As a practitioner working with children who have speech delays, staying updated with the latest research is crucial for effective intervention. The study titled "Productive Morphology Skills of Children with Speech Delay" by Rvachew et al. (2005) provides valuable insights that can significantly enhance your practice.
Understanding the Research
The study investigates the use of plural, possessive, and regular third person singular morphemes in relation to the ability to produce the /s/ and /z/ phonemes in children with delayed expressive phonological abilities. The findings reveal that these children often omit these morphemes more frequently than expected for their age, especially in inflected words.
Key Findings and Implications
- Omission of /s/ and /z/ phonemes occurred more frequently in inflected words.
- Inclusion of plural and third person singular morphemes was significantly correlated with mean length of utterance in words but not with production accuracy of /s/ and /z/ phonemes in uninflected words.
These findings suggest that children with speech delays may struggle with morphological skills due to phonological errors. Therefore, addressing these phonological issues could potentially improve their morphological skills.
Implementing the Research in Your Practice
Here are some practical steps to incorporate these findings into your therapy sessions:
- Focus on Phonological Targets: Start by addressing phonological errors, such as final consonant deletion, that impact the production of morphemes. For example, teaching a child to say "bus" correctly might help them articulate "peas," "mummy's," and "ties" more accurately.
- Use Story Retell Tasks: Incorporate story retell tasks in your sessions to provide children with opportunities to use targeted morphemes. This method was used in the study and can help you assess and improve their morphological skills.
- Monitor Progress: Regularly assess the child's use of morphemes and phonemes in both inflected and uninflected contexts. This will help you track their progress and adjust your intervention strategies accordingly.
Encouraging Further Research
While this study provides a solid foundation, more research is needed to fully understand the relationship between phonological and morphological skills in children with speech delays. Practitioners are encouraged to stay informed about new studies and consider participating in research to contribute to this growing field.
To read the original research paper, please follow this link: Productive Morphology Skills of Children with Speech Delay.
