Speech and Language Development

Question

Speech and Language Development

Paulo is a four-year-old child in your program. They seem to be a bit quiet, and you are becoming curious about their speech and language level.

It was during a hockey game on the grassy field just outside the daycare playground (a four-year-old level hockey game, with a lot of running and screaming, very few goals but very exciting for all participants) that Paulo started to really talk. The subject was the hockey game.

This is what Paulo said,

 “I wuv howkee. I yus wuv id.”

 “Did you see me wun?”

 “I wuz wunning and wunning.”

 “I wun so fas”

 “I da winner. You not. I da winner”

1. In your own words, summarize Paulo’s speech and language. Identify their use of regular and irregular plurals and verbs.
2. What would you suggest to enhance Paulo’s speech and language?
3. Compare their speech to developmental norms.

Answer 1

1. Summary of Paulo’s Speech and Language

Paulo demonstrates age-appropriate expressive language that increases during motivating activities. He uses short sentences to describe actions and emotions. His speech includes typical phonological patterns such as gliding (“wuv,” “wunning”) and final consonant deletion (“fas,” “id”).

Grammatically, Paulo uses emerging verb tense forms. He overgeneralizes regular verb patterns and does not yet consistently use irregular past tense verbs (e.g., “wun” instead of ran). Auxiliary verbs are omitted (“I da winner”). No plural forms are observed in the sample.

2. Suggestions to Enhance Speech and Language

To support Paulo’s speech and language development:

1. Model correct pronunciation and grammar naturally
2. Expand on his utterances during play
3. Encourage language during preferred activities
4. Use parallel talk and repetition
5. Ask open-ended questions to promote longer responses

If concerns remain, a speech-language screening may be considered.

3. Comparison to Developmental Norms

Paulo’s speech and language are consistent with typical four-year-old development. Children at this age often:

1. Use short sentences
2. Show emerging verb tense use with errors
3. Display phonological processes such as gliding
4. Become more verbal during engaging activities

Overall, Paulo’s communication skills fall within expected developmental norms.