CHILD’S SPEECH ACTIVITY AS A RELEVANT ISSUE OF MODERN SPEECH THERAPY AND LOGOPSYCHOLOGY

Abstract

The article is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of the problem of children’s speech activity as a relevant area of modern speech therapy and logopsychology. The paper examines the functioning of the system of continuous language education within the framework of the New Ukrainian School, which actualizes the need for the formation of communicative skills, abilities, and normative speech. The authors emphasize the importance of differentiated speech therapy support, which requires the generalization of theoretical provisions and the study of practical experience in working with children with special educational needs. Particular attention is paid to the driving forces of speech development, among which speech activity plays a key role, realized in the processes of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The article systematizes approaches of psycholinguistics, preschool linguodidactics, and logopsychology to understanding speech activity as a phenomenon interrelated with language competence. The factors determining its level are outlined: motivational, cognitive, content-related, volitional, and communicative. The results of Ukrainian scholars’ research on the speech activity of children with general speech underdevelopment and autism spectrum disorders are presented, with criteria for assessing the formation of speech activity and its components. The authors highlight the dialectical interrelation of the concepts “speech,” “communication,” and “activity,” emphasizing that speech activity is an indicator of the formation of communicative practice and the life position of the individual. Psychological models of the factors of speech activity, the regularities of effective speech behavior, and manifestations of activity in preschool children are defined. The article outlines the conditions for the development of speech activity, including general child activity, sociability, initiative, ability to cooperate, and communication culture. Speech activity is considered as a complex process of perception, understanding, and independent use of speech in communication practice, which is crucial for the socialization and development of children with special educational needs. The results obtained emphasize the need for further research and the development of effective methods for fostering speech activity in preschool children, which will contribute to their successful integration into society.