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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SLP'sThis website is created for parents, teachers, and caregivers of students. You will find useful tips and ideas to help increase your child's speech and language skills as they grow and develop. Categories
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November 2020
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