Research and Early Speech Development
Many studies have looked at how children acquire speech. The findings show consistent stages within speech development, much like the stages we see when children are learning to walk – siting, crawling and finally walking. We now have a good understanding of how speech skills develop from early baby sounds to adult-sounding speech.
Learning and Acquiring Speech Sounds
The chart below shows a complete list of English consonant sounds and the ages at which
most children (75%) have mastered their production. You can see that typical acquisition
occurs within an age range, allowing for individual variation amongst children. Some speech
sounds, like 'th', may not be acquired until eight years of age.
Identifying Concerns
Speech Pathologists and parents, can use these speech milestones to help identify when
children are experiencing delays or difficulties with their speech development. If your child is
not producing the sounds expected for their age, enquire now at Play My Way for advice and
recommendations about the possible need for speech pathology intervention.
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