ACQUISITION OF SPEECH: All babies are capable of making all the sounds found in every language. Round 6 months of age the sounds become more language specific. The infant begins to practise making these sounds. End of first year some sounds have become distinct words, e.g. ‘mummummum’ or ‘dadada’.
Sequence: Toddler begins to recognize names associated with members of the family, even before they can say these names, and some other frequently used words.
During the second year and once they have mastered walking, they begin to say words in earnest; Speech starts with saying words, phrases, short sentences. They do not yet get the tenses correct or the grammar, but they can make themselves understood. And the order is usually: nouns- verbs -adjectives, e.g. “ Dad t’uck go” / “Sam hot!”/
During the third year they will have picked up the accent of the way the language is spoken at home and the ability to hear the subtleties in sounds slowly decreases.
The brain, programmed to make all the sounds in those first six months, is also programmed to combine this information with tactile sensations, which the baby relies on when it begins to imitate the sounds it hears. The toddler and pre-schooler combine all what they hear and feel also strongly with vision.
Important: This is the time that we consciously slow down our speech, because the child is consciously adding vision to all information being processed. S/he does not only take in the sounds of a word, but also the meaning based on facial expression, tone of voice, tactile information, other senses like smell and the overall emotional feeling…
Memory is often based on what the child heard last.
The latter is important to know in regard to giving instructions and a bit later in regard to reading (child will say a next word that begins with the sound of the previous word it heard).
WRITING: In the first five years of life children are still very much working on their motor development. Writing is a continuation of the development of their fine motor skills. Often they are very interested in tracing and copying letters and numbers, because that is what they see adults or older children do. After a while it dawns on them that messages can be conveyed through writing and they ask for help to have written on their drawing: “for mummy” or “for dad” or “this is a tractor”.
They like being read to, but often do not show spontaneous interest in being able to read themselves. Why? Reading requires interpretation of someone else’s thoughts and they are not yet up to that. You will find that often they will interrupt a story when a word has been mentioned that triggers a train of thought in the child and they want to tell you about it straight away!
Games that involve their fine motor development, e.g. finger rhymes, sing-song actions, tracing, scribbling etc. are all preliminary exercises, for they are repetitive and this helps the brain to make the connections that are needed to get to the point that a child can carry out all these subtle actions without having to consciously think about every movement and every step.
READING: Reading requires an ability to interpret symbols, put sounds together into meaningful words as well as the ability of following someone else’s thought pattern. This is no mean feat!
When a child listens to a story they can follow the story with the language they have already acquired. Even so, simple language often goes with very clear pictures! And well into their fourth year a child can interrupt the story for something s/he needs to tell you….
In order to read one needs to have already a certain vocabulary available, able to put all these written ‘squigles’ together and comprehend what it is all about. This is an entirely different pathway in the brain!
WHAT CAN PARENTS DO?
- Parents can introduce their children to the Practical Life actions one does at home with a serious attitude and a sense of importance, because it will matter to a child. For example, use a dustpan and broom when something gets spilled. Comment that it’s important that others don’t slip and get hurt over what has been spilled. Say that it’s important that the baby will not put things in her mouth when she is crawling around. It’s pleasing for mum/dad to come home and they don’t have to walk over a sticky floor…
The point is that the parent does not convey these actions as a nuisance, stupid, a bore, trivial etc. for the child is fascinated by ALL you do and they want to have a go at it! This is the time to teach them how to do it.
- Parents can show a little child how we count things, e.g. counting fingers, toes, ears etc. places at the table, flowers in the vase.
From this the child deduces that counting is a concept that has nothing to do with the things themselves but with quantity, even though they do not yet know these words.
- Parents can point out letters and symbols wherever they see them, e.g. traffic signs, someone’s name on a letter, advertising on front of buildings, when looking for items during shopping trips.
Having these things pointed out is like making a foreigner who does not know our ways, to feel more comfortable as well as respected because someone bothered to tell him/her what it all means!
If you’d like to learn more, have a look at Patricia Kuhl’s Ted Talk here.
