LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT 2
The development of language for a child can be an amazing journey, full of innovative discoveries and the chance for the first time to fully be able to communicate with the individuals that surround them every day. Language development, itself, is pertinent to a child’s ability to comprehend and express feelings to others. The development of language also supports a child’s ability to successfully construct skills such as: problem-solving, creating and maintaining relationships with others, and interpersonal thinking. The ability to comprehend something is just one of the first steps in this arduous but wonderful journey in which a child can utilize and enjoy language. It is the imperative step into being able to depict and portray literacy skills, as well as laying the groundwork for a child to be able to produce written words and read aloud.
The first year of a child’s life represents a major milestone for the child and their parents, as well as the educators working to build upon what the child is already getting from home. Between approximately 3 to 6 months after being born a child may already begin to exhibit signs that depict they are beginning to develop their vocal tone and learning how to express certain feelings. Often, during this time a child will “coo and by the end of the period babble” (Berk, 2016). They may also begin to show attentiveness to the caregiver those points out certain objects or items to them as makes distinct significances of certain events.
Through 7 to 12 months, a child will continue to grow and build upon the skills that are beginning to evolve. “Babbling expands to include many sounds of spoken languages and patterns of the child’s language community” (Berk, 2016). Their attention with their given
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caretaker becomes more acute and children of this age will often show a desire to participate in games such as peek-a-boo! Even though they may not fully have the vocal sound to express words, they learn to use gestures like pointing to convey something they may or may not want. They also begin to depict some comprehension of basic meaning of simple words.
The role of language from 24 months on seems to skyrocket as they continue to make mental connections between objects and words as well as feelings and words. “Parents know that between birth and entry into school, the growth of a child’s language abilities is astonishingly rapid” (Dickinson et. al, 2012). During this time, with this rapid growth, a child’s vocabulary can build up to 250 words and even combine two words when communicating, What is less apparent are the intense effects that children’s evolving language capabilities have on their theoretical and interactive abilities as well as on their newfound capacity for self-control.
It is not long after between the ages of 2 and 6 years old those children truly engage their minds with communication on an all-encompassing level. Many researchers believe that this is the time when “language and the human culture take over the human mind” (Dickinson et. al, 2012). It becomes a time as they continue to grow that their biological aspects give up their rights to the world of social interaction. Once children comprehend the basics of language development, they also acquire a dominant instrument to unify seemingly. Once children learn language, they also acquire a powerful tool to unite seemingly dissimilar occurrence of everyday items and events that are happening in the world around them.
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References
Berk, L. E. (2016). Infants and children: Prenatal through middle childhood (8th ed.). Pearson
Publishing.
Dickinson, D. K., Griffith, J. A., Golinkoff, R. M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2012). How Reading
Books Fosters Language Development around the World. Child Development Research,
2012, 1-15. doi:10.1155/2012/602807
