Quality vs. Quantity
14/04/15 09:00 Filed in: Literacy
The amount of words a child hears in any given hour or day is important in their development of language skills. The more we talk and read to our children, the more proficient they become at becoming little language masters.
But it is not only the Quantity of words read/said that is important, the Quality of words you use with your child can have just a big an impact on building their literacy skills. This means that parents and caregivers should not only expose children to a large Quantity of words, but they should also ensure that they are using high Quality words.
To help children develop language skills, parents should have fluid conversations around objects and rituals with their children. For instance, the parent can say to a child, ‘look, a cat’ or ‘want to play after napping?’ These can help to improve language skills even more than using a high Quantity of words, because it is tempting the child to react, it requires an answer. The key is to blend the Quantity of words used with high Quality words and employing techniques such as communication temptation strategies.
To develop language skills, children need to be exposed to Quality, as well as a large Quantity of words. This means that the Quantity of words alone is not enough in effectively developing the language skills of a child. Many studies have focused on the Quantity of words, with parents being encouraged to use more words with the children in order to develop their vocabulary and language skills. This is a great strategy and starting point, but you should progress to using words that are of high Quality. It is also suggested that you talk to a child in diverse ways and give more elaboration to enable the child to continue their cognitive development.
The latest research has found that even though Quantity of words matters in language skills development, the Quality and how the words are communicated are also very important factors. It is up to the parents and caregivers to ensure children are exposed to large Quantity of Quality words so that they can develop their language skills and be efficient at communicating.
Keep word Quality in mind next time you are shopping for a new book. Challenging your little reader/listener is a good thing. It sparks conversation, helps children understand how words are constructed and familiarizes them with different sound blends. Remember, the words you use today greatly impact your child’s language 12 months from now.
The question is, do you expose your child to #2000words that are of high Quality, using varying tones and intonations to help your child’s language development grow?
To help children develop language skills, parents should have fluid conversations around objects and rituals with their children. For instance, the parent can say to a child, ‘look, a cat’ or ‘want to play after napping?’ These can help to improve language skills even more than using a high Quantity of words, because it is tempting the child to react, it requires an answer. The key is to blend the Quantity of words used with high Quality words and employing techniques such as communication temptation strategies.
To develop language skills, children need to be exposed to Quality, as well as a large Quantity of words. This means that the Quantity of words alone is not enough in effectively developing the language skills of a child. Many studies have focused on the Quantity of words, with parents being encouraged to use more words with the children in order to develop their vocabulary and language skills. This is a great strategy and starting point, but you should progress to using words that are of high Quality. It is also suggested that you talk to a child in diverse ways and give more elaboration to enable the child to continue their cognitive development.
The latest research has found that even though Quantity of words matters in language skills development, the Quality and how the words are communicated are also very important factors. It is up to the parents and caregivers to ensure children are exposed to large Quantity of Quality words so that they can develop their language skills and be efficient at communicating.
Keep word Quality in mind next time you are shopping for a new book. Challenging your little reader/listener is a good thing. It sparks conversation, helps children understand how words are constructed and familiarizes them with different sound blends. Remember, the words you use today greatly impact your child’s language 12 months from now.
The question is, do you expose your child to #2000words that are of high Quality, using varying tones and intonations to help your child’s language development grow?
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