WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT?
Speech and language development may give the impression they are the same thing. While they are related, they are also quite different.
SPEECH
is the verbal means of communications and consists of the rythm of speech, the sounds produced, and how sounds are made.
By age 3, a child should be able to use f, k, g, t, d, and n sounds. A child with speech delays may have problems correctly sounding letters and words. E.g. "ray" may be sounded out as "way".
LANGUAGE
is the shared rules of communication, dealing with the meaning of words, how they are put together and constructed into coherent communications.
By the age of 4, a child should have sufficient language development for their parents and strangers to clearly understand them. By this age, the child should be able to understand and express who, what, when, where, and why when speaking. E.g. "My friend is bringing his pet turtle for show-and-tell tomorrow!"
Children go through clearly defined stages of speech and language development. This is why it is is so important for parents and caretakers to understand the various stages of a child's development. They can reinforce the child's development or catch any developmental delays early and provide help.
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