|
|
Language, language everywhere Infants start as blank slates. By the time they are toddlers they are learning hundreds of new things every day. When we stroll down the street with them, they do not know the names of many of the things they see. They are naturally curious and will ask "What is that?" As they learn the names, they begin to build the system of nouns and verbs and adjectives that are part of what we call language. As parents, part of our job is to supply these names but we can do so much more. With just a little prompting from us, we can greatly aid them in their language acquisition. Be descriptive. Language can richly describe things, events, people, and emotions. We must interact with our children in a way that will bring to them the full rewards and benefits of language. Language enrichment can be practiced
by anyone anywhere, anytime. Describe what you are doing. For toddlers, who are stuck in their car seat during car trips, talk about what you are doing and where you are going. (We are crossing over the bridge. Look at the river under the bridge. We are on the other side of the river.) Expand upon what you say to give more information. (We are driving by the post office. Letters are mailed at the post office. There is a flag in front of the post office.) Talk about what your child is doing. Language is a great and flexible tool
- the more you use it, the more you exercise it - the stronger it
gets. Good language skills help children to do their best in every
other area of learning. And you can help them through language enrichment,
any time, anywhere |
What is an
 |
