Fronting; Laurel Caverns

"Fronting" happens when a sound that is usually made in the back of the mouth (or in the middle of the mouth) is replaced by a sound that is made in the front of the mouth.  Thus, "key" may be pronounced as "tea;" "'k" is a back sound, and "t" is a back sound.  Or "gate" may be pronounced as "date."  It is important to note that a child can produce all the sounds in the word correctly, so this is not an articulation problem per se.  Rather, this what experts call a "phonological process" whereby a child produces a different "rule" when saying words.  In the case of fronting, the "rule" the child is applying is to produce a "front sound" instead of a "back sound."

Laurel Caverns is a must-see attraction in the Pittsburgh area.  It is the largest cave in Pennsylvania.  It is also a great place to practice speech.  Many words associated with Laurel Caverns are susceptible to fronting.

 

Image retrieved from http://www.laurelhighlands.org/members/laurel-caverns.asp.

To cue your child, start with what we call "auditory bombardment."  What this means is that your child will hear a target sound produced accurately many times in a short period of time. Repeat "cave" and "caverns" at the word level, and in conversational context.  It is important for her to hear the correct sound (in this case it is the "kuh" sound) over and over in the correct place.  Once you are at the cave , remind your child to "say all the sounds in the word, including the "kuh" sound in 'cave.'"  Have her repeat after you.  If she is still "fronting," then draw her attention to the error.  For example, tell her, "I heard 'tave,' but you need to say 'cave.'"  Then, have her repeat "cave" several times. 

If she is still "fronting," then have her make the "kuh" sound all by itself.  This will show her that she is able to produce the sound, and remind her of the sound that she should produce.  Finally, cue her to make the "kuh" sound, then follow it by having her say the word "cave."  This is known as "forward chaining."  Start with production of "kuh" and then pause, and say "cave."  Gradually shorten the pause until she can produce "cave" without error.  Practice this with a variety of words so that the skill is transferred over.  Here is an example:
Kuh..........Cave
Kuh........Cave
Kuh......Cave
Kuh....Cave
Kuh..Cave
Cave.

Words to practice are listed below.  As always, customize the words to your child's goals.  For example, if she is younger then choose the shorter, more frequently used words.  If she is able to eliminate fronting when using single words, but has breakdown with sentences, then elicit the words at the sentence level.

Bungee cord

Calcium carbonate

Camping

Cave

Cavern

Chestnut

Climb

Cold

Dark

Education

Flashlight

Fracture

Gemstone

Geological

Gift shop

Gravity

Groundwater

Guide

Light show

Mini-golf

Native American

Passage

Picnic

Ridge

Rock

Shower

Spelunking

Stalactite

Stalagmite

Walk