Recently, many parents still more often notice that their children speak later than usual. Calls to speech therapists have increased significantly. Disorders such as dyslexia and speech delay are particularly common. Questions: “Is the child's speech appropriate for his age?“ or “What should be done to develop speech?“. These questions are becoming more and more relevant. Mahabbat Tolemisova, a speech therapist at the Karligash kindergarten of the UDP Medical Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan, explains how to properly monitor speech development in children in accordance with their age and what factors can affect this.
How can you tell if a child's speech is developing normally?
Each child develops individually, but there are certain stages and signs that parents should pay attention to. For example, before the age of 1, the child begins to make the first sounds and react to the world around him - he can coo or babble. After 1 year, he starts saying mom, dad, grandma. By the age of 2, the child can form simple two-word sentences such as “Give me water” or “I want an apple”. At the age of 3, his vocabulary is 150-200 words and he is already using more complex sentences, for example “Daddy, I will eat an apple“. By the age of 4-5, speech becomes clear and understandable, the child can compose short stories and fully answer questions.
It is important that the child's vocabulary covers different categories: animals, people, food, colors, body parts, actions and others. He must not only understand the new words, but also be able to use them correctly. If the child can express his thoughts about what he has seen or felt, this is an indicator of his development, both in terms of perception and in terms of expanding vocabulary.
How to recognize speech problems at an early stage? What symptoms should you pay attention to and when should you contact a speech therapist?
You should monitor your child's speech development from an early age. If deviations are observed, it is important to contact a speech therapist as soon as possible. For example, if by the age of 2-3 years he does not pronounce simple words and does not form phrases, this is a cause for concern. If by the age of 3 he cannot formulate simple sentences or after 3 years his speech remains unclear and often distorts sounds and words, then you should consult a speech therapist.
How to improve the child's vocabulary?
There are effective methods for developing a child's vocabulary and speech. It is important to develop listening skills, such as reading books and learning to listen to stories. Books should be age appropriate and each new word should be explained while asking simple questions about the plot. Thus, the child will not only learn new words, but also learn to construct sentences correctly.
To improve thinking and develop vocabulary, it is useful to regularly ask simple questions: “What is this?“, “What color is this?“, “What does this object do?“. Such questions help to better understand the world around us and distinguish the characteristics of objects. Also, by answering questions, it learns to express its thoughts and build more complex speech structures.
Modern children touch gadgets more and more, and this cannot help but affect their speech development. Smartphones and tablets, despite their educational capabilities, can have both positive and negative impacts. Too early and frequent contact with the screen can lead to speech delay, because at this age the child needs more active communication than passive perception of content. A reduction in live social interactions, especially in the early years of life, can hinder the development of language skills.
Various games can be used to develop correct pronunciation of sounds and speech skills. For example, in which you have to repeat words from pictures, highlight sounds, solve riddles. In the process, you train not only your speech apparatus, but also develop your memory.
Can a child's speech development delay be affected by prolonged television viewing?
To say that this is the main cause of speech delay is not entirely true. Of course, if you sit for a long time watching cartoons and programs, the child's vocabulary will not increase, since at this age he is often a passive listener. Also, if he watches them in another language, it can hinder the development of his native language and speech skills.
When can we expect results from speech therapy exercises? Is this a long process?
The results of the exercises may not be noticeable immediately, but with regular work, positive changes will appear after one to two months. In the case of severe speech disorders, such as significant retardation in psycho-speech development, it may take several months or even longer to achieve a visible result. Here it is already important to work with a speech therapist for a long time and systematically. Over time, the child will begin to pronounce sounds correctly, expand his vocabulary and construct sentences, which will show improved speech.
What is the role of parents in such therapy?
Of course, an extremely important role, since the development of children's speech skills is not limited to work with a speech therapist. Parents are active participants in this process, they should:
- help at home to systematically apply the methods learned in class, which promotes consolidation;
- monitor changes and progress in speech development, inform the speech therapist about the current state. The results of the therapy are also discussed, which allows the speech therapist to adjust the methods of work;
- motivate the child to learn, stimulate his interest, which has a positive effect on his development;
- creating a language environment at home, actively communicating with the child, using new words and language structures.
What do the statistics say? Are calls to speech therapists increasing?
Unfortunately, statistics show an increase in visits to a speech therapist in recent years. This is true even for teenagers. The cases of speech disorders in children have increased - dyslexia, delayed speech development. There is a growing demand for speech therapy among adults, especially during recovery from stroke or other diseases of the nervous system.
It is important to know that speech develops primarily through social interaction. Therefore, I recommend that parents limit the time the child spends in front of the TV and gadgets. Preferably choose developmental methods that encourage your child to actively participate in real-life conversations and activities.