, say, “I think it’s a car…”
7. Pull out the toy to see if the guess was correct.
8. Shout “Correct!” or “Not correct!”
9. See how many you can guess correctly.