CHILDRENS SPEECH

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28556, 9 April 1958, Page 16

CHILDRENS SPEECH

Baby-Talk May Hold Progress

In most homes. children’s speech is left to develop by itself. Some parents actually hinder progress by talking baby-talk too long, says an article in “Health." the official bulletin of the Department of Health. “Speech is learned by imitation from the father and mother. Your child’s speech at the age of five before entering school, is a reproduction of your own. Parents should aim therefore at having their child speak clearly by the fifth year.” says the article. “This is the pattern of speech development: baby’s first sounds are automatic. He cries from discomfort: squeals, gurgles or crows with pleasure. In his second year, he copies words, and sometime during this year will begin to join a noun and a verb like ‘ go play.' and ‘go sleep.” “In the third year, with plenty ■ of mistakes and difficulty in i ering certain sounds, sentences develop and thoughts are translated into speech. In the fourth and fifth year his brain is so active that he cannot always get his tongue and lips to form the words fast enough to express himself. He may jumble words and trip over consonants,’’ the article says. New Words “Parents should talk simply but clearly about everything in the home -or garden, when out shopping or walking or car riding, and should repeat new words slowly and clearly. If father and mother speak too quickly the child tries to reproduce the pace and gets caught up. He takes fright over certain words, tries all the harder, stumbles again and again. This is how stammering begins. “If your child enters such a phase, do not draw attention to his difficulties. Remember that hearing and understanding race ahead of performance with words. Give time for the words to be formed. Talk more slowly and very clearly. If the child becomes afraid, halting, stuttering and stammering will occur at the difficult word or words and a speech defect is confirmed. “Prevention is always best. Resist the temptation to talk babytalk. Speak slowly and clearly with the child. Discuss everyday things simply and distinctly. This is the key to good speech in young children.”