Every child develops at a different rate in their speech and language development. However, certain patterns of normal development are apparent. The following information is on normal speech and language development:
Articulation:
Articulation problems occur when a child produces sounds, syllables, or words incorrectly making it difficulty for the listener to understand.
Types of Errors:
Type |
Description |
Example |
| Omission |
A sound not produced in a word |
"at" for hat
"oo" for shoe |
| Substitution |
A sound is substituted for the original sound |
"wabbit" for rabbit
"shicken for "chicken |
| Distortion |
The sound is inaccurate but sounds something like the original sound |
"thun" for "sun"
"bud" for "bird" |
Adapted from Cashell, Doddie, SLP "Before you refer...Information about Normal Speech/Language Development""
A child can have an articulation problem based on a phonolgical process. Phonological processes are a system of sound patterns that a child uses to produce adult speech easier. Most phonological processes will disappear by age 5. The following are some examples of phonological processes:
| Final Consonant Deletion |
deletion of the final sound in a words
Example: "pig" is pronounced "pi" |
| Cluster Reduction |
deletion of one or more consonants from a two or three consonant cluster
Example: "spot" is pronounced "pot" |
| Syllable Reduction |
deletion of a syllable from a word containing two or more syllables. The deletion occurs in the unstressed syllable
Example: "computer" is pronounced "puter" |
| Gliding |
occurs when "r" becomes "w" or "l" becomes "w" or "y"
Example: "red" is produced "wed" or "lip" is produced "wip" |
| Vocalization |
occurs when one of the following "l" or "-er" is replaced by a vowel
Example: "computer" is produced "computa" |
| Fronting |
substitution of sounds in the front of the mouth
Example: "key" is produced "tea" |
| Stopping |
substitution of a sound where the air is stopped like "t" for a consonant with continious air flow
Example: "sail" is produced "tail" |
| Prevocalic voicing |
voicing of an initial voiceless consonant of a word
Example: "peach" becomes "beach" |
| Postvocalic Devoicing |
devoicing of a final voiced consonant in a word
Example: "bag" is pronounced "back" |
IInformation obtained from SuperDuper Publication "What are Phonological Processes?"
The chart below the estimate age when certain sounds develop.
Sound Development
| Age 3 |
p, b, m, n, w, h |
| Age 4 |
k, g, t, d, f, y, "ing" |
| Age 5-6 |
r, s, l |
| Age 7 |
voiceless "th", "sh, "ch", j, z |
| Age 8 |
v, "er", voiced "th" |
*Adapted from Hardin-Simmons Speech/Language Development Class
Language Development
Receptive language is the ability to understand and comprehend language. Expressive Language is the ability to use the language to express wants, needs, and ideas. The chart belows shows age-appropriate receptive and expressive language development.
| Age |
Receptive Language |
Expressive Language |
| 12-17 months |
uses more than one object in play |
able to vocalize with accompanying arm or leg movement |
| |
Follows routine, familiar directions with cues |
participates in a play routine with another person for 1-2 minutes |
| |
demonstrates appropriate use of objects in play |
babbles two syllabes together (mama, bada) |
| |
identifies familiar objects from a group of objects |
has a vocabulary of at least one words |
| |
|
initiates a turning-taking game or social routine |
| |
|
extends toys or points to objects to show others |
| |
|
produces a varitety of consonant sounds |
| |
|
|
18 to 23 months |
identifies photograph of familiar objects |
imitates words |
| |
understands inhibitory words (Stop, wait, my turn) |
uses 5-10 words words |
| |
indicates body parts on self, caregiver, or teddy bear |
uses vocalizations and gestures to request toys or food |
| |
understands verbs in context |
produces different types of consonant-vowel comibinations |
| |
|
babbles short syllabes strings with inflections similiar to adult speech |
| |
|
|
| 24 to 29 months |
identifies clothings items on self or caregivers |
names objects in a photograph |
| |
understands spatial concepts (in, off, out of) |
uses words more often than guestures to communicate |
| |
recognizes actions in pictures |
asks questions |
| |
understands several pronouns (me, my, your) |
uses words for a variety of pragmatic functions |
| |
|
uses different words combinations |
| |
|
|
| 30 to 35 months |
understands use of objects |
uses plurals |
| |
understands part/whole relationships |
combines three or four words in spontaneous speech |
| |
understands simple descriptive concepts (big, wet, little) |
answers "what" and "where" questions |
| |
follows two-step, related commands without cues |
uses verb + "-ing" (The dog is jumping.) |
| |
|
uses a variety of nouns, verbs, modifiers, and pronouns in spontaneous speech |
| |
|
|
| 36 to 41 months |
understands quantity concepts (one, some, rest, all) |
produces basic 4-5 word sentences |
| |
understands pronouns his and her |
names a variety of pictured objects |
| |
understands negatives in sentences (No, you can't touch that) |
tells how an object is used |
| |
|
uses quantity concepts (1 duck, 5 chickens) |
| |
|
uses possesives |
| |
|
|
| 42 to 47 months |
identifies colors |
answers questions logically |
| |
identifies categories of objects in pictures |
uses words that describe physical state (Mommy tired) |
| |
understands picture analogies (the apple is the red the banana is....) |
completes analogies |
| |
understands "more" and "most" |
|
| |
|
|
| 48-53 months |
understands expanded sentences (The dog chased the chicken) |
responds to "where" questions |
| |
understands qualitative concepts (tall, long, short) |
completes analogies |
| |
understands spatial concepts (under, behind, beside, in front of) |
names objects when the object is described (It's round, it bounces, it is a...) |
| |
|
|
| 54 to 59 months |
understands "-er" endings as "one who.." (i.e., painter ) |
responds to "why" questions by giving a reason |
| |
understands time concepts (day, night) |
names categories |
| |
understands noun + two adjectives) |
repeats sentences |
| |
|
uses qualitative concepts "short" and "long" |
| |
|
uses adjectives to describe objects |
| |
|
uses "-er" endings to indicate "one who.." |
| |
|
uses past tense |
| |
|
|
| 60-65 months |
identifies an object that doesn't belong |
formulates meaningful, grammatically correct questions in reponse to a picture |
| |
understands quantity concepts "three" and "five |
describes similarities |
| |
indicates body parts on self |
names the itmes that fit into categories |
| |
understands passive voice sentences |
|
| 66 to 71 months |
orders pictures from largest to smallest |
completes similes |
| |
understands quantity concepts (half, whole) |
counts items and gives the correct number |
| |
understands time/sequence concepts (first, last) |
|
| 72 to 77 months |
identifies inital sounds (d is for dog) |
defines words |
| |
understands quantitative concepts (each) "Point to each picture." |
repairs grammatical errors |
| |
understands rhyming sounds |
rhymes words |
| |
|
segments words |
| |
|
|
| 78 to 83 months |
adds and subtracts numbers to five |
tells a story in sequence using grammatically correct sentences |
| |
understands time concepts (seasons) |
tells a story with introduction, sequence, and conclusion |
| |
makes grammaticality judgements |
uses irregular plurals |
| |
|
expresses quantity (empty, more) |
*Adapted from the PLS-4
Fluency is when a child exhibits atypical disfluencies. The chart below shows normal and abnormal disfluencies
Type |
Example |
stuttering? |
| Interjections |
"And then the---uh--boy went to the grocery store." |
No |
| Phrase repetitions |
"And then--and then--and then the boy went to the..." |
No |
| Revisions |
"And then the"girl--boy--went to the grocery store" |
No |
| Word Repetition |
"And then the boy-boy-boy went to the grocery store." |
3 or more instances |
| Syllable Repetition |
"And then the boy went to the "gro--gro--grocery store." |
3 or more instances |
| Sound Repetition |
"And then the buh, buh, buh, buh, buh, boy went to the store" |
Yes |
| Prolongations |
"And then the boy went to the sssssssssssstore." |
Yes |
| Blocks |
"And then the ------------boy went to the store." |
Yes |
Adapted from Cashell, Doddie, SLP "Before you refer...Information about Normal Speech/Language Development"
Remember that children all develop at a different rate! Just because one child is doing something does not mean your child is behind in their development. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at 325-754-5577 or at kim.witkowski@wintersisd.org.
 Here are my "two kids", Coconut and Cutie Pie!
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