Connecting Preschoolers' Spontaneous Speech Patterns to Future Language Skills: A 3-Year Concurrent and Longitudinal Cohort Study of Canonical Proportion as a Developmental Index.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Connecting Preschoolers' Spontaneous Speech Patterns to Future Language Skills: A 3-Year Concurrent and Longitudinal Cohort Study of Canonical Proportion as a Developmental Index.
Authors: Ott, Carissa1, Cychosz, Margaret2 mcychosz@stanford.edu
Source: Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research. Sep2026, Vol. 69 Issue 9, p4232-4250. 19p.
Subject Terms: *Consonants, *Longitudinal method, *Child development, *Automation, *Vocabulary, *Language acquisition, *Algorithms, Research funding, Task performance, Multiple regression analysis, Probability theory, Descriptive statistics, Sound recordings, Mean length of utterance, Data analysis software
Abstract: Purpose: Understanding how children's spontaneous language behavior relates to standardized metrics of speech and language remains a crucial challenge in studies of language acquisition and clinical assessment. Traditional lab- and clinic-based paradigms are time- and resource-intensive and may not fully capture a child's underlying language competencies. This study aimed to investigate whether automated analysis of naturalistic, child-centered audio recordings can index the developmental trajectory of speech-language abilities from 2 to 5 years of age. Method: A longitudinal design was employed with N = 155 preschoolers, who were followed from 2 to 5 years of age. Deep learning speech classification methods were used to compute canonical proportion-the proportion of a child's speech that is produced as canonical syllables (well-formed syllables with a consonant-vowel transition, such as "ba"), a key marker of speech motor control development and phonological representation building-from child-centered audio recordings collected at 2-4 years of age. Standardized lab-based assessments of speech and language development were administered concurrently and 1 year later at 2-5 years of age. Results: Canonical proportion measures significantly predicted multiple dimensions of later speech-language development. The strongest longitudinal associations were observed for consonant articulation skill and vocabulary size. Weaker, although still significant, relationships were found for metaphonological skills, including phonological awareness and phonological working memory. Conclusions: Findings suggest that children's spontaneous, everyday speech production patterns provide moderate indices of subsequent language development across multiple domains. Automated measures such as canonical proportion hold promise for expanding and diversifying approaches to studying lan-quaqe acquisition and for complementinq traditional lab-based assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research is the property of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: ehh
DbLabel: Education Research Complete
An: 197210481
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Connecting Preschoolers' Spontaneous Speech Patterns to Future Language Skills: A 3-Year Concurrent and Longitudinal Cohort Study of Canonical Proportion as a Developmental Index.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ott%2C+Carissa%22">Ott, Carissa</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cychosz%2C+Margaret%22">Cychosz, Margaret</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo><i> mcychosz@stanford.edu</i>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Speech%2C+Language+%26+Hearing+Research%22">Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research</searchLink>. Sep2026, Vol. 69 Issue 9, p4232-4250. 19p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subject Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Consonants%22">Consonants</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Longitudinal+method%22">Longitudinal method</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+development%22">Child development</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Automation%22">Automation</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Vocabulary%22">Vocabulary</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+acquisition%22">Language acquisition</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Algorithms%22">Algorithms</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+funding%22">Research funding</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Task+performance%22">Task performance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Multiple+regression+analysis%22">Multiple regression analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Probability+theory%22">Probability theory</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Descriptive+statistics%22">Descriptive statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sound+recordings%22">Sound recordings</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mean+length+of+utterance%22">Mean length of utterance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+analysis+software%22">Data analysis software</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Purpose: Understanding how children's spontaneous language behavior relates to standardized metrics of speech and language remains a crucial challenge in studies of language acquisition and clinical assessment. Traditional lab- and clinic-based paradigms are time- and resource-intensive and may not fully capture a child's underlying language competencies. This study aimed to investigate whether automated analysis of naturalistic, child-centered audio recordings can index the developmental trajectory of speech-language abilities from 2 to 5 years of age. Method: A longitudinal design was employed with N = 155 preschoolers, who were followed from 2 to 5 years of age. Deep learning speech classification methods were used to compute canonical proportion-the proportion of a child's speech that is produced as canonical syllables (well-formed syllables with a consonant-vowel transition, such as "ba"), a key marker of speech motor control development and phonological representation building-from child-centered audio recordings collected at 2-4 years of age. Standardized lab-based assessments of speech and language development were administered concurrently and 1 year later at 2-5 years of age. Results: Canonical proportion measures significantly predicted multiple dimensions of later speech-language development. The strongest longitudinal associations were observed for consonant articulation skill and vocabulary size. Weaker, although still significant, relationships were found for metaphonological skills, including phonological awareness and phonological working memory. Conclusions: Findings suggest that children's spontaneous, everyday speech production patterns provide moderate indices of subsequent language development across multiple domains. Automated measures such as canonical proportion hold promise for expanding and diversifying approaches to studying lan-quaqe acquisition and for complementinq traditional lab-based assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research is the property of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ehh&AN=197210481
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1044/2026_JSLHR-25-00938
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 19
        StartPage: 4232
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Consonants
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Longitudinal method
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Child development
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Automation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Vocabulary
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Language acquisition
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Algorithms
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research funding
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Task performance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Multiple regression analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Probability theory
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Descriptive statistics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sound recordings
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mean length of utterance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Data analysis software
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Connecting Preschoolers' Spontaneous Speech Patterns to Future Language Skills: A 3-Year Concurrent and Longitudinal Cohort Study of Canonical Proportion as a Developmental Index.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Ott, Carissa
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Cychosz, Margaret
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 09
              Text: Sep2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 10924388
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 69
            – Type: issue
              Value: 9
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research
              Type: main
ResultId 1