The Experimental Use of Cross-Age Relationships in Public School Speech Remediation

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to investigate the effectiveness of older public school students with and without articulatory errors administering speech remediation to younger children with articulatory difficulty; and (2) to examine whether the older students could effect change in their own articulation by administering speech remediation. The results suggest that those older students who evidenced articulatory errors and who were administering speech remediation could effect change in the younger students' articulatory patterns, while at the same time improving their own skills. The value of using older students as service providers in a public school setting is discussed.

Variables Affecting Classroom Teachers' Understanding of Speech Disorders

The present research investigated 10 variables that might affect classroom teachers' attitudes toward and understanding of children with speech disorders, the nature of such disorders, and remediation procedures. Data collected from 858 questionnaires indicated that one variable, whether or not the teacher had taken a basic course in speech remediation, was highly significant in all treatments. Three other significant variables were number of years' teaching experience, access to the services of a speech pathologist, and age.

Speech Remediation of Children Involved in Two Different Physical Education Programs

25 children with severe speech defects and receiving specialized therapy in a camp were randomly assigned to either a physical education program with an emphasis on recreational games or perceptual-motor instruction. All children were administered 6 pre- and posttests of language and speech proficiency. The recreation games group achieved slightly more statistically significant improvements.