Transcript Speech and Language Development

Early Language
Development
Birth to 3 years
Myrna Ramirez, MA, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Receptive Language
Ability to understand spoken language
Responding to sounds/voices
Understanding labels/words
Following Directions
Pointing to Pictures
Expressive Language
 Ability to communicate with others
Facial expressions
Sounds
Gestures
Words
Articulation
 Ability to produce speech sounds
• Vowels, consonants
• Consonant-vowel combinations
 Clarity of speech
Typical Language Development
12 months
2 years
3 years
Single words
Labels objects
Greets others
Two word
utterances
Answers yes/no
questions
Three word
utterances
Responds to
questions
Points to body
parts
1 step directions
Identifies actions
Two step
commands
Understands object
functions and
quantity concepts
Stages of Language Learning
I. Vocalizations
II. Word Play/Labeling
III. Sentence Play
Video
(Stages of Language Stimulation)
Facilitating Language Development
I.
Vocalization-Sound Play
Talk with child face-to-face interaction.
Imitate the child’s “speech” sounds.
Make new sounds for the child to imitate.
Interact to get a “dialogue” going.
Order for introducing new sounds:
a. single vowels and consonants
b. repetitive syllables (ba-ba, ga-ga)
c. syllable combinations (ba-da, ka-gi)
Facilitating Language Development
II. Words: Labeling Play
Name things the child spontaneously looks at and/or
touches.
Draw the child’s attention to and name things.
Order in which to introduce parts of speech:
a. Small familiar objects (nouns): hand, cup, ball
b. Concrete actions (verbs): touch, kiss, “up”
c. Prepositions: in, out, on, off
d. Adjectives: big, little
Facilitating Language Development
III. Phrase/Sentence Play
Combine words into phrases using early semantic
relationships:
Agent + action (noun + verb)= Daddy eat. Mommy throw.
Action + object (verb + noun)= Eat cookie. Play ball.
Agent + object (noun + noun)= Daddy shoe. Mommy hat.
Attribute + object (modifier + noun)= Big shoe.
Principles of Language Interaction
 Interact with child
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Face to face interaction
Relate personally to the child
Adapt to child’s style
Focus on timing and precision in labeling
Principles of Language Interaction
 Make language meaningful
• Use a variety of examples
• Adapt your language to your child’s level
and rate of understanding
• Use clear speech
Principles of Language Interaction
 Engage the child in play
• Encourage child to explore and
manipulate toys and other things, labeling
and talking about them as you play.
• Involve child in language interaction
through social play, manipulating toys as if
they were alive.
Video
(Activities and Settings)
Activities to Promote Language
 Toy Play
• Label toys and common objects during
play.
• Parallel Talk: Provide language to
describe the child’s play
 Daily Care Routines
• Label clothes, body parts and actions
during daily routines such as: dressing,
bathing, mealtime and bedtime
Activities to Promote Language
 Looking at Pictures in Books and Magazines
Teaches children that pictures represent
objects.
• Home-made books
• Simple text, few pictures
• Repetitive text
 Music and Nursery Rhymes
• Rhythm and movement
• Vocabulary development
Activities To Promote Language
 Excursions
• Indoor
There are plenty of different things to point
out in the various living areas in the home
to enrich a child’s vocabulary.
• Outdoor
Visits to the yard or around the
neighborhood.
Language Development
0 to 12 months
What Can You Expect?
 Responds to sounds
 Responds to name
 Waves bye-bye
 Points to/gives objects
 Follows commands
 Babbles/vocalizes
 Imitates sounds
 Says some words
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What Can You Do?
Look at child & imitate
vocalizations
Teach child to imitate
actions
Talk to child about
everything you are
doing
Reward/encourage
child’s effort to vocalize
Language Development
1 to 2 years
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What Can You Expect?
Identifies objects
Identifies pictures
Identifies body parts
Follows 2-step related
commands
Labels objects/pictures
Responds to questions
Combines 2-words
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What Can You Do?
Read books
Talk simply, clearly and
slowly
Repeat new words over
and over
Use language during
daily routines
Language Development
2 to 3 years
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What Can You Expect?
Identifies actions
Understands size
concepts
Identifies objects by
function
Huge increase in
vocabulary
Answers questions
Using short sentences
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What Can You Do?
Read books daily
Sing songs
Show interest in what
you child has to say
Describe what you are
doing/planning/thinking
Ask child simple
questions
Expand what you child
says
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References:
Fowler, W. (1995). Talking from infancy. How to
nurture and cultivate early language development.
Cambridge, MA: Brookline Books.