S. Young’s scientific contributions

There have been several studies of young children's spontaneous vocalizations in free-play and, arising from these, an interesting similarity of findings. However, a close reading reveals that while there is similarity, in the finer detail there are also differences and ambiguities. Furthermore, the reading reveals that findings and interpretations have mostly been drawn from evidence gathered from preschoolers attending kindergarten and nursery education. Younger children of two to three years old, particularly those attending day-care or nursery education, are less represented. The purpose of this study was to provide information which would add to and assist in the process of clarifying information arising from prior studies. Research was undertaken to observe and collect the spontaneous vocalizations produced by two- to three-year-olds in a day-care setting in London, UK. Six regular attenders at the day-care were observed over a series of six free-play hours. Details of their vocalizations in the context of their general play were collected in field-notes. The total collected observational data were compared in order to identify common features which would lead to the formation of categories. These categories are presented and, to assist description, each one is illustrated by vignettes drawn from the play of one child. These categories are then discussed in the light of findings from prior studies. Finally, some implications for practice are proposed.