The Mom I Want to Be

 

Help your child build a rich vocabulary, and in turn, strong reading and writing skills.

 

We use language to express our intentions, describe our feelings, and understand the ideas of others. It’s a skill that can easily be taken for granted, yet as a parent, you have the privilege of watching the stunning language growth that occurs from birth through a child’s early years.

 

From the first cooing sounds your infant makes in response to a tickle to the first words of toddlerhood (Da-da!) you will delight at each step of your child’s progress. Between the ages of 18 and 36 months, language growth occurs very quickly: babbling becomes more deliberate in tone, and children literally learn new words every day. Your young toddler might pick up a toy phone and mimic the same rise and fall that occurs in your own conversational patterns. She really sounds like she is saying something!

 

During this time, your child may also begin to combine words and use short sentences like, “More juice?” or “Daddy home?” And one day, before you realize it, she will be using longer sentences with three words or more and even speak of things in the past. Your child may talk about “yesterday night” or about who “goed” to the park, but sophisticated conceptual thinking dependent upon language has emerged and is here to stay.

 

Being a witness to this miracle, however, comes with tremendous responsibility. The language growth children accomplish during these first few years has a lifelong impact, and children cannot progress without the nurturing, guidance, and modeling of appropriate language use by the adults around them.

 

Word knowledge is among the most critical pieces of language development. Children who acquire a substantial vocabulary are often able to think more deeply, express themselves better, and learn new things more quickly. They are also very likely to be successful not only learning to read, but also in reading at or above grade level throughout their school years. Research shows that children who reach school age with smaller vocabularies, less depth in prior knowledge and background experiences, and fewer experiences with hearing stories and exploring with print are more likely to have significant problems in learning to read. We know now that if we boost children’s language and literacy experiences early in life, later difficulties can be alleviated or even avoided.

 

Conversation’s Deep Link to Print

Most of our daily conversations draw from a vocabulary bank of no more than 3,000 words, yet the average adult knows upwards of 20,000. That richness comes from print. Therefore, it is critical that children are exposed to print early on – right from birth! Young children are naturally drawn to books, perhaps sensing intuitively that they contain images and ideas that are all about their world. When you read aloud to your child, you are not only helping to prepare her to learn to read, you are also exposing her to rich language she otherwise might not hear. Reading will help her become familiar with new words and a different language structure, as the form and feel of written language is quite different from spoken language.

Creating an environment that is rich in both print and the spoken word is critical to your child’s language development.

  

 The number of words one knows as well as the depth of understanding of those words is related to the ability to think. For example, a child who knows the words big and little can certainly think in terms of size and compare objects. But a child who has also learned the words wide, narrow, tall, short, tiny, low, and high has a whole bank of words that help her understand things in deeper ways.

 

Children first learn to talk at home by listening to, and gradually taking part in, the daily conversations of family members. For example, “Motherese,” a term used to describe the way a mother interacts with her baby, begins with an acknowledgment of the coos and eye contact the baby makes right from birth and extends through toddlerhood. This highly intimate and personalized language play is characterized by two key variables. First, the mother validates the baby’s attempts to communicate by celebrating and praising each and every effort. Second, the mother repeats and extends the language the child uses. A child may say, “Doggy ruff ruff?” The mother responds, “Yes, there goes the doggy. Ruff, ruff! That is how he barks. He is hungry and wants his dinner.” More is better here: Children benefit from their families — fathers, grandparents, aunts, and uncles — engaging in this type of language interaction.

 

Increase the Depth and Breadth of Your Child’s Vocabulary

 

There are two ways to think about word knowledge: first, how vocabulary grows, and second, how it deepens. Both aspects of vocabulary development are critical to the ability to use, act on, and expand children’s language knowledge base. You can help your child’s vocabulary grow:

·   Increase your child’s exposure to, and interaction with, language. The more words a child hears, the more words he will learn and use. This can be easily overlooked, but it’s significant. It’s important to have as many conversations as possible with your child during the day. You can describe the colors and features of her clothes as you dress or you can name the foods in the supermarket as you take them off the shelf. If you “think aloud” or talk with your child about what you are doing and why, you will be inviting her into some wonderful language-building chats.

·   Embed new words in familiar contexts. Young children love patterns and routines, which enable them to successfully predict what will happen next and to experiment with variations of what they already know. By purposefully introducing new words, you can increase your child’s active speaking repertoire. For example, in the very familiar setting of your kitchen, you can whisk eggs, use a serving spoon, and test temperature with a thermometer.

·   Expose children to intriguing words. Young children love the sound of long and seemingly difficult words. Your child might suddenly blurt out that her friend’s behavior is “ridiculous” or that the baby’s diaper is “saturated.” These instances of surprisingly sophisticated language use come from children’s attention to, and interest in, the way adults use words to express precise feelings and reactions. So don’t shy away from using words you think are over your child’s head; instead, use them as part of your natural conversation and children will gradually pick up on their meanings.

 

Vocabulary knowledge must be as deep as it is wide. This means that, in addition to the sheer number of words children ultimately acquire, they must also develop an understanding of the word base they already have. Deep word knowledge depends on a child understanding:

 

·   the concepts a word represents

·   multiple meanings of a word 

·   associations the word evokes 

·   how a word is used in 

·   conjunction with other words 

·   grammar (how a word behaves in a sentence) 

·   other words that sound like it

 

You can help your child deepen her understanding of a word by talking about the different meanings of the same word and using the word in different sentences. For example, you can show her a ring on your finger, and then talk about things that ring (a doorbell) or other kinds of rings (a circus ring), and even point out that another word, “wring,” sounds just like it, but is spelled differently and has its own meaning.

  

 Vocabulary Boosters

  

 Whether you are talking to your child about a new word, helping her write a letter, or reading a story out loud, your interaction will maximize your child’s language understanding. Keep in mind the following vocabulary boosters as you go about your daily activities; even a few minutes each day will translate into measurable differences in your child’s long-term language growth.

 

·   Change the language of your daily routines. Rather than say, “It’s time to clean up” every day, try to introduce other rich words that help describe this routine, such as “organize,” “collate,” and “arrange.”

·   Bond with your child through language. In our busy world, several minutes of “real” conversation are incredibly valuable. A car ride chat that focuses on where you are going or things you see along the way, a bath that explores things that float or sink, or a bump or a bruise that elicits talk about feelings and healing are all terrific opportunities.

·   Use writing and drawings. Repeat what your child says as she shows you her artwork and then build on and extend it. For example, if your child has created a drawing and written, with invented spelling or otherwise, “I like rain,” you might say, “I like rain. Oh, yes. I see all of your raindrops here and a puddle. What is it about rain that you like? This puddle looks like it would be fun to splash in.”

·   Read aloud. Put as much expression as possible into your reading. When you come to a word that is sophisticated, draw it out. Take the word “scrumptious,” for example. Say it slowly as part of the sentence and then add a comment like, “Scrumptious. Hmm, that means really, really good. Look at that apple pie. It sure looks scrumptious to me.” You can also look for instances in which a challenging word is repeated in a story. Call your child’s attention to it each time it appears. Use the pictures to help build a deepening understanding of the word’s meaning.

·   Share your own stories. Talk to your child about your own day: what you did, different people you encountered, funny things that happened, anything interesting that you might have seen. Find ways to use memorable words in your daily conversations. This way, your child will hear them in a different context and outside of a book.

 

Integrate these simple routines and help build baby’s vocabulary.

 

1. Include movement and stay close. Your baby will be engaged if you are right there and communicating with your whole body. Look into his eyes and use your hands to tell him you are talking just to him.

2. Slow down and add tone and sound. Use a sing-song voice and let your baby hear each wonderful word. Adding non-word sound effects will bring a smile to her face.

 

3. Listen and add. When your child says a simple sentence, repeat it back with some added detail or words. So if he says “Mama give,” answer, “Mama will give the ball to baby.”

4. Expand on interests. Use the subjects that your baby is familiar with to introduce more related words. For instance, if flowers delight your child, she will enjoy hearing (and seeing) new kinds of flowers, as well as learning the names for the different parts like roots, leaves, and petals.

5. Bring on the books. It’s never too early to begin reading to your child. At this age, reading anything from the newspaper to chapter books is great — just keep your reading style engaging. You’ll be introducing new vocabulary while also letting her hear a style of language different from regular conversation.

 

1 white glove (I bought a pair for $1 at Michaels; I’ve also seen sets of 2 pairs for $1 in the junior section of Target)

Black felt

Craft glue

 

Cut ten small black circles and five slightly larger black ovals out of black felt. The circles will be the ghosts’ eyes, and the ovals will be their mouths. My “circles” were actually squares and rectangles with the corners trimmed off.  Glue the circles and ovals on using craft glue. I found it was easiest to put a small amount of craft glue on a dish and to apply it to the small felt pieces using a toothpick.  Let dry and enjoy. Our adult-sized stretchy gloves were small enough that Emma could get her fingers far enough into the glove to use this as a puppet.  I found two different “Five Little Ghosts” rhymes that could be used with this puppet here and here.

 

 

It’s amazing how quickly those babbles and coos turn into “Why?” and “No!” Here’s what to expect, and when to expect it.

 

 

From birth to 12 months, your child may:

·   make eye contact and smile

·   babble and coo to communicate comfort or happiness

·   move arms and legs to express joy, excitement, or anger

·   repeat babbles, such as “da da,” or “ma ma”

·   by 8 to 12 months: understand directions, such as putting a hat on his head when told to do so; say his first words

 

 

From 1 to 2 years, your child may:

·   use sounds and utterances with adult intonation

·   begin to combine words

·   engage in telegraphic speech — one- or two-word combinations, such as “Daddy come,” “I fall,” or “All gone”

 

 

From 3 to 4 years, your child may:

·   speak in nearly complete sentences

·   use pronouns, conjunctions, prepositions, articles, and possessives

·   play with language, making up words and rhymes or repeating chants: “Nicey, dicey, all insidey, apple pie!”

·   ask many why questions, as well as how and when

·   tell a simple story, but not in sequence

·   take turns in conversations, but still interrupt to talk about himself

 

 

From 5 to 6 years, your child may:

·   continue to expand her vocabulary to about 5,000 to 8,000 words

·   articulate his thoughts with adultlike speech

·   be aware that a word can have more than one meaning

·   begin to use language to control situations

·   often misunderstand words and use them in a humorous way

·   carry on conversations with others, yet still want to dominate

Remember, these are just guidelines. Every child develops differently. If you’re concerned that your child’s speech may be delayed, consult your pediatrician.

Baby pumpkins

Chenille pipe cleaners

Glue and a small brush for applying glue

Seamstress pins (they are a pin with a colored plastic ball at the end)

Black beads (for making jewelry)

Toothpicks

Scraps of black felt

White batting or wool roving

Yarn

 

To make the eyes, mark with a pencil where you will like the eyes to be and then lace a pin with a bead and push it into the pumpkin on the place you marked with the pencil. To make the spider legs I used a toothpick to pre-punch the holes for honeypie to press the pipe cleaners into. To make the ghost, we placed white batting over the baby pumpkin lightly so you can still see the pumpkin beneath. To make the bat, I pre-cut the wings out of felt, and honeypie helped me glue the toothpick into the sections that were going to be pressed into the pumpkin. She laced the beads for the eyes and we used 2 pieces of rice for the bat teeth. All the smiles are made out of felt and glued on to the pumpkins. For the witch, we used a long wooden stick and attached strips of yarn and tied a strand of yarn to secure the broom. We made the hat out of black felt and glued it in place. For the ghost, we placed the facial features after putting the batting on the pumpkin and glued the smile onto the batting.

 

~ Gummy Bears & Chocolate Covered Raisins ~

 

 

~ Candy Corn & Pumpkins ~

 

 

~ Gummy Worms ~

 

I couldn’t take the pictures fast enough.  They were eaten very quickly!!  To make the bracelets, I used a regular threading needle and stretchy jewelry string.  Just get assorted soft candies and create whatever designs you would like!  The gummies were super easy to push the needle through. Get creative and have fun!!!

Communication blossoms when you and your child do things with each other. When you play and work together, you have something in common to talk about. Try these language-rich activities:

1.  Bake together. Share the experience of measuring the ingredients, sifting and mixing, and then cleaning up. It’s also a great opportunity to introduce related vocabulary: tablespoon, half a cup, stirring, mixing, liquid, solid, dissolve, rise, bake.

2.  Take photos of yourself and your child engaged in different activities. Share the pictures and talk about them so she learns that you can communicate about things that happened in the past.

3.  Share stories about when your child was a baby, when he said his first words, the food he liked best, and other fun things he did when he was little. Encourage your child to share his ideas of the same events.

4.  Tell stories about your own childhood. Show pictures of yourself at your child’s age, and talk about the stories you loved, the games you played, what you liked, and what you were afraid of.

5.  Respond to your child’s emotions. When you greet her after preschool, you might say, “You have a happy smile on your face. Why?” Or, “You’re frowning. What was sad about your day?”

6.  Give your child verbal labels for his feelings: “You must be angry, angry, angry!” “Your happiness shows on your face.” “I see that you are frustrated. Let me help.”

7.  Play language games, such as I Spy, or other games that involve communication, such as Red Light, Green Light, and Simon Says.

8.  Read every day. As you read, ask your child to tell you which character she likes best and why, how she would feel if she were one of the characters, what she would do to solve the problem, and how the story makes her feel.

9.  Share poetry, songs, and chants. Ask your child’s teacher for copies of poems and songs he has learned and enjoys, or share your own favorites.