Children's Phonological Model

Research spanning decades have proposed various theories and models that provided different insights into the process of speech and language acquisition. Most linguistic theories maintain that a child’s phonological system is governed by innate and natural mechanisms. For example, nonlinear phonology theories attempt to account for the notion that the relationships between phonological units are hierarchical in nature and that the production of speech involves many elements that are function independently as well as in relation to one another. While linguistic- based models are useful for describing children’s phonological systems, they, however, do not capture nor explain the potential underlying psychological processes or mental mechanisms involved. A psycholinguistic model on the other hand attempts to account for the cognitive mechanisms involved in the “perception, storage, planning and production of speech as it is produced in real time in utterances” (McCormack, 1997, p.4). …show more content…
The first of these provides a framework for understanding the steps in speech processing. The second outlines questions that need to be asked and methods for providing the answers in the assessment of an individual's speech processing skills. The third provides a framework for describing a child’s developmental