LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE AGENDA Developed by Peter Mangione and Alice Nakahata. © WestEd, The Program for Infant/Toddler Care. This document may be reproduced for educational purposes. Introduction Review Agenda Focus of Workshop First Activity:Reflection on early language experience. Opportunity to share experiences with one other person, followed by whole group discussion. Video:Early Messages: Facilitating Language Development and Communication, Part 1 Second Activity:Small group discussion. Each small group discusses how to help caregivers implement one or two of the strategies recommended in the video Early Messages. Break Video:Early Messages: Facilitating Language Development and Communication, Part 2 Mini-Lecture:Signs that indicate there may be a problem with a child’s language development. Third Activity:Being playful with language. Pairs do activity with one person in the adult role and the other acting as an observer or social partner. Close

Language Development, Communication and Culture Key Points to Consider Respect infants and toddlers as active learners of language. We are not teaching them language. Provide infants and toddlers with rich experiences with language. Children need us to bathe them in language. Adapt to individual and social-cultural differences. Language development varies from individual to individual and from social-cultural context to social-cultural context. Make communication with language a natural part of relationships with infants and toddlers. Children learn language in the context of human relationships. Experience with language typically occurs during everyday routines/activities. Developed by Peter Mangione and Alice Nakahata. © WestEd, The Program for Infant/Toddler Care. This document may be reproduced for educational purposes.

Activity Develop one means to help care teachers value and implement strategies shown in Early Messages

EARLY MESSAGES STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT IN INFANTS AND TODDLERS Be responsive when children initiate communication Engage in nonverbal communication Use child-directed language Use self talk and parallel talk Help children expand language Support bilingual development Attend to individual development and needs Engage infants with books and stories Be playful with language Create a communication-friendly environment Developed by Peter Mangione and Alice Nakahata. © WestEd, The Program for Infant/Toddler Care. This document may be reproduced for educational purposes.

Language Development, Communication, and Culture Pay Attention When: 0-8 Months There is a general lack of interest in social contact (avoids eye contact; holds body rigidly) You observe a lack of response to human voice or environmental sounds 6-18 Months A babbling baby becomes silent ~ 8-9 months Child does not show interest in interacting with objects and caregivers in familiar environments 9-10 mos. Child does not follow direction of point mos. Child does not give, show, and point to objects mos. Child does not play games such as pat- a-cake or peek-a-boo Months By 24 months child uses 25 words or less By 36 months: – Vocabulary is limited –Uses only short, simple sentences –Makes more grammatical errors than peers –Difficulty talking about the future –Misunderstands questions –Is misunderstood by others –Displays fewer forms of social play –Has difficulty carrying on conversation Adapted from: WestEd. (2010). The Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers’ Trainer’s manual, module III: Learning and Development (pp. 129, 142). Sacramento, CA: California Department of Education. This document may be reproduced for educational purposes.

Caregivers who engage in responsive, rich exchanges with infants make communication and language magical.