PED 392 Child Growth and Development

Definitions Language A symbolic system: a series of sounds or gestures in which words represent an idea, object or person Literacy The ability to construct and express meaning through reading, writing and discussing texts

Definitions (pg 257) Phonology The sounds of a language, the rules for combining them to make words, along with stress and intonation patterns. Semantics The meaning of words. (art, rat, tra?) Syntax The way words are combined to form phrases and sentences in a language (order)

Definitions (Pg 257) cont. Pragmatics The strategies for using language appropriately in different contexts (rules) Lexicon Vocabulary Metalinguistics Understanding of language as language (properties)

Critical periods Children must acquire a language by a certain point Words, vocabulary and sentence structure are formed by a certain point, meaning that children must not miss portions, or they will not properly acquire the language.

Theories Behaviorist – language is learned through environment (Skinner) Nativist – language is biological (Chomsky) Interactionist (cognitive) – language is learned through interactions with others and the environment (Piaget) Interactionist (contextual) – Language is sociocultural – cognitive and environmental (Vygotsky)

Chart (pg 272) 0-6 months Coos and cries Recognizes voices 6-12 months Babbles Uses voice for attention Waves bye-bye

Chart (pg 272) months First words Shakes head (yes and no) I, me, you months 2 word phrases Refers to self by name words

Chart (pg 272) months 3 word sentences Songs and rhymes Conversations 400+ words

Multiple languages Bilingual Speaking 2 languages Multilingual Speaking more than 2 languages Simultaneous Bilinguals Learning 2 languages at the same time

Principles of Language development (pg ) Language is a social phenomenon Children acquire language without direct instruction and in a relatively short time All languages are symbol systems with socially constructed rules for combining sounds into words for making meaning with words and for arranging words into sentences

Principles of Language development (pg ) cont. Language is so complex, children can not learn the system all at once Language comprehension generally comes before language production Language is linked to identity. Language abilities grow by using language in meaningful contexts

Development of literacy (pg 293) Birth to 3 years Recognizes book cover Pretends to read Labels objects in book Produces letter-like scribbles 3 to 4 years Knows 10 letters of alphabet (usually from name) Understands sequences in stories Shows interest in reading Questions and comments

Development of literacy (pg 293) Kindergarten age Retells stories Connects letters and sounds Matches spoken words with written words Writes letters and some words

Writing Handwriting Spelling Prephonectic – consonants; parts of words (rt for rabbit) Phonetic – consonants and vowels; match to sounds Transitional – chunking patterns Conventional – conventional patterns Automatic - memorized

Functionally literate Not able to read or write well enough for normal daily tasks Applications Newspaper Phone book Must teach people to read and write appropriately

Dialects A variation in a language Accent is the way sounds are pronounced Standard American English (SAE) The dialect of the language spoken in schools English as a Second Language (ESL) TESOL – Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Language