Using Language to Learn

How children learn language

Listen to stories and to conversations.
Talk to adults and to other children in complex sentences.
Master many rules of grammar.
Make up silly words and stories.
Use language to think, to share ideas and feelings, and to learn new things.
Enjoy the same books over and over and look at new books.
Retell familiar stories to themselves and others.
Think about what the characters in a book might feel or do.
Draw and write with pencils, crayons, and markers.
See print around them and watch adults read and write.
Imitate adult writing by scribble writing.
Copy shapes and some letters.

HOW DO CHILDREN LEARN?

Gina bounces out of bed and hurries to the kitchen. She opens the cabinet, takes out a box of cereal, then puts it back. She
takes out another box and says, "Grandpa, this is my cereal. It has a big 'P' and lots of stars."Grandpa says, "That's good thinking." Gina points to a letter on the box, "That's a 'P'." She traces the letter in the air and says, "'P' as in Peter. Peter's name starts with a 'P'. It's on his cubby."Grandpa makes an offer. "Today, we can have our regular story time and then write together. I need to write a letter to a friend. You can write, too."Gina puts her empty bowl in the sink and runs to find her mother. "Mom, I'm gonna read and write with Grandpa." Her mothersays, "That sounds like fun. When I take you to family child care, I'll tell Ms. Jenkins that you like to write. You can write at her house and at home."

Like many preschoolers, Gina is learning language:
She knows that letters (the P) and pictures (the stars) have meaning. She knows there is a 'P' on her cereal box and at the beginning of Peter's name. She knows that people take turns when talking to each other. Gina's family helps her learn about language:
They have a regular story time every day. Grandpa encourages her thinking, so Gina continues exploring the letters on the box. Grandpa offers to write with Gina. Mom talks to Ms. Jenkins, so that Gina can write at family child care and at home.

ACTIVITIES AND IDEAS FOR CHILDREN

Listening and Talking
Preschoolers listen and talk as they use materials and take part in activities.
Offer books without words so that children can make up their own stories to go with the pictures.
Record books on tape and place them with the tape player. Include blank tapes so that children can make their own recordings.
Teach children nonsense rhymes, songs, poems, and chants. Ask families to help you learn songs, poems, and stories in the children's home languages.
Make up songs and stories about the children in the group and include their names in familiar songs and finger plays. Invite children to tell their favorite stories in their own words or to recall a real event. After the story they can act out stories
with each other.

How to help families:
Ask families to help you collect dress-up clothes and props for the children's dramatic play. This is a good way to provide
materials that represent children's families and cultures.
Preschoolers talk, invent stories, and use their imaginations during make-believe play.
Provide puppets, dress-up clothes, and accessories for make-believe play. Include items children can use to explore play
themes such as a gas station, grocery store, or restaurant.
Offer children a new idea for their play by asking a question. "Does this restaurant serve chili? I'd really like a nice big bowl of
chili."
Suggest a role for a quiet child who may have difficulty getting involved in make-believe play. "I see two people waiting on tables
in this restaurant. Do you have a cook?"
Preschoolers can express their ideas and listen and respond to other people.
Start conversations with children and keep them going. Watch what a child is doing, then comment or add new information. For example, Monte is looking at the bean plants the children planted last month. To start a conversation, his teacher could say:
"I grew butter beans in my garden last year."
Wait for the child to respond. It may take a while for her to absorb what you said and think of a reply. If the child doesn't respond,
try again.
"What kind of beans do you like to eat?"
If the child does respond, try to find out what he or she wants to talk about and say something about the child's interests.
"There sure are a lot of different beans--black beans, string beans, pinto beans. We have a book about beans. Let's see what it
says."
Talk with children during outdoor play, while painting or drawing, at meals and snacks, or while putting away toys. Here are some
tips:
Listen carefully. Smile and nod to show your interest.
Help a child add missing information to a confusing story. "Did Rex jump over the fence or was the gate open?"
Comment or ask a question to help a child continue: "Rex must be a good jumper." "How did you get Rex to come home?"
Preschoolers are learning how to talk with each other.
Help children learn to talk with each other in small groups. Remind children to listen to the speaker.
"Tory is talking now, Carlos. Tory, tell us about cooking with your Dad."
"Carlos, we enjoyed your story about going to the barber shop with your uncle. Now it's Drew's turn to talk. Drew, what did you do
over the weekend?"
Sit with children during mealtimes and help them learn to take turns talking and listening, to stay on the topic, and to keep their conversation going.

READING
Preschoolers like being read to.
Read to small groups at story times. Make sure the children are comfortable. Show the cover of the book you will read and
introduce the characters. Tell a little bit about the story. Hold the book so that the children can see the pictures. Make faces and change your voice to bring the characters to life. Stop and talk about what the pictures show and what might happen next. Discuss what the characters are doing and how they might be feeling. Ask and answer questions.
Read to one or two children at a time when they make a request or when you want to share a book that's just right for a particular
child. Use these read-aloud sessions to encourage children to talk about the story and the characters and to share their own ideas.
Learn about your library's services for young children. Ask about bilingual story times, special story hours for child care programs,
and workshops for caregivers. Sometimes librarians can visit child care programs to discuss books and ideas. Pass along to families the library's fliers and brochures, book lists, and information about parenting resources.

How to help families

Support family reading times by allowing children to borrow books overnight or for a few days.
Sign up for programs that provide
free or inexpensive books and reading materials.
Sponsor a new or used book fair. Learn about family literacy programs in your community.
Sponsor a workshop on reading with children.
Preschoolers like to look at books on their own.
Create a colorful, well-lit, carpeted library area with soft chairs or pillows. Place books, magazines, and other reading materials
with covers face up on low shelves or a rack so children can see them. Decorate the area with book posters and displays about favorite books. Offer a flannel board, puppets or other materials for acting out stories.
Read and show books to the children about their current interests, for example, books on bridges and tunnels for block building, cookbooks with snack recipes, and a nature guide to look up leaves collected on a walk.
Encourage reading in all rooms and areas used by children. Create places for a child to read alone or with a friend, such as a beanbag chair under a loft, a large cardboard box, a pile of pillows in a quiet corner, or a blanket under a shady tree.
Preschoolers like books about familiar characters, scenes, and events.
Select books that match children's ages and developmental stages that show their cultures, ethnic group, families, and abilities.
Look for books that respond to a child's special interest (space travel), or a recent experience (going to the zoo), or that help the
child adjust to a change (moving to a new home).
Provide five to eight books per child--some in their home languages and some in English. Include a wide variety of books. Offer
books with rhymes, repetition, and predictable events; nonsense and fantasy books; storybooks about everyday life; books about
new ideas; poetry; alphabet and counting books; simple dictionaries (English and home languages); and easy-readers (for older preschoolers who are ready for them).
Writing
Preschoolers do scribble writing and copy shapes, letters, and words.
Encourage children to develop the small muscles used for writing. They can cut, paste, draw, paint, thread beads on a lace, roll play dough, connect small blocks, use a keyboard, play a drum, spread peanut butter on a cracker, zip a coat, and serve peas with a large spoon.
Set up a special place where children can practice writing. Provide a table and chairs and low, open shelves filled with lined
and unlined paper, writing tools, junk mail and catalogs, office supplies, a typewriter, and other items to encourage children's
make-believe play.
Include a few ready-made blank books (e.g., 10 pieces of paper folded in half and stapled on the fold) for children's use. Provide binding supplies such as cardboard for covers, a hole punch, string, or a stapler.
Include opportunities for writing as a part of children's play. Offer writing materials and props for real workplaces--a restaurant,
store, health clinic, or travel agency. Children can write menus, sales receipts, prescriptions, and tickets.
Put paper and markers near blocks so that children can make signs or labels for their block buildings.
How to help families:

Preschoolers are learning how writing is used.
Let children see how print is used to send messages and to provide information. Label shelves and containers to show where materials are kept. Put names, pictures, or symbols on children's cubbies.
Use print in English and children's home languages. Ask families to help you with the home languages if necessary.
Hang up written and picture versions of the daily schedule. Make a helper chart. Use signs to show how many children can use
an area at a time.
Make step-by-step recipe cards that tell children what to do during a cooking activity.
Read aloud the photo caption for an interesting magazine or newspaper article. Tell the children what the article is about. Show
them an unusual or funny picture and ask them to think of a title for the picture. Write down their titles, then post them on the bulletin board with the picture.
Preschoolers are learning how spoken and written words are connected.
Ask children to help you make signs that provide information, such as when to water the plants. On one side write, "Please water
us." On the other write, "Thank you for watering us."
Put children's spoken words in writing. Ask children to tell you about their artwork. With their permission, write their descriptions
at the bottom or on the back of the picture.
Ask questions to help children talk about an interesting experience they had together or special times they had with their families.
Put their comments on a large sheet of paper. Hang the finished story where children and families can see it.

Information from: America Reads Challenge

Special Education Services Plano Independent School District

Using Language to Learn

Special Education Services
Plano Independent School District