Nurturing a child’s language development is essential for their overall growth. This responsibility is shared across many stakeholders – the parents, the teachers, and the rest of the community. With early education, a child’s learning progress is launched.
Early communication comes before words. In the first year, babies typically coo, babble, and respond to simple sounds. Encourage early communication by talking, singing, and engaging in eye contact with your child.
Around 12-18 months, children usually utter their first words. Celebrate these milestones and expand their vocabulary by describing objects and actions during daily activities. Between 18-24 months, children may start combining two words to form simple sentences. Encourage this cognitive development by using rich language, asking questions, and responding to their attempts at conversation.
Children age 2 to 3 often develop more complex sentence structures and a growing vocabulary. Foster this by engaging in conversations that require them to express themselves. A year or two later, they begin to tell stories and narratives. Encourage this by asking open-ended questions and reading books together.
In our head start pre-k in Bronx, New York, we assess their listening comprehension by giving simple instructions and ensuring they can follow them. It’s a crucial aspect of language development. As they enter school, help them build literacy skills. Read together regularly and provide materials for writing and drawing.
Language development also hinges on social interaction. Sharon Baptist Head Start encourages playdates and group activities where children can engage in conversation with peers. Are you looking for another learning program or social service? Call us to get started.
