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The speech and language of children aged 25 months: Descriptive data from the Avon longitudinal study of parents and children

Northstone, Kate; Beveridge, Mike; Loader, Sue; ALSPAC team, The; Roulstone, Sue

Authors

Kate Northstone

Mike Beveridge

Sue Loader

The ALSPAC team



Abstract

A major epidemiological study, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, has provided the opportunity for a population study of children's speech and language. Data collected via direct assessments and maternal self-completion questionnaire on 1127 children aged 25 months is presented in this paper. The speech and language of the children shows great range in terms of the stage of expressive language development achieved, with some children already accomplished talkers and others only just entering the world of words As in other studies, girls showed more advanced skills than boys. A clear pattern emerges regarding the children's use of sound classes with errors in postvocalic sounds reducing first, followed by velars, fricatives, liquids and finally, consonant clusters. Associations were found between the children's verbal comprehension and their reported expressive stage, pretend play, turn taking in games, imitation of words and sounds and singing of nursery rhymes. © 2002 Taylor & Francis Ltd.

Citation

Northstone, K., Beveridge, M., Loader, S., ALSPAC team, T., & Roulstone, S. (2002). The speech and language of children aged 25 months: Descriptive data from the Avon longitudinal study of parents and children. Early Child Development and Care, 172(3), 259-268. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430212126

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Dec 1, 2002
Journal Early Child Development and Care
Print ISSN 0300-4430
Electronic ISSN 1476-8275
Publisher Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
Peer Reviewed Not Peer Reviewed
Volume 172
Issue 3
Pages 259-268
DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430212126
Keywords speech, language, children, data
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1081222
Publisher URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03004430212126