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

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• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed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