Perceptual statistical learning over one week in child speech production.

Only 16 children were analyzed, and 22 were recruited, so the study is small and had dropouts and exclusions. The children were typically developing, native English speakers from one region, and scored within normal limits, so it does not show what happens in children with speech or language disorders. The children were generally above average in expressive language, vocabulary, receptive vocabulary and nonverbal skill, so results may not apply to children with lower language skills. The task used invented words and make-believe animals, not real words or the child's own speech errors. The high frequency condition combined more exposures, more words and more talkers, so the study cannot separate those components. The main comparison was null, and the positive finding came from looking at the first production and first three productions, so it may be a chance finding from multiple comparisons. The follow-up was only one week, so it cannot show whether any effect would last longer or affect real speech development.

Do not conclude that hearing more talkers and more words improves child speech production over a week. The main analysis was null, and the high frequency condition combined more exposures, more words and more talkers, so their separate contributions cannot be known.