Syntax Goals for Preschool Cildren Learning to Read

Voice communication, linguistic communication, and communication are critical areas of development for children. They play a vital part throughout our lives, helping united states of america to empathize what is going on around us, communicate our basic needs and feelings, hold conversations, recollect and learn, develop relationships, solve issues, and more. They also support many other aspects of development, including cerebral, social, and literacy development.

Research has constitute, however, that in some areas, more than than 50% of children entering reception take linguistic communication levels below what is expected for their age. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, this statistic has likely worsened as language development has regressed for many children, leaving them behind their peers.

Both parents and early years workers could play a meaning part in helping to improve children'southward language development and outcomes. To aid y'all in doing this, in this commodity we will cover the stages of normal language development, why it is so important, how to recognise potential oral communication issues, and what you can practise to support young children's language.

The contents of this article are as follows:

What Does Normal Language Development in Early Childhood Look Like?
Why is Speech and Language Development Of import?
How Practice I Recognise Voice communication Disorders in Children?
Strategies to Support Language Development

What Does Normal Language Evolution in Early Babyhood Look Similar?

Speech and language development involves four primary components:

Phonetics and phonology: learning to pronounce spoken language sounds, as well every bit understanding the rules about which audio sequences occur in the language.
Semantics: learning vocabulary and agreement how concepts map onto words – for case, does 'dad' mean any homo? Or any human being with a beard? Or just one particular human?
Syntax and morphology: the rules for how to arrange words in sentences (for example, a verb ordinarily comes second, rather than last), and how to change things like tense, phonation, or number – for example, is the plural of 'sheep' 'sheeps'?
Pragmatics: learning social rules for using language, including adapting your language for who you're talking to, taking it in turns to speak, and staying on topic. This too includes learning non-exact communication – including facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice – and how this interacts with the words we're saying.

As you can see, learning how to communicate is quite complicated. The good news is that children are programmed to exist able to practice it, just they do need lots of input from adults to exist able to kickstart this process. This also needs to exist straight, face-to-face input from a existent human existence; children can't acquire language finer from Television or computer games, even if they are 'educational' (Kuhl, 2007 and others). Equally a result, the more than you talk to a child (or baby) and support their language, the more than progress they volition make.

We use milestones to get a sense of what normal language evolution looks similar – this is a more accurate way of measuring than attempting to compare ane child with another, because all children are different. Understanding each milestone of development will assist yous to choose the correct strategies to support a child with their speech and language.

Ages and Stages of Linguistic communication Development

Babies start learning to recognise linguistic communication even while they're in the womb. Research has shown that they retrieve stories that they were read while they were in utero, as well as recognising their mother'due south voice (DeCasper and Fifer, 1980, 1986; Kisilevsky et al., 2003).

Once they're born, their development tends to progress through the following stages:

Age	Characteristics of Stage
iii-12 months	Cooing, smiling, and laughing Playing with sounds – babbling (e.g. da, da, da) Communicating with gestures like waving and pointing Sounding like they're talking, simply non using recognisable words
12-xviii months	Saying their offset words with meaning – for example, saying 'mama' to call for their mum Understanding many more words than they can say, including instructions like 'sit' Mostly using nouns in their speech, such as 'car' or 'duck' By 18 months, using between 50 to 150 words
18 months to two years	Combining words in telegraphic speech (eastward.thousand. 'me go', 'dada throw brawl') Using elementary pronouns ('me', 'I', and 'you'), merely ofttimes confusing 'me' and 'I' Naming objects that they come across regularly Responding to simple commands like 'choice upward your coat'
2-3 years	Beginning to say longer sentences of three or four words Using some plurals and past tenses Talking about what they're doing every bit they do it Conversation skills improve – they respond to you more often
3-4 years	Speaking more clearly – strangers can mostly understand them Asking 'who', 'what', and 'why' questions
4-v years	Using more complex sentences with words like 'considering', 'if', 'and', or 'when' Telling stories and uncomplicated jokes Being able to answer questions about stories Being able to follow requests

We take but mentioned a few aspects of each phase here – for a more detailed listing, meet our commodity 'Why is Child Development So Of import in Early Years?' or accept our class on Supporting Spoken communication and Language Development in Early Years.

Advice and Linguistic communication in the EYFS

If you lot are an early years worker, you can as well employ the Early Years Foundation Stages (EYFS) to measure a child or baby'due south development. The early learning goals for communication and linguistic communication are:

Listening and attention – including the ability to discriminate sounds and maintain and monitor attention in a shared context, and being able to anticipate key events in stories.
Understanding – outset words in context, then phrases, and gradually more circuitous sentences, as well as questions like 'how' and 'why'.
Speaking – being able to express their feelings, needs, wants, thoughts, ideas, past experiences, and pretend play events.

Children are expected to reach these goals when they have turned five years old. Ofsted inspectors will check to run across whether early years practitioners are using acceptable strategies to assist children develop their communication and language skills. We will provide some ideas of strategies you can employ later in this article.

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Why is Speech communication and Linguistic communication Evolution Important?

Nosotros have already mentioned that spoken communication and language development is vital in a child's life, only a more detailed list of the benefits associated with it includes:

Providing a foundation that they can build on at school. Children need to develop their oral communication and linguistic communication before they can learn to read, and language is the main manner that information is transferred from teachers to students, learnt, and understood.
Every bit a upshot of the above, children's early vocabulary is a predictor of their afterward educational outcomes, particularly reading comprehension and decoding (eastward.g. Bleses, Makransky, Dale, Højen, & Ari, 2016). Smaller vocabulary sizes in the early years lead to worse academic performance afterwards on.
Language evolution is hugely important for children's overall development – for case, it supports cerebral advancement.
It helps children to course friendships. Using language facilitates them having meaningful interactions with those effectually them.
It enables them to communicate their needs ameliorate, reducing frustration (and, in turn, tantrums or outbursts).
Children are able to make more than sense of the world around them. Language is tied to our thoughts and the manner nosotros perceive the world – when we are able to describe what is going on around usa in words, this helps u.s.a. to understand it.

Every bit a result, it is of import to do whatever yous tin to help the children and babies in your care to improve their advice and linguistic communication skills.

Want to larn more than?

Our course on Supporting Speech and Language Development in Early on Years explains what typical development in this surface area looks like, discussing a range of support strategies approved by speech and linguistic communication therapists, and going into detail most speech, language, and communication needs – including what causes them, alarm signs, and how to aid children who yous know or doubtable might accept them. Accept a look at our course library to see this and other courses that nosotros offering.

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How Do I Recognise Speech communication Disorders in Children?

Every bit with all types of evolution, things tin go wrong when children are learning to communicate. This could exist due to difficulties with learning, cognition, hearing, or sight, or a poor learning surround with little interaction with adults. In this section, we volition describe the dissimilar types of language problems, their symptoms, and what you should do if you doubtable a trouble.

Types of Linguistic communication Issues

Children might experience any of the following bug:

Language filibuster – where they are developing forth the normal lines, but are slightly behind the average in achieving each milestone. This is the nigh common developmental filibuster in children, and more than half of linguistic communication delays in children under three resolve themselves.
Developmental Linguistic communication Disorder – where they have problems either understanding linguistic communication (receptive language filibuster) and/or using words themselves (expressive linguistic communication delay). This might be misdiagnosed as poor behaviour, poor listening, or inattention.
Voice communication sound problems – where children find it hard to produce a certain audio – for example proverb 'wadio' instead of 'radio' (joint disorder) – or they make a pattern of audio mistakes, such as consistently saying only i syllable in a discussion, similar 'bay' for 'baby', or changing sure consonants in lots of unlike words, such as 'tat' for 'cat' and 'toffee' for 'coffee' (phonological process disorder).
Fluency – where children stutter or stammer. This might happen at the beginning of a discussion, such every bit 'li-li-like', could involve voice communication having to completely stop, or could be the repeated interruption of spoken communication with 'um' or 'uh'. Children under five quite often stutter every bit they're learning to speak, and this comes and goes. However, one in five children have a stutter that is more severe.
Attention and listening issues – where children are unable to concentrate on speech and filter out background noise effectively, leading to them ignoring speech, interrupting, or being hands distracted.

Being aware of the unlike types of language problems volition assist you to communicate the problem to a professional, if necessary, besides every bit giving you an thought of how you can assist in the meantime.

Symptoms of Linguistic communication Problems

Symptoms that could indicate a linguistic communication problem include:

Lack of attention when being spoken to – hands distracted.
Failing to behave out simple tasks or instructions (when quondam enough to understand these instructions).
Poor eye contact.
Speech that is extremely difficult to sympathise – only comprehensible fifty% of the time.
Uninterested in being read to.
Repeating the same matter over and over again.
Avoiding conversations.
Consistently making speech communication sound errors over a long menses of fourth dimension.
Not speaking at all by 18 months of historic period, or not understanding speech by this age.
Not recognising or labelling common objects.
Difficulty learning nursery rhymes or simple songs.

It is non always a problem if children do not come across milestones 'on fourth dimension' – there is a huge range inside normal development. Notwithstanding, if you are worried that a child is behind where they should exist, making a list of when they practise attain each milestone will help you lot encounter whether there is a pattern.

Be aware that language development will be slightly different for English as an Additional Language (EAL) children. Having less exposure to English will mean that they develop more slowly – they are non necessarily delayed, they just haven't heard enough of the linguistic communication to larn information technology yet.

What Should I Do if I Suspect a Trouble?

It'south important to act if you suspect a language problem, because delayed language evolution can cause frustration for you and the child, also as difficulties learning and making friends, and behavioural problems. On the other hand, early intervention can be extremely helpful and mitigate any effects of the delay or disorder.

If yous are worried nearly a kid's linguistic communication evolution, the offset step is to talk to your GP – if you are not the child's parent, yous may wish to tell the parents your concerns and suggest that they book an appointment. You don't need to try and diagnose the problem that the child is experiencing, but giving the GP or parents an idea of the symptoms would be useful.

The GP volition refer the kid to a spoken communication and language therapist, if necessary. The speech and language therapist can decide what can exist done to assistance, and what the potential for change is (their spoken communication therapy goals). They might requite parents exercises to exercise with the kid, or take one-to-one sessions with them.

There are often long waiting times for intervention, so in the meantime it'south important that you use all the strategies nosotros will list in the side by side section to ensure that the child has as much back up as they possibly can. Attempt to understand the problem thoroughly so that you can be empathic and brand information technology easier for the child.

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Strategies to Support Language Development

We have put together eight strategies that you tin use to encourage children to develop their linguistic communication. You may already employ some of these strategies, or may demand to change what you are doing slightly to maximise the learning opportunities you requite to the children and babies around y'all. Whatsoever you can do will be helpful in giving them the all-time outcomes possible.

one. Be a Good Role Model

Since children often learn by observing and copying adults, you need to ensure that you are modelling skilful spoken language and language skills every bit much as possible, including:

Speaking slowly, and so that children accept time to process the data yous give them, as well as clearly and calmly.
Using short sentences so that they aren't overwhelmed with language
Making eye contact, getting down to the child's level if necessary.
Modelling the right pronunciation and sentence structure, making sure to enunciate each word and sound – for instance, it helps children learning to speak if yous say 'going to' rather than 'gonna'.
Non using 'baby words' – children will need to learn the adult version from somewhere, and if you lot model it for them, they'll acquire information technology more chop-chop.
Labelling objects and actions effectually you to teach them more than vocabulary – for example, 'look at that canis familiaris!'.
Listening carefully when children are talking to you – give them your total attention.
Not interrupting when they are speaking.
Giving them opportunities to respond by leaving pauses after your sentences – this helps them larn turn-taking in conversations, but also gives them time to call up and anticipate your next judgement.
Making signs, gestures, or actions every bit you lot speak to help convey your meaning.
Using expressive language to discuss objects, actions, and emotions – for case, 'that'due south a beautiful moving picture!', 'look at that alpine tower!'. This will help children to aggrandize their vocabularies.

Being a skillful role model only requires you to adapt your behaviour slightly, and tin have extremely rewarding results.

2. Read to Them

Reading in early on years is extremely constructive for language evolution – it likewise has many other benefits, as you can find out in our article 'Why is Reading Important for Children?'. Try to read books every 24-hour interval if you tin can – it is fifty-fifty useful for babies under six months, merely is particularly effective as they become older.

When you read, point to the words as yous say them. This helps the children link the spoken word to the written word, and will assistance their literacy development subsequently. Talk near each page to encourage the child to speak – for example, you could say 'that'south a lot of food – what'due south your favourite food?'.

Engage them in the book past using intonation, pointing to pictures, and letting the child guess what volition happen next. Toddlers might desire you to read them the same book over and over once again – this is great for getting them to really absorb the language, and testing whether they tin can finish the sentences for you lot. Aslope their favourites, read children books on different topics, peculiarly equally they get older, then that they broaden their vocabularies. Talk virtually words that they aren't familiar with, request them if they know what it means, and explaining it if not.

3. Talk Together

Naturally, talking to a kid as much equally you can volition assist their language development. Information technology'due south important to talk to them fifty-fifty when they tin can't talk to y'all – from birth, you should chat about what y'all're doing and ask them questions, responding to any gestures or noises they make as if they've spoken a sentence. This teaches them how conversations work, and exposes them to lots of vocabulary and sentence structures to become familiar with.

To make your conversations fifty-fifty more impactful, think near:

Talking to infants in a singsong, loftier-pitched voice. They are more than probable to tune into this and listen to what y'all're saying, thus accelerating their linguistic communication evolution.
Addressing them by name to become their attention before you speak (and teach them their name!).
Expanding what children say by repeating and building on it. For case, if they say 'car', you could say 'yes, look at that red machine over at that place'. Giving the kid complete sentences helps them to learn more than nigh grammer.
Using parallel talk and self-talk. Parallel talk involves talking most what the child is doing – for instance, 'you are wearing a nice blue dress today' or 'you are playing with the toy giraffe'. Cocky-talk involves talking nearly what y'all are doing, such as 'I am tidying up the toys because it's almost fourth dimension to get domicile'. This helps teach children to pay attention to cues and predict what volition happen next.
Being positive. If children make an error with their language, yous should however say 'well done' or 'yes' – information technology takes a lot of effort to learn to talk, and they will need lots of encouragement. Yous tin then repeat what they said, correcting the mistake; they will acquire gradually by hearing you produce the right forms. For case, if a child says 'her got canis familiaris', you could say 'yes, she has a canis familiaris'.
Choosing topics to work on each half-term. Some vocabulary will come up naturally in conversation, only past choosing a topic (such every bit daily routines, animals, torso parts, food and drink, or colours) you could teach children even more words! The repetition of the same topic over a number of weeks will also brand information technology more memorable.

iv. Sing with Them

Singing is specially important for babies and younger children – information technology can really help their language development past supporting them in differentiating sounds, recognising rhymes, improving their memories, and broadening their vocabularies. Just as with reading, intermission earlier the cease of a song line, getting the children to fill in the gap – for example, 'twinkle, twinkle, little… (star)'.

You could make up your own songs, or enquire older children to do and so. If they're silly, the children might enjoy and remember them even more than!

v. Play Describing, Guessing, and Turn-Taking Games

Games are great linguistic communication activities that you can endeavor out. You lot could try:

Getting the children to feel a hidden object and describe information technology so that the others can guess what it is.
Playing 'what am I?', where you depict an object and the children have to approximate information technology – for example, 'I have four legs and I'm a pet, I like to bawl'.
Playing I Spy.
Sitting in a circle and taking it in turns to laissez passer something effectually, merely speaking when it's your turn. You lot could get everyone to answer a question (such equally 'what is your favourite nutrient?') this fashion. Information technology as well helps to build attending and listening skills, which are vital to proficient communication.
Asking children to wait until you say 'go' to do something, such as knock down a tower or make lots of noise. Again, this improves their attention and listening skills.

In that location are as well lots of other games that could exist just equally fun as these suggestions – run into what you lot tin come up with!

half-dozen. Encourage Pretend Play

Pretend play helps children to broaden their vocabularies – you could get them to dress upward as characters from their favourite book, make up their own stories, or try role-play using some unproblematic props.

During the play, encourage the child to proper noun the objects that they're using and ask them questions like 'what are you doing now?', 'where'south teddy'due south hat?'. You could requite them simple instructions within the play, such as 'put teddy down', making them more complicated for older children ('make your dolly sit on the chair').

7. Explore Rhymes

Rhymes are key for language development, just like singing. In addition to helping children to differentiate sounds and learn more words, rhymes increase phonological awareness skills and prepare children for learning to read.

Yous could play games – such as coming up with a word that the children take to find lots of rhymes with – or brand up poems together. Reading rhyming stories is another good way to comprise it into everyday life.

viii. Create a Language-Rich Environment

To maximise opportunities for language development, ensure that the environment around you is conducive to good advice. This means:

Keeping it organised and uncluttered. Research has shown that tidy rooms assist children to learn improve.
Having displays on the walls that are colourful, include words, and are interesting to wait at (but not overwhelming). This is useful for older children who might be get-go to match the spoken give-and-take with the written word.
Having plenty of books available that are age-appropriate and appealing.
Ensuring it isn't too noisy or in that location are 'quiet spaces' bachelor. To develop communication skills, children demand to exist able to hear properly – you could utilize tents or dens to create areas where children could talk to each other, as well equally making sure the general volume isn't likewise loftier when you have conversations.

Nosotros hope that these 8 strategies volition give you a good starting point for supporting language development.

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Linguistic communication development in the early on years is crucial for children'south outcomes later on – by using supportive language strategies and learning to recognise potential problems, yous tin can help them to attain the best outcomes possible. We hope you have found this article helpful!

Further Resources:

Supporting Speech & Language Evolution In Early Years Course
Why is Reading Important for Children?
Education Training Courses
Child Development in Early Years

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