Many studies and observations have shown that speech plays an important role in the formation of higher mental processes. The child uses language not only to communicate with parents and other people but also to think, analyze, generalize, etc.
Speech has a significant impact on decision-making, life organization, and other processes. It is believed that mental developmental disorders caused by various pathologies and disorders affect speech. However, if a healthy child has insufficient language development, mental development is inhibited.
Features of speech development at 1-2 years of age and its influence on the formation of the psyche
A newborn baby cannot speak. He or she gradually acquires speech skills that are closely related to mental development. This is easy to see if you take a closer look at how a child develops in the first or second year of life.
From the age of 2-3 months, a sound connection between the baby and the mother appears. A child at this age recognizes a loved one. The reaction to their appearance is a smile and babbling. Gradually, children learn to pronounce the first words and use them according to the situation. By the end of the first year, the vocabulary is 15-20 words.
Babies use speech not only for communication, although this is its main function. Words help in conducting first analyzes, learning about the world around them, and familiarizing themselves with different objects and their characteristics. This also applies to the words spoken by adults around us.
Speech is the basis for mental development. That is why its underdevelopment affects the child's general condition and abilities.
In the first year of life, the prerequisites for the formation of active speech are created. And in the second year, one can observe a significant development of speech. This is indicated by an increase in vocabulary, the use of imperative verbs (on, give), the formation of simple sentences, etc. At the same time, the processes of thinking and analysis are improving, and speech is actively used for socialization.
The role of speech for preschool children
After the age of 3, a child continues to develop actively. In addition, they learn new skills, play role-playing games, etc. However, speech remains the main conduit to the outside world.
In preschool, the pronunciation of sounds improves, the vocabulary expands, and the child learns to form complex sentences. Words are used to express needs, analyze and summarize the information received. Speech has a significant impact on mental development. Thanks to language, the rudiments of conceptual, verbal, and logical thinking are formed. It becomes the basis for the development of the personality as a whole.
In preschool, the basic skills of speech are formed. Often parents do not pay due attention to this point, which leads to undesirable consequences. In a mass survey of middle school children, most students were found to have speech impediments. Most often they were manifested by the following signs:
- difficulty pronouncing certain sounds or words (incorrect accent);
- lexical and grammatical errors;
- incorrect or inaccurate use of words;
- mistakes in word coordination;
- errors in case changes;
- using only simple sentences, difficulty forming common and complex sentences;
- mixing different forms of verbs, etc.
Children understand everyday speech, but often confuse the meaning of words with the same or similar sound and have other speech problems, which affects their mental development.
What problems do children with underdeveloped language face?
Children with speech development disorders face the following difficulties:
- Communication problems arise due to a lack of knowledge and skills to express their thoughts in words. This, in turn, leads to the intensification of non-verbal communication (gestures, facial expressions) to compensate for ignorance.
- The amount of information that a child can absorb in a certain period of time decreases compared to other children.
- The accuracy of the information is impaired, and its processing and analysis are slowed down.
All these changes have a significant impact on the development of mental processes, affecting learning, communication with others, etc. In the future, the problems may only worsen due to improper mental formation and disruption of the basic mechanisms involved in memorization, information processing, concentration, and communication.
Psychological and pedagogical correctional work, as well as the identification and elimination of the causal mechanisms that provoked speech development disorders, help to remedy the situation. If you notice speech problems in your child, contact the specialists of the Vivera clinic in Kyiv. A specialist consultation is necessary not only in case of pronounced signs of speech development delay but also in case of minor disorders (difficulties with the pronunciation of certain letters, small vocabulary, communication in simple sentences in preschool age, etc.)
