1. Preschool Age Children
Language Development
Preschool Age
Children

2. The ability to understand language.
Receptive Language
The ability to understand language.
(Can be non-verbal)

3. Able to actually speak and use words meaningfully.
Productive Language
Able to actually speak and use words meaningfully.

4. Definitions: Speech = Communication through words Linguistics =
Study of how people learn to speak

5. 7 Stages for Learning to Speak:

6. 1. Undifferentiated Crying:
0-1 month old
Cries to get everything it needs:
food, sleep, diaper changed, etc.

7. 2. Differentiated Crying:
2 months old
Cries are different for each thing child wants

8. 3. Cooing Begins at 3 months Elongated vowels sounds A, E, I, O, U

9. 4. Babbling
6 months
Putting together consonants and vowels to make simple words
Ma, Ma

10. 5. First Word:
1 year old

11. 6. Two word sentences: 2 years old Noun and verb sentences Me eat
Go car

12. 7. Multi-word sentences:
3 years old
Putting together sentences
may or may not make sense
short sentences
I draw picture of the sun today.

13. Other Facts about Language
A child’s first word is said around their first birthday.
A 2 yr. old child has a vocabulary of about fifty words.
A child can understand many more words than they can actually speak.

14. What Parents Can Do to Help:
Development of Language in Children

15. Helpful Hints: Expose children to a rich language base-talk Praise
Positive Feedback
Play-back or restating (say it over and over – repeating)
Elaborate

16. More Helpful Hints:
Interactive-reading, ask open ended questions (who, why, when, where, how?)
Language tour guide
Grocery Store
Department Store
Zoo
Toy Store

17. Helpful Hints (con’t):
Take children’s comments seriously
listen to them
Avoid baby talk and babbling
Correct their speech