Language intervention in preschool: an action in promotion of children’s health

Abstract

Introduction: Speech therapy in preschool follow-up is also a health promotion action. The development and evolution of children in learning are also linked to awareness and situations that are fundamental to the progress of communication and language. Objective: To verify whether oral language stimulation practices promote the development of oral language skills in pre-school children, such as the enhancement of their vocabulary, verbal memory and phonological awareness. Methods: experimental study with a control group of children, aged between one and a half year old and four and a half years old. The study was carried out in three stages. The purpose of the first stage was to evaluate children’s communication skills through the application of the Behavioral Observation Protocol (PROC). The second phase referred to the implementation of the intervention program with stimulation of oral language in the school environment; the third stage of this study involved the reapplication of the aforementioned PROC. The intervention took place in a group over nine weeks. Results: A statistically significant increase of the scores was observed in the second application of the PROC in comparison with that conducted in the first stage of this study (p <0.001). Such an increase cannot be explained by the increase in the age group, which underlines the importance of the intervention performed. Conclusion: The findings made in this study lead to the conclusion that intervention with oral language stimulation practices in the school environment helps in the communicative and cognitive development of pre-school children.