Deviations from Randomness in Children's Early Speech

Abstract

One notion of language development suggests that infants' and toddlers' vocalizations are produced at random with no particular patterns or organization. In this article two tests (the pairs test and the gap test) that are used to check the randomness properties of computer-generated pseudorandom numbers are modified to study the sounds produced by infants 13 months of age and toddlers 24 months of age. Deviations from the expected patterns that would be observed if the children did produce sound segments at random suggest features of the development of language skills. The information provided by the lack of fit of the model corresponding to the pairs test is used to develop models that capture the common patterns in transitions among sound classifications in children's early speech.