ABSTRACT
Infants begin making sounds at birth. These early sounds are eries that ean be differentiated by a familiar car. As the infant continues to mature, cooing and babbling noises develop into consonant and vowel sounds. These early preconsonant and prevowel sounds gradually become shaped into words. Although research indicates that some phonemes are present in neonates, phoneme development for purposes of speech generally begins between the first and second birthdays. Phoneme development is influenced by the child’s environment; his or her physical, motor, and intellectual capabilities; and the child’s need for communication.
