Kindergarten Readiness- Improving Language

Last week we went over what your 5-year-old needs to know to be linguistically ready for kindergarten. Normally I would finish that post with a section on what you can do to improve your child’s linguistic capabilities, but there is so much you can do it merited its own post.

Children are learning language from the moment they develop hearing in the womb. Once they are born they absorb language like a sponge.

Language is so important in our children’s development, they use the number of words a child knows in kindergarten as one of the indicators of their success as an adult. The more language a child is exposed to, the more words they know, and the easier they will find school in the long run.

Because this series is about getting ready for kindergarten, I will not cover how to learn to read specifically. Children entering kindergarten are not expected to be able to read, but they are expected to know some letters. So don’t freak out if your 5-year-old can’t read yet.

There are a number of things we can do to help our children master language. Read on to find out more. Next week we will go over my favorite learning resources and how to use them.

To Encourage Language Comprehension

Read

The very first thing we can do, even from the moment we bring our baby home, is read. Read everything. Read often. Point to the words as you read and ask your child about what is going on in the pictures. Point to and name common objects in their picture books and make sure to annunciate your words.

You don’t even have to read books for babies. You can read anything, so long as they are listening.

Shortly after our daughter came home the car sprung a leak. My husband would read her the Hanes manual for the car as he tried to find and fix the leak. Long after the car was fixed, she would still want to read the Hanes manual and she would cuddle into my husband’s chest as he read her all manner of technical documents he needed for work. If you need to read something specific, and you only have time to read one thing, read the thing you need/ want to read to your child.

Beyond reading, children’s books with pictures can be used to learn new vocabulary. Point to objects depicted in the book and say what they are. Then ask them to point out the object you just named. In no time they will excitedly point at the pictures and name them.

Talk

Take the time to narrate their life. Explain to them when you are washing the dishes what you are doing and why. Let them feel what you are describing wherever possible. Children learn through their hands, so handing them an apple while you say “apple” helps them more than just pointing and telling them “that is an apple.”

At the end of the day, tell them the story of their day. Remembering the day helps them build memory while also tying words and descriptions to concrete actions they remember doing, especially if you also narrated the actions as they were occurring throughout the day.

When you speak, don’t dumb down your language. Use language you would normally use, and point or gesture to help the child understand. The more complex language they hear, the more they learn. If you need to simplify something, say the complex version first then wait for them to show understanding. If they don’t show understanding, then give them the simpler version or add gestures. Avoid “baby talk” as much as possible.

Any time you notice them pointing to/ holding an object, tell them what the object is in the simplest terms possible. So if your child is holding a ball you could say “Ball! Jake is holding a ball.” Notice how I said the item’s name and then used it in a sentence? Using the new word in a sentence gives it context and helps the child learn verbs.

To learn verbs it is helpful to narrate their actions. A toddler who is running could connect the action to the word “run” if you say “Run, run, run! Susie runs!” whenever they run. It won’t take them long to start punctuating their little sprints with “run, run, run.”

Sing

Singing is cuddling with your voice. It instantly helps calm babies. The way we sing usually increases our annunciation as well, making it easier to understand words and easier to copy. It also aids memory and recall.

Songs that teach counting, the ABCs, and other information that needs to be memorized are incredibly useful. Babies who are sung to learn things like their ABCs and numbers quicker than children who aren’t used to hearing the songs.

To Encourage Reading

When you watch TV, turn on the subtitles. You would be surprised how many children learn to read from the subtitles on their TV screens. Also, sit with them and point things out about the program they are watching. Pause and ask questions about the plot. Point out details they might otherwise not notice. Identify things on the screen they should be familiar with and add in some new things each time.

When you read to them, follow the text with your finger. Older children will use this time to start recognizing sight words and they will silently read along with you. If your child decides they are going to do the reading, let them. Help them sound out words, but give them time to try to figure out the words for themselves.

If your child isn’t actually reading the text, let them tell you a story without correction. Those little pre-reading stories are part of how children develop a love of books.

Consider also getting letters and numbers they can feel and see. The iconic magnetic alphabet comes to mind, but there are also alphabet puzzles, tablets, sticker clings, wall vinyls, books, and Montessori sandpaper letters. Point out letters when you see them and read then sound out each letter in common words. For example, at a stop sign, you could point at each letter and go “S-T-O-P. What do you think that says? Let’s sound it out. Sss-tttt-ooo-ppp, Stop!” The more often they see the letters and identify them, the easier it will be for them to identify the letters.

You can also play games. Try gathering everything in the room that starts with a specific letter or match words that sound the same. Play I-Spy (I spy with my little eye something red that starts with the letter c) and contort with them into the shapes of letters while doing yoga. Have fun with it.

To Encourage Writing

Surprisingly, one of the biggest things we can do to improve writing is to improve our child’s core strength and flexibility. An inability to sit still often goes hand and hand with poor core strength, which can make holding one position uncomfortable. So to improve writing, we need to not only give our children as many opportunities to perform art as we can; but also encourage physical things like swinging, bear crawls, climbing, squatting, yoga, and other physical playing.

Give your child as many opportunities to write, draw, color, paint, and play with squishy things like play dough as you can. The playdough increases hand strength and dexterity, and coloring increases hand control. You can color on the bath, play with chalk outside, paint with water, or use paint.

Once your child is comfortable with the concept of writing, you can start giving them things to mimic. Initially, they can only mimic making lines, then circles. Next, come other closed shapes and crossed lines.

As they get comfortable making shapes, they can attempt tracing full-page letters and numbers and coloring inside the lines of coloring books. Over time the size of things your child can trace will decrease and eventually they will be able to draw letters without tracing.

Other skills you should work on to encourage writing include: learning how to cut with scissors, punching holes with a single hole punch, using a paint pen to follow lines with dots, gluing strings or other things to paper, and learning how to use utensils and cut with a knife.

Bringing it All Together

Everything your toddler does leads them towards language aquisition and learning to write. All we need to do to help them succeed is present opportunities to practice. Let them color, climb, and play. Read to them often and point out anything they might be interested in. Children are wired to learn, it is our job as parents to give them every opportunity. Play and have fun. They will get there.

What are your favorite games to play with your toddler? Let me know in the comments below!

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