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Correct Answer: five-year-old who cannot rhyme “fish” with “dish”
phonological disorders in children refer to difficulties in the way sounds are formed and organized, which can significantly affect their speech clarity and ability to communicate effectively. a phonological disorder involves patterns of sound errors, such as simplifying sound combinations, which are not typically seen in normal speech development.
among the children described, the five-year-old who cannot rhyme "fish" with "dish" is indicated as being most at risk for a phonological disorder. rhyming is a critical phonological skill that aids in the development of reading and spelling. it involves recognizing and producing words that have the same ending sounds. difficulty in rhyming is a common indicator of potential phonological and phonemic awareness issues.
rhyming skills are generally expected to develop around the age of four to five years. by the age of five, most children can recognize and produce rhymes, which is an essential component of phonological awareness. a five-year-old who struggles with this skill may be exhibiting early signs of a phonological disorder. this is particularly concerning because phonological awareness is foundational for later reading skills. research suggests that deficiencies in these early phonological skills can predict later difficulties in reading and spelling.
on the other hand, the other examples given, such as a five-year-old who stops interdental fricatives (e.g., turning "this" into "dis"), a five-year-old who glides liquids (e.g., saying "wabbit" for "rabbit"), and a three-year-old with an 80% speech intelligibility rating or who stops alveolar fricatives, represent common developmental speech errors. these errors often resolve on their own as the child's speech and language skills mature. for instance, many children substitute easier sounds for more difficult ones (like using "t" for "s") and may continue to refine their speech production up to the age of seven or eight.
however, persistent issues with rhyming at the age of five suggest a deeper problem with phonological processing that might not naturally resolve without intervention. this can place a child at a higher risk for a phonological disorder, warranting further assessment and potentially targeted speech therapy to address these deficits. early intervention is crucial to help mitigate the impact on reading and spelling skills, which are vital for academic success.
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