The Power of Language

Early childhood educators learn in their academic training that language development is critical to normal development. It’s language that provides us with mental organizational tools.  It’s language that allows us to express ourselves within our social network.   Any teacher who has worked in a classroom with a child deficient in language abilities quickly learns how that child’s frustration overflows into aggressive behavior.

Because language development is critical, it is extremely important that parents and educators take full advantage of the many opportunities we can use to introduce language into our daily experiences.  Teachers can play a vital role in helping young parents understand just how important it is to use language with their children.   This may seem like a no-brainer, but in today’s age with cell phones glued to our ears, there are many children who are never spoken to – only spoken at.  Many children have tech-babysitters.  The language goes in as they watch cartoons but there is never a chance for the language to come back out of the child.   As an adult, imagine going to your office and your boss only yells a command at you.  You never have an opportunity to respond verbally and you never know when the next command is coming.  That might make you a little anxious.  That’s what it’s like for many children today.

In the classroom we encourage teachers to build language into the curriculum so subtly that no one will ever notice.  We don’t want to have a special language program but one seamless approach to exposing children to good language.

One way teachers do that is to engage children at the lunch table and hold a conversation.  So many things happen at that community table.  There the teacher has the chance for vocabulary building, the opportunity for pronunciation and grammar modeling, the practice of exchanging ideas, and the joyous experience of having others listen.   Participation in a lunch table conversation requires children to organize their thoughts in a clear and socially acceptable manner.

A second way teachers build language into the curriculum is to provide meaningful literary experiences.  The first idea that comes to mind is story time.  Story time can really provide that sparkle in children’s lives as their world is confirmed and expanded at the same time.   It provides vocabulary for areas of their lives that are important and permits them to discuss, with the new language they have acquired, important feelings with others.  

The really good teacher doesn’t just read a book.  The really good teacher creates a new world through use of drama.  The book’s characters take on different voices, and the story unfolds through pictures and costumes.  All this modeled behavior is recreated by children in their dramatic play area.   Word games crop up as the teacher makes a list of alternate words a character might use.  Only the teacher’s and children’s imagination and time limit their possibilities.  

And the teacher is pleased to share this excitement with parents.  What’s the new word of the day?  How many rhyming words did the class find?  Sharing language discoveries and anecdotes with parents is critical to helping them understand that language development goes on every moment of every day.

The next time you visit a classroom check out the verbal interaction between teachers and children.  If the teachers are talking over the kids’ heads then you might want to seriously consider if this is the program for you.