language activities

Parent Wishes #14: Communication Skills Support and Sign Language for Young Children

2017/04/26 admin Leave a comment

What are some ways to give communication skills support? One parent wanted more support for kids with learning and developmental concerns in programs like preschool and kindergarten and daycares. She suggested sign language. Following are other ideas too shared from an earlier post. communication skills support children

Read and share books. This is one of the easiest to do. You can snuggle together and read any time of the day. Tuck a few books into a bag for waiting in line, going on the bus, etc.
Tell stories. No equipment needed, other than imagination. Make up stories about anything: the shoes that couldn’t wait so they left by themselves, a magic box of crayons, an upside down rainbow. You might find this hard at first but imagination will stretch quickly.
Sing songs. Sing favorites, make up silly songs to old tunes. Hum Mulberry bush and sing, “This is the way we vacuum the floor, vacuum the floor, vacuum the floor.”
Have conversations. Notice your child is upset about something? Grab 2 stuffies and have them talk about the problem. Use words that your child might need.
Stir in words. For everyday situations and tasks include words. At the store, talk about what you need. Ask yourself questions and answer them. Describe the colors, sizes, of fruits and veggies. Doing the laundry, sort the clothes with words, “Okay, shirt. You have dark stripes, so I think you go in the dark pile.” Ask your child questions, and wait for the answer. Sometimes finding the words takes time but a smile invites kids to talk.
Sign language isn’t very common but it’s not hard to learn, especially for kids. Not being able to tell adults what you need can be tremendously frustrating for young children. Sometimes, no matter how hard they try, the words just aren’t there yet. Having some basic signs helps. There is a wealth of resources on-line for sign language.

sign language more Communication skills support is vital for children to be able to interact with others. It’s no wonder it’s a wish of parents and, like the sign in the photo above, they would like more. Is there a way you can support your child’s communication learning and play today?

Early Learning

How to Steal a March #1: Words Build Brain Power

2017/03/04 admin Leave a comment

March Fourth sounds just like March Forth–what a fun play on words; for kids words build brain power. We might think words and action are opposites but brain-wise, the activity of words in the brain is mighty.

building brain power courses
Some fascinating research counted the number of words young children hear in a year. This, of course, varies depending on how much word activity there is in a family but the range is from over 3 million to 10 million. That’s per year! By the time a child is 4 years old and soon ready to start kindergarten, that total has now expanded to between 10 and 40 million words.

No matter what the language is, the brain needs words. They help create pathways and connections in the brain. Just think how much information the brain receives in the form of words. The more words kids hear, the faster they process that information.

Let’s look at those numbers again: 10 million words or 40 million. That’s a gap of 30 million words and it makes a similar gap in brain power. Have you ever heard the expression to “steal a march on someone?” It means to gain an advantage over somebody else. The kids who hear the 40 million words steal a march on those who only hear 10 million. Once kids get to school, we can see this in the simple act of putting a hand up to answer a teacher’s question. Do you remember kids who always seemed to get their hands up first? They may not have been smarter than other kids but their brains were faster at processing language. If we compare brains to car engines, these engines were not necessarily bigger but they sure were turbocharged. And that’s the power of words.

playing with puppets
Some practical ways to include words in your child’s day are to: read books, make up stories to tell, have conversations, and play. Puppets will use words, but so can other toys. Pick up a toy car and be it’s voice, “Oh, I am going so fast. I can zoom on the floor and go over the slippers. Ooops, I better be careful I don’t fall in. Oh, oh, it’s so dark in here. Now which way? Help, help.” Talk outloud during ordinary everyday actions such as getting dressed. For example, if your child’s pants are red, name other things that are red too, like stop signs, cherries, and traffic lights.

Words build brain power and they help kids “steal a march” in terms of brain power and development? What are some ways you can add words to your child’s day and play?

Readiness for Kindergarten

Before I Go to Kindergarten #18: Communication Skills Impact Kids

2016/09/23 admin Leave a comment

Are Communication Activities and Play Part of Your Child’s Day?

More and more we are adding to the list of what’s important for kids beyond academics. Do you know how deeply communication skills impact kids?

communication skills for kindergarten

Some very recent research published in Science Daily has found that the level of language stimulation for young children can be a factor in childhood depression.

“Children who experience low levels of language learning stimulation beginning at three years of age are more likely to experience language delays by first grade and are three times more likely to develop depression by third grade, new research indicates.” (Science News, University of Missouri-Columbia: Early-life language stimulation, skills may prevent childhood depression)

While new, this finding that communication kids affect kids so critically isn’t surprising. It’s hard for kids to communicate what they want and need in the first place. They don’t have the words or the language patterns. They are confused by their own feelings. Not everyone can understand what they mean. Now, for kids who have challenges with language, the problem is incredibly frustrating. They lose confidence in themselves. They can’t trust others. They are heart-broken and give up trying. Sound like depression to you?

communication skills impact kids

Could you use some communication activities and play ideas to boost language stimulation? Doable, parent-friendly, child-tested suggestions are:

Read and share books. This is one of the easiest to do. You can snuggle together and read any time of the day. Tuck a few books into a bag for waiting in line, going on the bus, etc.

Tell stories. No equipment needed, other than imagination. Make up stories about anything: the shoes that couldn’t wait so they left by themselves, a magic box of crayons, an upside down rainbow. You might find this hard at first but imagination will stretch quickly.

Sing songs. Sing favorites, make up silly songs to old tunes. Hum Mulberry bush and sing, “This is the way we vacuum the floor, vacuum the floor, vacuum the floor.”

Have conversations. Notice your child is upset about something? Grab 2 stuffies and have them talk about the problem. Use words that your child might need.

Stir in words. For everyday situations, include words. At the store, talk about what you need. Ask yourself questions and answer them. Describe the colors, sizes, of fruits and veggies. Doing the laundry, sort the clothes with words, “Okay, shirt. You have dark stripes, so I think you go in the dark pile.” Ask your child questions, and wait for the answer. Sometimes finding the words takes time but a smile invites kids to talk.

None of these need you to be a rocket-scientist. They are ordinary. Maybe that’s the problem. It’s hard to believe something so simple can make such a profound difference. Helping kids to use language so others understand them is more than helping prepare them for kindergarten. It’s giving them the biggest tool or strategy possible for interacting with others. Communication skills impact kids now and in the future. If ever there is a magic wand in life, it’s language. In a way, maybe words—any words—really are magic?