PECULIARITIES OF CORRECTIONAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL WORK WITH PRESCHOOL CHILDREN WITH GENERAL SPEECH UNDERDEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The article examines the specific features of corrective and developmental intervention for preschool children with general speech underdevelopment. The relevance of the problem is justified, as general speech underdevelopment involves complex impairments in the formation of all components of the speech system, including phonetic–phonemic, lexical, and grammatical aspects. Such difficulties substantially hinder communication, learning, and the child’s socialization. Drawing on an analysis of scholarly literature and practical experience, the article characterizes the speech-related challenges typical of this group of children, such as limited vocabulary, sound distortions and substitutions, and difficulties in constructing coherent utterances. It also outlines the impact of general speech underdevelopment on cognitive processes, namely attention, memory, and thinking, as well as on the emotional and volitional domains. The primary objectives of corrective and developmental work are identified as developing phonemic awareness, enhancing articulatory motor skills, enriching and activating vocabulary, mastering grammatical categories, and cultivating coherent speech. The article emphasizes the importance of an integrated approach to corrective and developmental intervention, which involves collaboration among a speech-language therapist, a psychologist, a preschool teacher, and parents, alongside the use of play-based methods and visual and multimedia resources. Particular attention is given to the need for a comprehensive assessment that enables practitioners to determine the child’s level of lexical, phonetic–phonemic, grammatical, and syntactic development, as well as to identify strengths and zones of proximal development. The article also highlights the value of a differentiated approach to planning corrective and developmental work, ensuring that individual needs, the pace of learning, and specific characteristics of memory, thinking, and attention are considered. The significance of the stepwise development of coherent expressive speech is outlined. Emphasis is placed on coordinated teamwork between specialists and parents, which supports consistency of pedagogical influences and creates optimal conditions for consolidating acquired speech skills in everyday life. The key psychological, pedagogical, organizational, and technological factors influencing the effectiveness of the corrective process are delineated. It is concluded that comprehensive, systematic, and individualized corrective and developmental intervention contributes to a marked improvement in speech competence, strengthens readiness for schooling, and supports more successful socialization of preschool children with general speech underdevelopment.