How Parents Can Enhance Language Development During the Elementary Years
Teach and Practice Conversation Skills
Children
learn the pragmatics of language from the give and take of
conversations at school and home. Family dinners, bedtime, and car time
are perfect opportunities to practice conversation skills. The way you
respond to your child encourages, or discourages, her from communicating
with you. Take some time each day to listen to your child talk about
her interests and opinions.
Continue to Read Aloud
Elementary
school teachers will tell you - even sixth graders love to be read to.
Also, encourage independent reading with frequent visits to the library
and bookstore. My mother and sister read to their 5th and 6th grade
students all of the time. Their favorites - all Patricia Polacco books
and, for older kids, Hatchet.
Teach Your Child the Names for Advanced Concepts
Emotional
intelligence develops when children learn to name their feelings.
Parents teach values such as respect, responsibility, and fairness when
they point out examples of each in the child's life experiences and the
media. Our school's character education program involves a "word of the
month". The children are rewarded for exhibiting that month's
characteristic.
Play Family Games
Family
games provide the perfect atmosphere for relaxed conversation while
building all kinds of useful skills. Take a stroll down the board games
aisle at your favorite store and pick up a new game to play this
weekend. Some ideas - Outburst, Scrabble, Upwords, Boggle, Scatterwords,
Pictionary, and Taboo.
Expand Vocabulary with Computer Learning Tools
Kids
love to play games on the computer, and they can learn valuable
language skills while they play. Software programs such as the Living Booksseries, and many others, teach language skills while they entertain. Web sites such as WordCentral.comcan be put in the child's link list alongside his favorite game sites. Find more fun language-building games at this link page.
Explore New Experiences with Your Child
Travel,
museums, hobbies, any new experience that broadens your child's
awareness of the world beyond her home and neighborhood, will enhance
her language development. The Internet has given families a quantum leap
in opportunities to explore the world from our living rooms. Share your
passions and interests and indulge your curiosity about the world with
your children.