What is ‘recasting’ in speech development?

Recasting is a great tool for you to use when supporting your toddler’s speech development – you’re probably already doing it without even knowing. 

Recasting is when you are talking with your child, and you repeat back their phrase with corrections and/or added details. For example, if they said to you, “ar”, recasting this would be “yes, that’s a big car!”.  

How and when to recast 

Recasting can be done during any everyday conversations with your toddler – the more often the better. You can recast by gently correcting pronunciation (simply saying the word correctly instead of “no, you mean…”), adding in some descriptive language, or even your own observation of what your child is telling you about. An example of this could be if they pointed out a dog to you and said “doggy”, you could respond in a way such as, “yes, there’s a dog over there, it’s playing with a ball”. 

Why is recasting so great? 

Recasting helps to support speech development in a positive way. Repeating rather than correcting in a negative way lifts pressure from young children who are navigating the world of talking and conversation. Adding extra aspects into what children say also helps them get used to, and prepare to use, different word types as they become more confident talkers.