Speech perception training can facilitate sound production learning

This study examined the role of speech perception training in the correction of phonological errors. Twenty-seven preschoolers with phonological impairment who misarticulated /integral of/ were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Group 1 children listened to a variety of correctly and incorrectly produced versions of the word "shoe"; Group 2 children listened to the words "shoe" and "moo"; Group 3 children listened to the words "cat" and "Pete." A computer game was used to provide reinforcement for correct identification of the words. All children received the same traditional sound production training program for correction of their /integral of/ error, concurrently with speech perception training, during six weekly treatment sessions. On post-testing, Group 1 and 2 children demonstrated a superior ability to articulate the target sound in comparison to Group 3 children. The results are interpreted in relation to previous research on this topic.