LanguageDevelopmen

t

Preschool AgeChildren

Receptive Language

The ability to understand language.

Productive Language

Able to actually speak and use

words meaningfully.

Definitions:

Speech =Communication

through words

Linguistics =Study of how people learn

to speak

7 Stages for

Learning to Speak:

1. Undifferentiated Crying:

• 0-1 month old• Cries to get

everything it needs: – food, sleep, diaper

changed, etc.

2. Differentiated Crying:

• 2 months old• Cries are

different for each thing child wants

3. Cooing

• Begins at 3 months

• Elongated vowels sounds– A, E, I, O, U

4. Babbling

• 6 months• Putting

together consonants and vowels to make simple words– Ma, Ma

5. First Word:

• 1 year old

6. Two word sentences:

• 2 years old• Noun and verb

sentences– Me eat– Go car

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.

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.

What Parents Can Do to Help:

Development of Language in Children

Helpful Hints:

A. Expose children to a rich language base-talk

B. PraiseC. Positive FeedbackD. Play-back or restating (say it over

and over – repeating)E. Elaborate

More Helpful Hints:

F. Interactive-reading, ask open ended questions (who, why, when, where, how?)

G. Language tour guide• Grocery Store• Department Store• Zoo• Toy Store

Helpful Hints (con’t):

H. Take children’s comments seriously

• listen to them

I. Avoid baby talk and babbling

J. Correct their speech