For many parents, the start of the school year is an exciting time. It’s a time for their child to branch out and make new friends and learn lots of new and exciting things. For other parents, it can be stressful and scary especially if there are concerns about academic and language development. Some preschoolers (and their parents) have not spent much time around other children their same age and it may be an eye opener to observe the developmental levels of other children the same age. Often this is the time when parents notice that their child is not talking or interacting at the same level as other children. They begin to question or wonder if there is something “wrong” with their child. Here are some things to think about when these questions arise…
3 years old: By the age of 3 years, most children are able to follow 2 step familiar directions such as “take off your shirt and put it in the hamper.” They know the names of common objects as well as the functions of the objects. They are speaking in short sentences of at least 3 words in length and they are constantly learning new words. 3 year olds can tell you their name and age and know the difference between boys and girls. 3 year olds are also learning descriptive concepts such as colors, numbers and some attributes (such as big, funny, etc.). The "3 year old" button, below, is a link to some 3 year old skills. 4 years old: By the age of 4 years, you should see a big growth in your child’s language skills. They have a much bigger vocabulary. Some developmental charts say 4 year old should have a vocabulary of approximately 1000 words. 4 year olds love to tell you stories and are communicating while they play by either talking/narrating their play to themselves or with a peer. The "4 year old" button at the bottom, is a link to some skills for quick reference for 4 year old. 5 years old: By the age of 5 years, children should have a vocabulary of 1500-2000 words and they should be continuing to learn new words. 5 year olds can tell elaborate stories and should understand future concepts such as “in the morning” or “tomorrow”. They should be able to follow multi-step directions and can ask for clarification if they are unsure of something. They should begin to be thinking in more abstract ways such as “I hope…” If you feel your child is not developing language at the rate that you would expect, contact your school district’s speech/language pathologist for assistance. Please keep in mind that the “average range” is exactly that…a “range”. Some children develop certain skills quicker than others. Some children may be at the lower end of the average range, and then hit a “language growth spurt” later. A speech/language pathologist can observe and interact with your child during a screening. This will give her a better idea of how your child is doing. Several different situations may occur following a screening:
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EARLY CHILDHOOD
Did you know that the average child’s vocabulary is roughly 5000 words when he or she starts school. This means that between the ages of one and five, children learn (on average) approximately 3.5 words every day. Children who hear lots of words, whether it's during conversation throughout the day or while reading, we know that children need LOTS of exposure to language. It’s not just how much children hear, but also WHAT they hear that matters. Several studies have shown that children benefit from exposure to unfamiliar vocabulary (words they don’t hear in everyday conversations, like “damp”, “purchase”, or “frightened”). Books expose children to many new words because they:
Books spark children’s interest because they have illustrations with bold, exciting colors and topics of interest to young children. Many children’s books offer imaginary topics (such as pirates, princesses, or dragons) that encourage conversation between parents and children. It’s also easy for children to show their parents what interests them in a book, both with and without words (by pointing, gesturing, or drawing attention to a picture). ELEMENTARY In Elementary school, kids start learning to read independently. It's still a great time for parents to read to their kids. Books can help parents teach children what words mean because:
Vocabulary (words) and grammar (rules about the structure of a language) are learned together and help each other develop. Children need to hear new words in grammatically correct sentences in order to learn language efficiently. Books promote this principle of language-learning because children have the opportunity to hear new words within the grammatical sentences of the story. MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL It's okay to read to the "big kids" too! Most kids have said that when they were younger, they loved being read to. This is still a great opportunity to create a bonding ritual with your "big" kid. Reading to your older child is great for several reasons:
There are many books appropriate for middle and high school students such as the Harry Potter series, the Hunger Games series, etc. Talk to your school librarian for suggestions, they would love to help! |
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