ULOGA VRTIĆA I ŠKOLE U OTKLANJANJU NEPRAVILNOG GOVORA KOD DJECE PREDŠKOLSKOG I MLAĐEG ŠKOLSKOG UZRASTA
THE ROLE OF KINDERGARTEN AND SCHOOL IN ADDRESSING SPEECH DISORDERS IN PRESCHOOL AND EARLY SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN

Summary/Abstract: We, as teachers, are faced with an increasing number of children who experience difficulties in pronouncing certain sounds. This problem is not present only among school-age children, but also among preschool children, perhaps even to a greater extent. Starting from the fact that speech is the foundation of communication, it is extremely important to recognize speech and language difficulties at an early stage and address them in a timely manner. Speech disorders can significantly affect children’s academic achievement, self-confidence, socialization, and emotional development. The aim of this paper is to present and analyze the role of kindergarten and school in identifying and correcting speech irregularities in preschool and early school-age children. Preschool teachers and primary school teachers can play a significant role in pointing out speech and language problems and encouraging exercises that can alleviate and eliminate them. When a child begins the first grade, irregular speech often becomes more noticeable. Cooperation among parents, teachers, speech therapists, and other professionals can significantly contribute to correcting children’s speech difficulties. This paper will examine the key elements of speech development, the most common pronunciation irregularities, as well as the factors that influence their occurrence and correction. Particular attention is given to the role of preschool teachers and primary school teachers who, through their everyday work, can contribute to the speech and language development of children. Activities that support the correction of irregular speech will be analyzed, as well as the importance of cooperation with speech therapists and parents in order to create supportive conditions for the child. A study was conducted in which indicators of articulation and children’s phonological vocabulary were monitored. It is concluded that kindergarten and school, as the most important developmental environments, play a crucial role in creating conditions for the identification, prevention, and correction of speech irregularities in children.

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