For speech and language therapist Janice Flinn, sounds are “the basis for language.”

She’s hosting a workshop to help parents learn how to teach their kids to make proper language sounds.

“It’s something we’re born with, the ability to make sounds,” Flinn said, “but some kids just really have a hard time with speech sounds.”

During the workshop, set for 3:45 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27, in the Hillcrest Elementary library, parents and anyone who works with children can learn about normal speech sound development, ways to practice speech sounds and how to recognize early signs that intervention is needed.

“We are going to talk about normal speech sound development from, basically, ages preschool through 8,” she said. “By age 7 1/2, 90 percent of kids should have all their sounds.”

But, she said, 5-year-olds do “not need to be producing the ‘r’ sound or the ‘th’ sound.”

With help from Western Washington University graduate student Dana Montgomery, Flinn is opening her workshop to any parents or people who work with kids.