Results of the diagnostics state of formation of lexical-semantic skills in older preschoolers

In the article, the author defined the characteristics of lexical-semantic skills, presented the methodology for its diagnosis in senior preschoolers and analyzed the results of the level of its formation. The experiment covered 130 children aged 5-7 years: 71 preschoolers with general speech underdevelopment of II–III levels and 59 preschoolers with typical development. The diagnostics were carried out according to the cognitive, reproductive and activity component and lexical, semantic, semantic-grammatical and contextual components. The author analyzed the diagnostic results and found that the majority of preschoolers with general speech underdevelopment (83%) demonstrate a low level of lexical-semantic skills, while children with typical development have a high level (75%). The remaining preschoolers with general speech underdevelopment (17%) and typical development (25%) are at an average level of lexical-semantic skills. The author identified significant difficulties in children with general speech underdevelopment regarding their knowledge, understanding, and correct use of natural and ecological vocabulary, particularly in the following categories: vegetables, fruits and berries, grains and seeds, shrubs and trees, flowers and mushrooms; domestic animals, farm and wild animals (forest animals), African and marine inhabitants, insects, birds, fish, natural phenomena, inanimate nature, natural and artificial materials, as well as natural and artificial objects; space-related vocabulary; and ecological terms related to a child’s attitudes and behaviors concerning the economical use of resources (water, electricity), waste management, and treatment of animals. Additionally, challenges were observed in understanding semantic connections, lexical-semantic language phenomena (synonymy, antonymy, polysemy, generalizations), and the appropriate and precise word’s use in the necessary context. The author concluded that the data obtained indicate significant gaps in the speech development of children with general speech underdevelopment compared to their peers with typical development. This emphasizes the need to develop a special correctional and developmental methodology to increase the level of lexical and semantic skills.