The speech pathology therapeutic group and children’s literature

Abstract

Five chidren with language disabilities were attended upon in a therapeutic group by means of children’s literature – oral narratives. The sessions lasted one hour and a half per day, one day per week, from March to October 1977. This study is based on Vygotsky’s (1987, 1988) developmental theory, which states that language is socially, historically and culturally derived. As for the methodological aspects of the study, a developmental position was assumed, in the sense of “…any empirical study that describes specific structural transformation in time can generate data that reflect development” (Valsiner, 1966, p. 297). The main conclusion is that language retardation can be corrected relatively easily and quickly if an objective need for speech development is created and if adequate tools are available.