421:Blog post # 4

One of my favorite things to study is the family. I feel that families have such a big impact on a child’s development. The family systems are all so different and there are so many factors that affect the family like socioeconomic factors, location, health issues, family dynamics, and others. Learning about the family and the different relationships within the family helped me realize how important it is to be real with my family. I feel that sometimes within the church everything looks perfect and rainbows constantly on the outside. I liked hearing that it is actually good for parents to argue in front of the kids so that the kids know how to problem solve and negotiate. No parents are perfect, and no marriage is perfect, but we can constantly be striving. I appreciated students that shared their family and parental dynamic with the class. I feel that every little thing has an affect on who you become and the relationships that you are able to form in your future. My parents are big on counseling with one another. They are constantly running ideas past one another and they don’t make big decisions without the other. A good rule to live by when counseling with one another especially if it is spousal is to not make a decision until it is unanimous. Finding a happy medium might be really hard sometimes, but the most important thing is to have an open mind and go in decision making with a unified purpose to be able to stay on the same page. Parents who argue are not bad examples, but parents who do not communicate and are not involved- that’s where most of the issues are.

Weekly Quote:

I liked the anology used in the book and in class about a baby mobile, “all the pieces of the mobile are connects to each other, just as members of a family are connected to each other… what happens to one, happens to all.” (page 30).    Just like the baby mobile you cannot control what happens to the rest of the mobile when you really just touched one part. We need to be aware of how the little things even affect everything, especially within the family.

HWD Paragraph:

Taken from: (http://mtbt.fpg.unc.edu/more-baby-talk/10-ways-promote-language-and-communication-skills-infants-and-toddlers)

10 Ways to Promote the Language and Communication Skills of Infants and Toddlers

Why Promote the Language Development and Communication Skills of Infants and Toddlers?

Early language and communication skills are crucial for children’s success in school and beyond. Language and communication skills include the ability to understand others (i.e., receptive language) and express oneself (i.e., expressive language) using words, gestures, or facial expressions. Children who develop strong language and communication skills are more likely to arrive at school ready to learn.¹They also are less likely to have difficulties learning to read and are more likely to have higher levels of achievement in school.²

During the first years of life, children’s brains are developing rapidly and laying the foundation for learning. The interactions that children have with adults influence how children develop and learn.³ As a result, early childhood educators have a prime opportunity to provide children with interactions that can support children’s growth and development, particularly their language and communication skills.

As past research shows, when teachers provide children with higher levels of language stimulation during the first years of life, children have better language skills.^4,5 When teachers ask children questions, respond to their vocalizations, and engage in other positive talk, children learn and use more words. A study found that one third of the language interactions between teachers and children were the type that support children’s language development, while the other two-thirds included less complex language such as directions, general praise, and rhetorical questions.⁶ Promoting more high-quality language interactions between children and adults provides children with the kinds of experiences that can foster their growth in language and communication.

This guide describes 10 practices that early childhood educators can use to support the development of language and communication skills of infants and toddlers. Because research supports the importance of adult-child interactions for infants and toddlers,⁵ the practices are designed to be done one-on-one or in small groups. Each practices draws upon the types of interactions that research suggests promotes language and communication skills. These interactions include:

·       Responding to children’s vocalizations and speech

·       Engaging in joint attention with children

·       Eliciting conversations with children

·       Talking with children more

·       Using complex grammar and rich vocabulary

·       Providing children with more information about objects, emotions, or events.

These interactions benefit children from a variety of language and cultural backgrounds, including children who are dual language learners. Children who are dual language learners may sometimes feel socially isolated and have difficulty communicating their wants and needs.⁷ Educators may find the practices presented in this guide useful for helping dual language learners feel more socially connected and communicate better. Educators interested in learning more about supporting dual language learners will find additional information in the resources presented at the end of the guide.

Overview of 10 Practices to Promote Language and Communication Skills of Infants and Toddlers

Practice	Description
1. Get Chatty	Engaging in conversations with children
2. Be a Commentator	Giving descriptions of objects, activities or events
3. Mix It Up	Using different types of words and grammar
4. Label It	Providing children with the names of objects or actions
5. Tune In	Engaging in activities or objects that interest children
6. Read Interactively	Using books to engage children’s participation
7. Read It Again and Again and Again!	Reading books multiple times
8. Props, Please!	Introducing objects that spark conversations
9. Make Music	Engaging in musical activities
10. Sign It	Using gestures or simple signs with words

Each practice is presented with a description of the practice, research evidence that supports the use of the practice, and examples of how educators may use the practice with infants and toddlers. Although each practice is presented separately, many of the practices can be used in combination with each other. For example, educators can practice focusing on children’s interests (Practice #5, “Tune In”) while providing a running commentary (Practice #2, “Be a Commentator”) and labeling the names of objects (Practice #4, “Label It”).

At the end of the guide is a list of resources that may be useful for finding more information on supporting the language and communication skills of infants and toddlers. These resources include books, articles, and websites that contain more detailed information on the practices presented in the guide.

The practices presented in this guide can be used when working with any child. Educators should keep in mind, however, that children develop at varying rates and differently depending upon a number of factors, such as personality and age. These factors and home language exposure affect children’s development of language and communication skills. By using these practices early childhood educators can provide all children with the rich language exposure and opportunities children need to enhance their language and communication skills.