Early Sounds and Language

Outline of Early Sounds and Language Development

1. Babbling Stage

• Children begin to communicate with intention.

• Productions are not phonemic; termed "vocoids" and "contoids."

2. Nonphonemic Sounds

• Includes both vocoids and contoids.

• Characteristics of open syllable shapes.

• Preferred vocoids: front and central vowels ("eh," "ih," "uh").

• Commonly babbled contoids: [b], [m], [t], [g], [w].

• Presence of non-English consonants in babbling.

• Evolution to multiple syllable shapes ("ah," "ba," "abba," "baba").

3. Quantity and Diversity of Sounds

• Importance of vocalizations for later language growth.

• Connection between frequency of vocalizations and language scores.

• Impact of vocoid vs. contoid usage on language proficiency.

4. Prosodic Features in Speech Development

• Definition: Elements like pitch, duration, and loudness that convey meaning.

• Example of utterances differing by prosodic features.

• Development of falling pitch in early speech (e.g., "bahbuh").

• Influence of parental speech on child’s prosody patterns.

5. Video Resource

• Refer to "Lots of Talking at 6 months old!" on YouTube for practical examples.