Language Development

 Literacy is a term that includes reading, writing, speaking, and listening − and it is the foundation of a child's learning process. The best way to build literacy skills is to read to your child every day, starting in infancy.

Your baby will love listening to the tone and rhythm of your voice and looking at pictures in a story book. In turn, books expose your child to vocabulary, word use, and picture identification − all of which encourage language development.

By reading to your child regularly starting at an early age, you will give your child a strong foundation for future learning that will help set him up for success in school − and in life!

It's important for parents to understand the critical role they play in their child's language development. A child develops much of his capacity for learning during his earliest years since this is the time when the brain undergoes its most dramatic growth.

When parents read, sing, or talk to their child, the child's brain is filled with words, sounds, and emotions that help make the brain cells grow stronger. This will have a lifelong effect on his ability to learn language and communicate with others. In fact, kids who don't develop basic literacy skills before kindergarten are three times more likely to drop out of school later in life.

Ways You Can Encourage Strong Language Skills:

• Talk to your child. Research shows the more parents talk with their children, the larger vocabularies those children develop. So, use everyday moments − in the car, at the grocery store, during bath time − to talk to your child and teach him about the world around him.
• Be a good listener. As your child begins to babble and say his first words, be sure to listen, make eye contact, and respond. This will help encourage him to continue!
• Read together every day. Ask questions as you read and talk about the pictures. Help your child make connections, such as how the picture of a cat in a story looks like the neighbor's pet.
• Use repetition as a learning technique. Read the same stories over and over again to create familiarity with the words and phrases.
• Play with your child. Acting out storybooks, drawing pictures, listening to music, and singing songs are all great ways to stimulate language and literacy development.
• Stay positive. If your child says a word incorrectly, simply repeat the word with the correct pronunciation. Offer encouragement and respond positively to your child's efforts, rather than focusing on mistakes.

Talking, writing, reading, and listening − these are all essential parts of your child's literacy development. As your child grows, watch for these milestones:

Baby

Toddler

Preschooler

Many California children are raised in multi-language homes and others learn more than one language through school curriculum. Studies show that learning a second language is good for the brain and can reap personal and professional benefits later in life. It's like a form of mental exercise where no matter what language a person is speaking at the moment, both languages are active in the brain.

It's never too soon for a child to learn a second language. In fact, the earlier you introduce a second language, the easier it will be for your child to pick it up.

Ways to Help Your Child Expand Dual Language Skills:

• Let your child read books in different languages and take her to dual language reading groups at the library.
• Play children's music in multiple languages. Catchy songs played over and over again help a child learn and understand new words and concepts.
• Puzzles, maps, and other games are often available in different languages. Join dual language playgroups and encourage your child to talk with other kids her age in different languages.

All children learn and develop at different rates. You know your child best. If you see that your child is experiencing a language or reading problem, it's important that you talk to your child's doctor or teacher about your concerns and get help if needed.