Guidelines for developing children s language skills

Transcription

1 Guidelines for developing children s language skills This series of worksheets, five in total, is aimed at parents of young children up to about 6 years of age. One of the most crucial tasks which parents do is to help their children to express themselves well. Being able to communicate well is one the most important needs of children. Worksheet 1 explains why good language skills are important and how language skills help children to develop intellectually. Worksheet 2 explains how children develop language skills. The basic message of this worksheet is that children need people to interact with them to develop their language skills. Work sheet 3 looks at how we use language skills to communicate. Worksheet 4 explores how children communicate with their parents and Worksheets 5 gives helpful tips. Individual parents or a group of parents can use these worksheets. Questions at the end of the worksheets are meant to invoke discussion. Page 1

2 Developing children s language skills When we help children to develop their language skills, we are helping them to develop the skills of talking and expressing ideas. Why are good language skills important? Language is necessary for thinking and therefore is important for how we learn. Language helps children to develop ideas e.g when a child sees a car and can say the word car or a sound like the word car, the picture of the car fixes in the child s memory. When he sees it again he will be able to name it. Child HEARS The word car. The word car goes into the child s MEMORY Child NAMES the word car Child UNDERSTANDS the word car. When young children are unable to express their feelings and thoughts in word, they often have temper tantrums. Can you remember the first words that your child said? How did you feel when you heard these words? Page 2

3 How children develop language skills Children develop language skills when they interact with people, particularly their parents and this development begins at birth. The baby talks to Mum and Dad by crying, smiling, screaming and cooing. Mum and Dad respond by putting language on the baby s actions. When the baby cries Mum says Are you hungry? or Do you want your bottle? Child keeps all this language in her memory. Eventually she will understand what bottle is and later still she will say the word bottle. Children start by naming familiar people (Mum, Dad, Nana), then familiar objects (bo-bottle, ca-car, do-dosoother)and finally the words they hear used most often. They start by using single words (Mama), then two words (Mama, hug), then simple phrases and sentences (Mama,hug,now ). By the age of five, most children will have about 2,000 words they use regularly and are able to use these words in more difficult sentences. What stage has your child reached with his/her language development? Page 3

4 Language and Communication We use our language skills to communicate. When we have good language skills, we are able to communicate well. We communicate: To express our needs To express our feelings To find out information To exhange views TO MAKE CONTACT WITH PEOPLE AND DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS Think of someone you consider to be a good communicator. Why do you think he/she is a good communicator? Page 4

5 Helping our children to communicate well How do you communicate with your children? Do you communicate by giving a series of instructions and commands? Do you communicate by asking a series of questions? Do you listen to your children? Do you hold conversations with your children? Do you interrupt your children when they are trying to tell you something? Do you rush your children when they are speaking to you? Do you put words into their mouths? Remember children copy what their parents do. How can you help your child to communicate well? WAIT for your child to say what he wants to say. Have EYE CONTACT with your child as he speaks to you LISTEN to your child. DON T INTERRUPT TAKE TURNS. Talk and listen to each other. Page 5

6 Tips on talking with children 1. Find a time every day to talk with each of your children. 2. Answer your child s questions as best you can and ask them questions. Ask open-ended questions i.e that is questions that have more than a yes or no answer e.g How was school today? instead of Did you have a good day at school today? 3. Don t talk for your child. Some children don t talk because others talk for them.(this often happens to the youngest child in the family). 4. Don t use baby talk. Use the proper names for things e.g you a car a car not a beep-beep. Even if the child can t pronounce the word car at first they will gradually learn to say it. 5. When a child makes a mistake in speech, don t correct him/her. You rephrase what the child says but insert the correct word e.g The child says I closes the door. Parent responds Good boy, you closed the door. 6. Encourage your child to express his/her opinion, even if you disagree with the views expressed. 7. Remove distractions. Don t be talking over the television/video etc. Try some of these tips with your child over the coming week. Page 6