Investigation On Speech Development In Monosyllables Of 2267 Chinese Children Aged 2～6

Objectives: To investigate speech development in monosyllables of Chinese children aged 2~6, to analyze whether there is difference in difficulty among every words and whether there is difference in ability among children at different age, to explore a Chinese monosyllable vocabulary for speech evaluation in children, to provide investigative data for children education and especially speech evaluation in monosyllable of deaf and dumb children, to provide a reference for rehabilitation and for standardization of Chinese mandarin materials of speech evaluation of deaf and dumb children.Methods: 2267 children aged 2 year and 3 months to 6 year and 2 months (2y3m~6y2m) were involved in this investigation by multistage sampling from 94 classes in 12 kindergartens, District of Jianghan, Wuhan city, capital of Hubei Province, which is in the middle of People's Republic of China. They were ranged into four teams according to their ages: 238 children are 2–year–3–month to 3–year–2–month old (2y3m~3y2m, Team 2+), the other 2029 children are respectively in 3–year–3–month to 4–year–2–month old (3y3m~4y2m, Team 3+), 4–year–3–month to 5–year–2–month old (4y3m~5y2m, Team 4+), 5–year–3–month to 6–year–2–month old (5y3m~6y2m, Team 5+). Speech material consists of 945 monosyllables in common use, in which there are 245 in high and flat, 195 in rising, 230 in low and dipping, and 275 in falling tone patterns. Children imitated test monosyllables after their teacher in language game. Each word of all the 945 monosyllables was investigated in no less than 200 children aged 3~6 (207~441, mean=296), and no less than 50 children in each of these 3 elder teams (51~209, mean=99). Considering the number of children aged 2~3 and the difficulty in cooperation, each of the 245 monosyllables in high and flat tone pattern was investigated no less than 50 (53~79, mean=63) children, and each of the other 391 monosyllables were investigated in 17~48 children. Proportions correct of every word in each team were statistically analyzed. Results: The proportion correct of each team is in skewed negatively distribution. The distribution ranges of proportion correct of the 245 words in Team 2+ are 0.28～1(median=0.90). Those of 945 words in Team 3+, 4+, 5+ are 0.40～1(median=0.94), 0.42～1(median=0.95), 0.76～1(median=0.97), respectively. Correspondingly, there are 63 of 245, and 429, 473, 660 of 945 words of which its proportion correct is no less than 0.95 in relevant team. The proportion corrects in elder teams are better than younger teams, and there are significantly meaningful differences among the proportions correct of each word, each team and their relativity(P<0.01).Conclusions: These monosyllables selected in this investigation reflect the differences in ability among ages and the differences in difficulty among monosyllables. It is helpful for screening out a Chinese monosyllable vocabulary for standardization of mandarin speech evaluation in children. It provides a reference for rehabilitation of Chinese deaf and dumb children.