What are the four areas involved in learning to talk?

1. speech sounds - the sounds and sequences of sounds that are used for talking. The co-ordination and strength of mouth muscles is an important factor in speech production 
2. language – the words and patterns of words that are used to relate meaning and to communicate ideas and thoughts. Language includes things such as: understanding of what is said and the social use of language; for example, greeting, staying on topic, asking and answering questions. It also involves sentence length, vocabulary and grammar
3. voice – the sound made by the vocal cords vibrating. Voice includes things such as volume (loudness), pitch (high or low) and overall quality (for example; huskiness)
4. fluency – the smooth, rapid, effortless use of speech and language. Stuttering is dysfluency
   

For information about the four areas involved in learning to talk, see the following fact sheets on this website:

• Speech sound development
• Language development: 0 - three years of age and

  Language development: four to five years of age
• Voice
• Stuttering / dysfluency

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Where to go for more information

On this website (related fact sheets)

Speech sound development

Language development: 0 - three years of age

Language development: four to five years of age

Encouraging language development

Using language socially - an important skill

Voice

Stuttering / dysfluency

 

Much more than words: Monitoring and encouraging communication development in early childhood. (Warning: large pdf file - 60 pages).

Originally written for early childhood professionals, this booklet may be of interest to parents and caregivers who want more detailed information. The booklet was published by the Ministry of Education, Special Education in 2000. 

Website: http://www.minedu.govt.nz

 

Plunket

If you are concerned about your child's language or speech development, you could discuss your concerns with your Plunket nurse (or other Well Child provider - see the Well Child / Tamariki Ora services for under fives fact sheet on this website). For your local Plunket office or Plunket Karitane Family Centre, check the Plunket website¹or look under Plunket in your phone book. Plunket also offers a specialist early childhood health telephone help service. It is available to all families, whanau and caregivers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call PlunketLine free on 0800 933 922.

Postal address: PO Box 5474, Wellington 6145

National office phone: 64 4 471 0177

National office fax: 64 4 471 0190

Email: plunket@plunket.org.nz

Website: http://www.plunket.org.nz/ 

 

Speech Language Therapists

Speech language therapists are employed in the Ministry of Education, special schools, hospitals, and in private practice. To find a speech language therapist, you can:

• contact the Ministry of Education, Special Education - (see Special Education on this website or phone the Special Education information line on 0800 622 222 or email a query to special.education@minedu.govt.nz. You can self-refer to a Ministry of Education speech-language therapist 
• see where to find speech and language therapists² at the New Zealand Speech-Language Therapists Association website³
• ask your child's kindergarten or school teacher to refer your child
• look in the phone book's yellow pages under speech language therapy for speech language therapists in private practice

Team-Up: Helping our kids learn (Ministry of Education)

The Team-Up website provides information, ideas and materials to help parents support their children and get more involved in their learning and education. There are lots of ideas about play for babies, toddlers and young children and information about how children learn through play.

Website: http://www.teamup.co.nz/

 

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Acknowledgements

This fact sheet has been produced in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Special Education and adapted from:

 

Ministry of Education, Special Education. 2000. Much more than words: Monitoring and encouraging communication development in early childhood. 

 

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Links   (these are the web addresses for the numbered links in the text above)

[1] http://www.plunket.org.nz/about-us/contact-us?Section=Contac
t_Us&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=3163

[2] http://www.speechtherapy.org.nz/information-for-parents-and-
families/where-to-find-speech-and-language-therapists/

[3] http://www.speechtherapy.org.nz/

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Endorsement

This fact sheet was endorsed by PSNZ - 28/08/2009

Copyright

Fact sheets are subject to copyright. In the interests of information sharing they may be copied but acknowledgement must be given to PSNZ and Starship Foundation.
© The Paediatric Society of New Zealand and Starship Foundation 2005 - 2010

The Paediatric Society of New Zealand http://www.paediatrics.org.nz

Starship Foundation http://www.starship.org.nz