title: Investigation of habitual pitch during free play activities for preschool-aged children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study is designed to compare the habitual pitch measured in two different speech activities (free play activity and traditionally used structured speech activity) for normally developing preschool-aged children to explore to what extent preschoolers vary their vocal pitch among different speech environments.
  
  
  METHODS
  Habitual pitch measurements were conducted for 10 normally developing children (2 boys, 8 girls) between the ages of 31 months and 71 months during two different activities: (1) free play; and (2) structured speech. Speech samples were recorded using a throat microphone connected with a wireless transmitter in both activities. The habitual pitch (in Hz) was measured for all collected speech samples by using voice analysis software (Real-Time Pitch).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significantly higher habitual pitch is found during free play in contrast to structured speech activities. In addition, there is no showing of significant difference of habitual pitch elicited across a variety of structured speech activities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggest that the vocal usage of preschoolers appears to be more effortful during free play than during structured activities. It is recommended that a comprehensive evaluation for young children's voice needs to be based on the speech/voice samples collected from both free play and structured activities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA 15282, USA. cheny@duq.edu
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Mikael D Z
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Kimelman
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Micco
mesh_terms: D002652:Child Behavior / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006184:Habits; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010699:Phonation / Q000502:physiology*; D010988:Play and Playthings / Q000523:psychology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology*; D014831:Voice / Q000502:physiology*