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Language Development
Many factors affect the rate at which a child develops language. Sometimes language development slows down while a child is learning other skills. The amount and kind of language the child hears may also affect the rate of language development. The rate of language development may also be affected by how people respond to the child. For example, the child whose communication attempts are greeted with eye contact, acknowledgement, and expansion of his or her ideas is likely to develop language faster than the child whose communication attempts receive little or no response. As children develop language, they typically go through the same stages of development. The exact age at which a specific child goes through a certain stage varies, but the order of the stages is pretty much the same from child to child. Babies are born programmed to learn language, and are actually quite adept at it. Their built-in language ability follows a universal timetable, one that transcends ethnicity and socioeconomic class. Talk and read to your child a lot. It will help you to raise a healthy and skilful person. Birth to One Year A baby's first attempts at communicating emotions and needs are through crying. Parents learn how to differentiate hunger cries from those indicating tiredness or a wet diaper. By three months, the baby will turn his or her head towards voices and recognize parents' voices. Expressively, the baby indicates contentment and/or amusement by smiling. He or she repeats sounds. At 4 to 6 months, the baby notices new sounds such as the vacuum and telephone. He or she responds to "no" and to changes in tone of voice. He or she pays attention to music. Early sound discrimination skills are beginning to emerge. Sounds have a more speech-like babble to them. When playing alone or with parents, the child makes gurgling sounds. He or she tells you by sound or gesture when he or she wants something. At 7 months to one year, the infant is beginning to recognize his or her name. The child listens when spoken to. The baby is beginning to recognize common words, and to respond to simple requests. Expressively, the infant imitates speech sounds, and he or she may have 1 or 2 words. Always check your child's ability to hear, and pay attention to ear problems and infections , especially when they keep occurring. Reinforce your baby's communication attempts by looking at him or her, speaking, and imitating his or her vocalizations, laughter and facial expressions. Talk while you are doing things, such as dressing, bathing, and feeding. Talk about where you are going, what you will do once you get there, and who and what you'll see. Practice counting. One to Two Years Your child is now able to participate more actively in listening to simple stories, songs and rhymes. He or she can follow simple commands. Your child can point to a few body parts. He or she can point to pictures of things in a book when you name them. Your child's vocabulary is increasing, and he or she says more and more words every month. Your child is beginning to put 2 words together using many different consonant sounds at the beginning of words. Continue to talk while doing things and going places. Use simple but grammatical speech that is easy for your child to imitate. Take a sound walk around your house or in the baby's room. Make bath time "sound play time" as well. Expand on single word utterances. Find time to read to your child every day. Try to find books with large pictures and 1-2 words or a simple phrase or sentence on each page. When reading to your child, take time to name and describe the pictures on each page. Have your child point to pictures that you name. Two to Three Years Your child is beginning to understand differences in meaning. For example, he or she understands the difference between "up and down," "in and out," and "big and little." Your child notices noises, such as the doorbell ringing, the telephone, and sounds on the television. He or she follows simple requests or directions. Familiar listeners understand your child's speech most of the time. Continue to use clear, simple speech that is easy to imitate. Show your child that you are interested in what he or she says to you by repeating what he or she has said and expanding on it. Expand on your child's vocabulary. Introduce new vocabulary through reading books that have a simple sentence on each page. Continue to name objects and describe the picture on each page of the book. State synonyms for familiar words, and use this new vocabulary in sentences to help your child learn it in context. Cut out pictures from old magazines, and make a scrapbook of familiar things. Look at family photos and name the people. Use simple phrases/sentences to describe what is happening in the pictures. Write simple appropriate phrases under the pictures. Your child will begin to understand that reading is oral language in print. Ask your child questions that require a choice, rather than simply a "yes" or "no" answer. Strengthen your child's language comprehension skills by playing the yes-no game. Continue to sing songs, play finger games, and tell nursery rhymes. These songs and games introduce your child to the rhythm and sounds of language. Three to Four Years Your child now talks in sentences of 4 or more words. He or she talks about activities easily and fluently, without repeating syllables or words. Now people outside of the family are able to understand him or her. Your child understands and answers simple who, what, and where questions. He or she hears you when you call from another room. Continue to sort pictures and items into categories, but increase the challenge by asking your child to point out the item that does not belong in a category. Continue to expand vocabulary and the length of your child's utterances by reading, singing, talking about what you are doing and where you are going, and saying rhymes. Now you can read books that have a simple plot, and you can talk about the story line with your child. Continue to look at family pictures, and now have your child explain what is happening in each one. Work on comprehension skills by asking your child questions. Have him or her try to fool you with his or her own questions. Expand on social communication and story-telling skills by "acting out" typical scenarios with a dollhouse and its props. Four to Five Years
Your child now pays attention to short stories and answers simple questions about them. He or she understands most of what is said at home and at school. Your child communicates easily with other children and adults. Sentences give details, and use adult-like grammar. When explaining something or telling a story, your child sticks to the topic and strings together ideas in an understandable sequence. Your child may still have some errors in pronunciation, but is still easy to understand. Always give full attention to your child when he or she is speaking, and acknowledge, praise, and encourage him or her after he or she has spoken. Before you speak to your child, be sure to get his or her undivided attention. Pause after speaking, allowing him or her to respond to what you have said. As always, continue to build on your child's vocabulary. Provide definitions for new words, and use them in context. Encourage your child to ask for an explanation if he or she does not understand what a word means. Continue sorting items into categories. Expand on social communication and narration skills (telling a story) by role-playing. Continue to read stories with easy-to-follow plots. Help your child predict what will happen next in the story. Expand on your child's comprehension and expressive language skills. Play age-appropriate board games with your child. Have your child help you plan and discuss daily activities.
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