Supporting
Language Development at Home
Your child's brain
during the ages of 3-6 years has a special sensitivity to learning
language. That means that, yes, they really are interested in
learning to speak well, read and write. Instead of relying on
worksheets or a specific language learning program while they are
home from school, it's best to encourage and support them to learn
with what they have available at home already- all the objects in their home environment, their outdoor environment, craft supplies, their parents! The most important thing in the next months is not
keeping up, step-by-step, with a prescribed curriculum, but keeping
kids engaged with learning and the idea of learning.
Here are some
suggestions for helping these natural tendencies flourish at home:
Speaking
Spoken language is
the foundation for all language learning. Children are in an
incredibly absorbent stage for vocabulary. Keeping this in mind I
suggest:
Talk with clear
and precise language. Use as exact “difficult”
words as you can. Often, adults dumb down language when talking to
children when given the powers of childhood they should be doing
quite the opposite. Make an effort to talk precisely, for example,
“for pouring out the pancake batter we need the sauce ladle”.
Tell true
stories. Children of this age love stories about real things
around them. It can be stories about when you were young, or stories
about objects around your house, or something interesting that you
saw or learned about yourself.
Listen to your
children. This one counts double. Children will not learn to
speak well unless they feel that what they have to say is of value to
others. With all that's going on these days, a reminder to pause,
look at your child in the eyes when they are speaking, better yet met
them at eye level, and respond fully to what they are saying. They
sometimes need extra time to express what they want to say, don't
assume you know already what they are getting at.
Writing
Writing and reading
should ideally be offered to little children as a means for
communicating. It is a tool for human interaction, not just some
random exercise that they are made to do.
For children who
cannot yet write on paper:
Sound out words.
Playing games of sounding out words like “I spy something that's a
ppp lll aaa nnn ttt, do you know what it is?” or “I'm thinking
of an animal that's a ccc rrr ooo ccc ooo ddd aa yy oo ll” Helping
them become aware of the sounds that make up words is half of the
work of learning to write.
Work to do with
the hands. Any work that your child can do with their hands,
helping with cooking, folding clothes, sorting silverware, spooning
beads into a bowl, using a screwdriver, literally ANY work for the
hands (but especially things that require dexterity of fingers) is
helpful for the development of coordination of the hands for writing.
For children who can
spell phonetically on paper:
Lists. Children
of this age like to make lists. If the need for communication is tied
to the task, the more likely they will be to find value to it. “I'm
going to the grocery store today, can you make me a list of the
things you'd like to have for snacks for this week?” Any child who
can write may jump at an invitation like that.
Letters and
Notes. It's a great time to
write notes and letters to people. For children, the tangible feel of
a note on a paper or a letter on paper is more satisfying than
electronic communication (which is more abstract). However, writing
text messages to family or friends is also a way to practice writing
skills. Don't worry about the spelling. At this stage, it's all about
just encouraging the writing process. In elementary they work on
spelling. For now, helping your child feel confident enough to write
a few words and give them to someone else is already a great
introduction to the world of writing. Thank you notes are a great
practice to introduce to children.
Reading
Read to your
child. Nothing will be more
instrumental to your child's desire to read than you reading
regularly to them. At this age, children don't just love stories,
they love books about science and nature. There can be a daily ritual
reading time, whether before bedtime or before getting ready for bed.
Books often include new vocabulary, ideas, and topics that are not
always addressed in our day to day life. Books quite literally open
up your child's world.
Ask questions
while you read. As you read to
your child, ask questions about the story, what do you think will
happen next?, why do you think that character did that?, what
feelings does the story talk about?, what would you do differently if
you were that character?. Engaging your children's thinking, their
own knowledge and ideas about the world, and questioning how the
story evolves will give another layer to the learning and meaning
while you read.
Just
as with writing, children will be more motivated to read if they are
reading for a real purpose, for something directly meaningful to
them, than if it's just random words practice.
Secret messages.
Write short notes or messages
to your child every day. Whether a reminder for a daily chore, or a
little note reminding them that you love them, children love getting
written messages.
Scavenger hunts
are games you can play that involve writing one word on a small paper
and have your child find that object. Write ten words, or just five,
keeping it fun and to your child's level can turn reading into a
great learning game.
Early reader
books. There are lots of
resources for early reading books for little children to read to you
(once they can read comfortably).
Online reading
games. If you are avoiding screen time then skip this one, but
for those looking for specifically for reading games for children ABC
Mouse, Khan Academy, or Raz Kids have resources appropriate for our
age group children.
Home Library.
It doesn't have to be fancy, just a small nook where your child can
find all their books and a quiet place to look at them is a great
thing to incorporate in your home. Designating a block of time of
your child's daily routine as :Quiet Reading Time where both you and
your child read (your own books quietly, to yourself) can help
instill the habit (in everyone at home) for a quiet time for reading.
1 comment:
As a bilingual montessori mom, I want to thank you for the post! It's been tough working with my son but we are making progress
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