High Maintenance Mom

I attended the GeoKids workshop last night on Language and Literacy. The workshop covered language development and writing; the beginning reading part was skipped because we ran out of time. I would summarize the language development piece with the statement that it's important to engage our children. For example, a child points saying, "nah nah nah" and we respond by labeling the things the child might be looking at, even if it's the fifth time that day. I would summarize the writing piece with a paraphrase of Stacey's Literacy Manifesto -- through many experiences in play and in living we need to convey to children that literacy is powerful. Once they realize the power, they will have a reason to learn to read and write...

Another item I enjoyed from the language piece was the development of words from crying to proto-words (like baba for bottle) to context bound words (words repeated in a situation that aren't really understood) to real words that are used in context in a variety of settings. Real words were defined by the following.

• used consistently
• approximates conventional sound
• used intentionally - not parroting
• used in a variety of settings

I love that children categorize words because it's also an early science skill. For example, a child will learn the word duck and will then call every bird a duck. Over time children learn other animals that look somewhat similar to ducks but have other names. One of the pieces that was mentioned in both parts of the workshop was the power of the familiar. In language, a word for a parent is used and then everyone who is important is called that word. In our experience this pertained to objects as well - B used to call the vacuum cleaner mama.

The discussions were particularly interesting. We discussed the significance of getting a child's ears tested at age three if other people can't understand what the child says because loss of hearing can affect more than just ability to communicate. We also discussed stuttering and that for two and three year-olds, it's very difficult to be emotional and talk at the same time (for many adults too). Generally stuttering is not a problem until age five or so. And the topic that I am so grateful someone explained to me last year, children use the word why to engage you in conversation. They learn early that when they ask why, you talk. They can keep you talking by saying why again and again. One of the techniques we've been told in the past is to ask the child, "why do you think?" in order to continue the conversation without making the adult irritable. It was also nice to hear an example of five year-olds using "why" to engage a teacher and her response.

The writing section included examples of children's drawings and writing. The progression went from marks on paper, to lines, to separate marks. There were several examples of the types of writing the kids were doing and how they often talked at the same time. At GeoKids, the teachers record what the kids are saying as they draw or write and then include it on the child's page. I love getting the pictures with the accompanying text and have been doing the same thing at home. It's so much fun to look at the pictures and text later with your child. Here's one from B in December, "This is a big macaw (drawing with a red crayon). Some macaws live in snow (stamping snowflakes). The macaw is getting stamps by us. All done. There you go. You're ready to fly." It was emphasized that both writing and reading should happen within the context of play and that the first letters kids often write are those in their own name.

The handouts from the workshop were also very interesting and include information on storytelling, both making up stories with your kids and asking questions or playing games while reading to them. There was also an article about children who have an edge with literacy when they are read to and experience a large number of different words (for example definitions, synonyms, and inference and comparison to the child's experience). I'm hoping we can put the writing handout online and the book Much More Than the ABC's: The Early Stages of Reading and Writing was recommended.

A new web resource for parents of children who are experiencing a delay in the development of expressive language is Talking with Toddlers. Rick, a linguist and speech-language pathologist working in early intervention, has lots of useful information on his site including how to play with toddlers. I recommend checking it out.