The Tyrannosaurus Rex is a carnivore
It is important that children are surrounded by rich and varied vocabulary and correct pronunciation of words from the time they are babies and throughout their schooling. Parents, carers, and practitioners should do what they can to develop children's oral language skills from birth; this includes not substituting words by saying things like ‘doggie’ or ‘ducky’. Our goal should always be to help children reach the next level of complexity.
Many speech sounds are developmentally appropriate so hearing the correct pronunciation coupled with their speech and body development means they will be able to master all the speech sounds and learn new vocabulary rapidly. It is our job to immerse children in rich and varied words every day. We need to have high expectations of our children who soak up every bit of information and experiences they are given and use this to their benefit. We need to be excited about new words and in-turn excite the children about new and interesting words, fostering a love and curiosity of language.
What can we do to help our children develop communication and language skills?
Imitate. Imitating children’s sounds, words, and actions shows them that they’re being heard communicating and that it is valuable. It also promotes turn taking as you model ‘waiting’ in conversations.
Expand. When a child says '“car” you can expand on that by saying, “Yes, a red car.” If they say “A red car” you expand by saying, “A small red car.” This way you are building on their vocabulary in a meaningful context.
Recast. If a child says “The monkey jumping on the bed” you model back, recasting the grammar by saying “You’re right, the monkey is jumping on the bed.” Put stress on the words you want the child to focus on.
Narrate. This goes hand in hand with expanding. A child says “blanket” you expand on their communication but also narrate what they are feeling (or doing) “Oh, you want your blanket? Here you go. I know you are ready for bed.” Or, “I know you scraped your knee, and it hurts. We'll take care of you and you'll feel better in no time.”
Label things. Even when children aren’t ready to use words yet, you can prepare them by labelling things in their environment. For example, during bubble baths refer to the bubbles; during snack time you can label the apple juice. They are gaining word-object association preparing them to use the words themselves.
Listen. Give them time to talk, and listen to them. Get down to their level, look them in the eyes, put down whatever it is that you're doing, and listen to them. Listening to children and genuinely engaging in a conversation with them plays a huge part in communication and language development. It gives them a chance to talk, to practice their skills, to experiment with new words, and to try new sounds.
Use rich and varied vocabulary with them. Even with Nursery aged children we should use words that count. Think about the way that many children love to learn the names of dinosaurs - in that very same vein we should give children the chance to stretch their brains and learn new words. We can do this simply by choosing texts with rich vocabulary and by using all sorts of words with our children while conversing with them and around them. They want to learn and are able to use ‘big words’ so use them!
These are just a few ways to support communication and language development in the Early Years. These strategies are also effective for children who have English as an additional language. Using the correct pronunciation of words and the strategies above, can also help us to identify if there is a speech, language or communication need. Around 1.4 million children have speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) in the UK which equates to around 10% of children (ican.org.uk). SLCN’s not only affects children learning and accessing the curriculum but it can also have an impact on emotional development. Good communication and language provides a strong foundation for other areas of learning, such as reading and writing, and enabling access to the whole curriculum.
So, for all these reasons, this is why the “Tyrannosaurus Rex is a carnivore.”