LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

5 ASPECTS OF LANGUAGE DEVLOPMENT

PhonologyPhonology is the first stage of learning language. The phonology system consists of English sounds with 44 different sounds. Using the smallest unit of sound, children learn how to pronounce and read words. In this stage of language development, dialect is formed. In different regions and cultures, letters and words are pronounced differently. For example, American English is different than the English spoken in the United Kingdom or Great Britain.

MorphologyThe second part of language develop is morphology. A morpheme is the smallest unit of language. This entails grammar and using words that form sentences. At an early stage, children learn smaller, more common words while beginning to form sentences. As the child grows, the level of syntax improve to where the child can then combine more complex words and sentences, including punctuation and adding root words, prefixes and suffixes.

5 ASPECTS OF LANGUAGE DEVLOPMENT

SyntaxThe rules of language are governed by syntax. The way a sentence is structured and the parts of speech fall under syntax. Correctly formed sentences improve with one's age and vocabulary. Whereas a child would not know about sentence structure (subject, noun, verb) format, it is through speaking that they can realize if something doesn't sound correct. An older person would be able to do the same as well, but may have a better understanding of the parts of a sentence and speech, along with the order in which words are used.

SemanticsThe fourth part of language development is learning the meaning of words, or semantics. Recognizing that words have various meanings and can be used in sentences, yet have different connotation, is a learning process. As young children are learning language, they may find it more difficult to choose appropriate words to convey their message. They may use a word that is similar to what they are trying to convey. For example, the child may call a worm a snake. Snake and worm would most likely mean the same thing to him. As children age and their vocabulary improve, they begin to use correct or more precise words.

5 ASPECTS OF LANGUAGE DEVLOPMENT

PragmaticsThe last part of language development is pragmatics. This is the way people use language in various settings. We all learn to use certain language based on our environment. Language in a church setting would be different than that on a sports team, for example. Children begin to learn that language in school is often different from that at home. This is especially true if the child is immersed in a different culture at home.

ORAL AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE

INFANTS AND TODDLERSPhonetics

-Point to the text and images as you read so children associate speech with the words-Vocal Play: Encourage the child to babble and coo and repeat words in their real context verses how they are saying it-Read to the child so they can hear the different intonation and rhythm-Early infancy- can distinguish specific phonemes and syllables-Mid infancy- attend more to phoneme-sound contrasts in home language than in other languages

Toddlers phonetic development: Signs: 1) pronunciations may not be stable (EX: pasghetti for spaghetti) 2) awareness of sounds they cannot produce 3) awareness of sound similarities and patterns

INFANTS AND TODDLERSSEMANTICS

-When the child seems upset, communicate happy emotions with them-Monitor and interpret infants verbal and nonverbal responses-Support the child's exploration of the environment-Create symbol formation by matching a word with an object-Use eye contact and share reference with the child-Use verbal mapping-Use storybook sharing to include the child in the reading process-Provide for writing and arts activities

Infant’s SEMANTIC development -early association between speech and meaning -concept development and receptive semantic knowledge (direct and vicarious experiences, Affective experiences)

Toddler Semantic Knowledge -Receptive vocab is larger than expressive vocab-toddlers one and two word utterances understood through context of use-Literacy rich environments provide opportunities to explore meaning in written language

TODDLERS AND INFANTSSYNTACTIC

-Encourage explanations of illustrations and related experiences-Use eye contact during conversations and reading-Allow the child to be involved or in the room of adult conversation -Involve interaction with adult and child during reading+-Direct the speech towards the child

TODDLERS AND INFANTS

MORPHEMIC

-Try to not correct the children's verbal mistakes-Correct their sentence or words and repeat what they said as a question-Practice having conversations with the child

Infancy (only recognize): - perceive sound distinctions with inflections morphemes EX dog... dogs - listen to the speech of others in their homes Toddlers (start using it) - use of inflectional morphemes begins (plural, ing)

TODDLERS AND INFANTSPRAGMATIC

-Acknowledge and respond to child's gestures-Practice conversation loops with the child-Start practicing participation during reading or conversations-Create a drama corner with different props and settings-Give the child feedback about the pictures in a book and connect it to the words that are being read

Signs:- begin to associate actions with outcomes EX getting bottle out... dinner time - speech accompanying actions takes on meaning - older infants may use gestures to communicate meaning - gestures may be accompanied by vocalizations (helps to keep them from frustration) - infants acquire awareness of how languages is used in different setting through interactions of adults and other children - dialogue/ "conversation" (social routines, use of prosody to indicate intent with questions

PRESCHOOLERSPHONETICS

-Begin using rhyme and alliteration, could be done through activities or shared reading-Read rhyming books-Encourage children's writing and sounding out of what they wrote-even if it is not correct-Guide children in learning how to spell their name-Interact with children when they notice environmental print

PRESCHOOLERS

SEMANTIC

-Make sure the child has options for both fiction and non-fiction books and reads both-Connect new vocabulary terms to the text and book-Give them many opportunities to respond to new words or experiences-Use figurative language-Expose the children with new direct and vicarious experiences

PRESCHOOLERS

SYNTACTIC

-Give the children time to share their own experiences-Have them read aloud or talk about the book to their peers-Have show and tell so they have the opportunity to talk among the class and produce monologues-Support the children’s experiences and new discoveries-Use negation, passive sentences, and interrogatives with the child

PRESCHOOLERS

MORPHEMIC

-Actively listen to the children as they share stories or experiences-Encourage their attempts to use irregular words-Support their experimentation of different words or word usage-Allow them to text different word endings

PRESCHOOLERSPRAGMATIC

-Practice acting out the stories and providing dramatic play with the books you read-Encourage discussion about the book before, during, and after reading-Express your interest in their monologues and actively listen to what they have to say about the story-Follow along with their activities or dramatic play about a story with their own recreation-Encourage their curiosity about different setting and environments while they dictate a story

KINDERGARTENERS

PHONETIC

-Use literacy related lessons that are derived from stories they read-Provide a connection with their assignments to literacy so they can connect letters to sounds, learn spelling patterns, and use segmentation of words during their work-Encourage play with chants, rhymes, action poems, and words games-Appreciate the encoding of words using digraphs and support their efforts-Praise the children with any attempt at reading or sounding out words-Continually practice letters of the alphabet

KINDERGARTENERS

SEMANTIC

-Use storybooks to expand vocabulary-Use humor, jokes, and outgoing commentary and stories to increase awareness of the language patterns and keep interest to the reading-Create new vocabulary and concepts within the literacy-Help develop new networks of schemata within the vocabulary-Use figurative language within book sharing

KINDERGARTENERS

SYNTACTIC

-Use passive sentences to aid comprehension within the students and allow them to practice that type of sentence usage-Repeat correct use of grammar, pronouns, and word usage to allow the children to master sentence structure correctly-Expand grammar usage and encourage them to use more complex terms

KINDERGARTENERS

MORPHEMIC

-Try not to discourage the children for making mistakes within grammar-Allow them to learn about the correct usage of comparatives, superlatives, or sentence structure without discouragement-Encourage oral language that shows a correct understanding of morphemes

KNDERGARTENERS

PRAGMATIC

-Allow the children to have conversations with different peers and adults. For example, other classes, teachers, the principal, parents, or any other adult they could look up to and communicate with-Provide children with different settings where they can interact differently and as listeners and speakers-Continually praise children for correct use of grammar and punctuation-Allow time for informal interactions. Arrival and Departure is a great time for this. Especially for one-on-one conversation.-Let children tell and dictate stories by allowing them to share personally important events-Provide different genres of literacy

PRIMARY

PHONETIC

-Help the children with articulations and be cautious of recommending remediation at this early age-Supply children with onset-rime activities that have oral and written language components-Be aware of orthographic-phonemic knowledge in children and differentiate to their needs

Students in primary grades learn phonics skills that teach them to read through identification and recognition of sounds. Skills are taught in sequence, but many overlap and are used simultaneously. The goal of phonics instruction is to help students become proficient readers who are able to use the strategies they learned to decode (sound out) words

PRIMARYSEMANTIC

-Use the children’s skills and hobbies to pair with vocabulary terms to help strengthen the meaning-Introduce children to specific words in a literacy context and encourage them to participate in discussing what those words mean-Encourage children's use and creation of figurative language

PRIMARY

SYNTACTIC

-Allow for group projects with other classmates and provide activities that include informal and performance based discussion that will spark usage of anaphoric reference-Praise children's increasing use of sentence complexity in both oral and written language-Give opportunities for children to participate in creating their own written stories and story dictation-Praise students when they get it right. Say quietly, “Oh, I’m so pleased that you got the word order right.” A little positive reinforcement goes a long way toward improving language skills

PRIMARYMORPHEMIC

-Continuously praise and support the children for correct sentence usage with regular and irregular words-Provide activities that will allow children to use, hear, and focus on words containing inflectional and derivational morphemes-From combining two morphemes, the child goes on to combine words with suffixes or inflections (-s or -ing, as in papers and eating) and eventually creates questions, statements, commands, etc. She also learns to combine two ideas into one complex sentence, as in "I'll share my crackers if you share your juice."

PRIMARYPRAGMATIC

-Provide different types of genres in the classroom or home library, for personal reading, shared reading, or curriculum-Provide opportunities for children to develop a vocabulary and strategies for resolving conflict -Children will have questions and need clarification on word usage, structure, or language. Always respond and in the best way possible to enhance their development-Praise the children when responding to your indirect requests and understanding that is was an indirect request-Promote conversation during literacy related activities that help expand language use about the book

PHONETIC ACTIVITIESINFANT AND TODDLER

Letter Games BlocksDrawing CenterStorybook

Sharing

PRESCHOOLERSWriting CenterBook SharingDrama Corner

KINDERGARTENERSPuppets

Foam CharactersWord WallsRiddlesDrama CornerRetell and

Recreate

PRIMARY Creative Writing

Teacher Read-Aloud

Drama Corner

SEMANTIC ACTIVITIES

INFANT/TODDLEROutdoor

ActivitiesDiscovery

CenterStorybook

Sharing

PRESCHOOLERSWriting CenterBook Sharing Drama Corner

KINDERGARTENERSWord WallRiddlesPuppets

Foam Boards

PRIMARY SCHOOL-AGED

Creative Writing Read-Alouds

Drama Center

SYNTACTIC ACTIVIESINFANT/TODDLER

Outdoor ActivitiesStorybook

SharingDrama Corner

PRESCHOOLERSWriting CenterBook SharingDrama Corner

KINDERGARTENERSWord WallWriting CenterShow and Tell

PRIMARY Creative Writing Read Alouds

Drama Center

MORPHEMIC ACTIVITESINFANT/TODDLER

Outdoor Activities

Storybook Sharing

Drama Corner

PRESCHOOLERSShow-and-tellBook SharingDrama Corner

KINDERGARTENERSStorybook

SharingOutdoor PlayDrama Center

PRIMARY Creative WritingRead Alouds

Drama Center

PRAGMATIC ACTIVITIESINFANT/TODDLER

Outdoor ActivitiesStorybook

SharingDrama Corner

PRESCHOOLERSShow-and-tellBook SharingDrama Corner

KINDERGARTENERSStudent tells

storiesDrama CenterScience

CenterMath Center

PRIMARY SCHOOL-AGED

Creative Writing Read Alouds

Science Center

Math Center

BOOKS THAT PROMOTE LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

Infants and Toddlers:

1) Blue Hat, Green Hat By: Sandra Boynton 2) Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? By: Bill Martin, Jr. This book has one simple illustration per page and simple, repetitive text. It’s great for working on the names of colors and animals.

3) Where is Baby’s Belly Button? By: Karen Katz This lift-the-flap book is highly engaging and useful for working on the names of body parts.

Reasons:-Only a few words on each page – This allows children to absorb the content of the book without having to process complex language.-Clear/simple drawings or photographs – Simple illustrations that are directly related to the words on the page give children visual information about what they are hearing.-Repetitive text – Children are more likely to try to read along when the text is repetitive and predictable.

BOOKS THAT PROMOTE LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

PRESCHOOLERS

1) The Great Fuzz Frenzy By: Janet Stevens

2) I Wish I Were a Butterfly By: James Howe

3) Chuck Lends a Paw and Funny Bunnies on the Run By: Robert Quakenbush

BOOKS THAT PROMOTE LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

KINDERGARTENERS

1) Bear Snores On By: Karma Wilson

2) One Duck Stuck By: Phyllis Root

3) Sheep in a Jeep By: Nancy E. Shaw

BOOKS THAT PROMOTE LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

PRIMARY

1) How a Seed GrowsBy: Helene J. Jordan

2) The Magic School Bus: Inside the Human Body By: Joanna Cole

3) The Animal KingdomBy: Kathryn T. Hegeman

TIPS FOR PARENTSHOW TO CHOOSE BOOKS THAT PROMOTE LANGUAGE

DEVELOPMENT

-Bright colorful and engaging pictures-Song, poems, nursery rhymes and finger plays along with rhyme/repitition are great for any age-Books about your child’s interests: vehicles, animals, trains, or a favorite character.-Don’t forget seasonal and holiday books! Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah, Chinese/Lunar New Year, St. Patricks Day, Easter, etc.-Wordless picture books are AWESOME for developing oral language skills at ALL ages so be sure to have these at each stage of development.-When selecting books, try to provide your child with a variety of TYPES of books. Simple picture books, board books, fabric books, touch and feel books, wordless picture books, lift-the-flap books, books based on song, rhyming books, poem books, “find and seek” books, pop up books, pull the tab, etc.

TIPS FOR PARENTS

1. Talk, talk, talk. Narrate the day as it evolves. Tell your child, for instance, "Now we're going to take a bath. Can you feel the warm water on your belly? When we dry off, we'll get dressed and take a walk."

2. Read, read, read. It's never too early to read to your baby. One good predictor of future reading success is the amount of time parents spend reading with their child. Parents can start with simple board books and graduate to picture books and longer stories as their child gets older. Story times at the local library or bookstore can also help a preschooler develop a love of books.

3. Enjoy music together. Young children love music and movement. When they listen to lively songs, like "Old McDonald Had a Farm," they learn about the world around them and the rhythm of language.

4. Tell stories. Make up elaborate stories with characters, conflict, adventure, and a happy ending. Be sure that the stories fit your child's interests and aren't too scary for her liking.

5. Follow your child's lead. If your little one seems interested in a particular picture in a book, keep talking about it. If she seems intrigued by a boat, show her more boats and talk about them, too. Repeat her babbles back to her, ask questions, and interact with her. You can even try recording your child on a tape recorder and playing it back.

TIPS FOR PARENTS

6. Never criticize your child's articulation or speech patterns. Instead, repeat his statements back to him with the correct pronunciation or word usage. Give your child lots of praise for his efforts.

7. Use television and computers sparingly. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children younger than 2 not watch television at all, and that children 2 and older view no more than two hours of quality programming a day. While some educational programs can be beneficial to kids, TV shows don't interact with or respond to children, which are the two catalysts kids need to learn language. Computer games are interactive, but they aren't responsive to a child's ideas.

8. Treat ear infections thoroughly. Children in group child-care situations are more prone to ear infections, which can put them at risk for hearing loss and, consequently, language delays. If your pediatrician prescribes an antibiotic to treat an infection, make sure your child takes the correct dosage each day and uses it for the full prescribed time. When your child finishes the prescription, schedule a follow-up visit with your pediatrician to make sure the infection has cleared.

9. Go on field trips. A trip to the zoo, the aquarium, or a children's museum will open up a whole new world for your child. As an added bonus, she'll want to learn the names of all those fascinating creatures and fun activities she experienced.