Let’s talk about toddler communication and their developmental phonological errors (speech intelligibility). There’s quite a bit of information about this topic so I’ve divided it into a few blog posts!
Basic Information
To kick things off, we are going to talk about some basic information and some frequently asked questions. Then, I’m going to talk about all the different developmental phonological errors that toddlers typically demonstrate as they begin to speak.
What’s a phoneme?
A phoneme is the smallest unit of language. Phonemes are the individual sounds we use in words when we speak. There are 44 phonemes in the English language. They blend together to form syllables and words.
I know what you might be thinking. 44 phonemes? But there are only 26 letters in the alphabet! You’re correct. There are only 26 letters in the alphabet. So how are there 44 phonemes?
As you can see, some phonemes are represented by individual letters while others combine 2 letters to create a new sound. When it comes to determining intelligibility and articulation, we look at the phonemes, not the letters.
What’s phonemic awareness?
Phonemic awareness is the process by which we understand that different sounds can come together to form a new sound or word.
Phonemic awareness actually begins at a very young age. Even as infants, we began blending our sounds together creating vocalizations. These vocalizations begin to take new shapes and forms (also called babbling) then partial words, whole words, and finally conversational speech.
Phonemic awareness is important not only in terms of spoken language but also toddlers future reading skills.
What’s phonological awareness?
Phonological awareness is the ability to blend and dissect phonemes and syllables.
Phonological awareness is actually considered a later developing skill. Phonological awareness includes rhyming, breaking words into syllables, and alliteration. In other words, you can take a word you hear and can break it apart into different forms. Why is it important now? We lay the foundation for future skills in toddlerhood by singing songs, nursery rhymes, and all those other rhythmic activities toddler partake in, especially when watching their favorite shows!
What are developmental phonological error patterns?
Developmental phonological error patterns are errors in word production that occur as toddlers begin to develop their verbal expression skills.
In other words, it’s typical for you to experience difficulty understanding your toddler’s speech when they initially begin to talk because they do not have the skills to verbalize speech in adult form.
Why can’t I understand my toddler?
It’s actually a combination of several things. Motor development, coordination skills, and overall communication development. Because toddler’s skills are all developing, it’s safe to say their speech is going to be affected.
If you notice, as toddlers motor development skills mature, their speech intelligibility also increases. Talking requires a lot of coordination. Stop for a moment and say a few words to yourself (cat, elephant, firetruck) there’s a lot happening! Your tongue, lips, jaw, and even vocal chords move to make sound happen.
What’s the difference between developmental and disorder?
The simplest way to answer this question? Developmental phonological errors will occur as toddlers develop their speaking skills. These errors will resolve naturally as they age. Meaning as they age, they will become more intelligible.
When a toddler has a phonological disorder, they are extremely unintelligible and do not progress through the developmental errors appropriately. Sometimes they present with limited phonemes, no final consonants, and experience difficulty producing words with more than one syllable. Their communication includes jargon (non words), vocalizations, gestures or signs, and often exhibit behaviors.
Here are some ideas for facilitating those phonological skills!
Toddler Developmental Milestones
Why are these important?
Toddler development all works together- if one thing is behind, there’s a good chance something else will be affected. For example, if a toddler’s language skills or motor skills are developmentally behind, you can expect their speech development to be behind as well.
P.S. Don’t forget! My phonology bundle was created just for our early communicators. Start from the most simplistic form of words (CV, VC) and work all the way to words with multiple syllables (up to 5 syllable words!). All in one resource! Recently updated, this bundle now offers: interactive books, coloring pages, dauber dot pages for multiple productions, word building activities, visuals, and so much more!
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