How should a teacher respond to a six-year-old who says, "I wike" instead of "I like"?

In early childhood education, it is common for children around the age of six to still be developing their speech patterns, including pronunciation of certain sounds. When a child says "I wike" instead of "I like," it reflects an age-appropriate phonetic substitution that is typical during their language acquisition process. Children at this stage may still be mastering the various sounds in their language and experimenting with articulation.

Responding without correction can be beneficial for several reasons. It allows the child to feel understood and encourages communication. Additionally, many children outgrow such phonetic substitutions as they mature and receive more exposure to language in different contexts. Therefore, observing these patterns without immediate correction is appropriate and helps foster a supportive learning environment.

Monitoring the child's overall speech development is important, but it should be done without undue pressure to correct minor pronunciation errors that are characteristic of this age group. By allowing them to express themselves freely, the child is engaging in communication, which is vital for their language development.