The Language of ToysThe Language of Toys

• Play is how children learn best.

• Toys promote language development.

• Toys are interactive and representational.

• Parents

• Grandparents

• Brothers and Sisters

• Teachers

• Child Care Providers

• Friends

• Child is most refreshed and alert.

• Adult has uninterrupted time.

• Short and frequent play times.

WHERE

• A t child’s eye level.

• High chair, sassy seat, low table, floor.

• Quiet place - free of distractions.

• Is the framework for learning.

• Integrates all areas of development.

• Is how a child explores his/her world.

• Helps deal with feelings.

• Encourages social interaction.

• Empowers children.

• Provides rich experiences which result in rich language.

• Teaches symbolic relationships.

• Toys are Interactive.

• Toys are representational.

• Toys can be miniatures of real life objects.

• Toys can bring the outside world into the house.

• Toys can provide the vehicle for acting out experiences.

Teachers Parents

Siblings

GrandparentsChildcareProviders

Friends

• B e at the child’s eye level - Use a high chair or a sassy seat or floor.

• Quiet Place - Find a quiet spot, free of distractions.

• Timing - When a child is fresh and alert and adult has uninterrupted time.

• Varied repetition - Use a variety of toys that elicit the same concepts.

• One toy at a Time.

• Single concept dialogues.

• Varied dialogues.

• Short sessions - Many short sessions in a day are better than one long session.

• Observation - Listen to and watch the child to see when and how to approach.

• Approach - Acknowledge emotional tone, then elaborate and build on what the child is doing.

• Follow the child’s lead - Allow the child to direct the action.

• Extend the play - Make supportive comments about the play. Ask questions to stimulate thinking.

• Child enters in conversation with facilitator - Child builds on your comments and gestures and adds his own.

• Turn Taking - Exchange of verbal and nonverbal information.

• Pausing - Allow time between exchanges.

• Description - Talking about what is happening as it is happening.

• Model - Repeating correctly what the child has said.

• Expansion - Furthering the language concept for the child.

• Prompt - Verbal or nonverbal act for the child to imitate.

• Facilitative Questions - Questions asked to encourage the child to think and comment further.

• Make sure you allow enough time for the activity.

• Getting up a few minutes earlier or starting your evening routine with time to spare can help ensure enough time.

• Give your child choices about what to wear and follow their lead.

• Be sure to interact with the child.

• Talk may focus around food preparation, different foods you are serving, or which foods are particularly enjoyable.

• Children tend to be better passengers if they are involved.

• Relaxed conversation in which your child takes lead, or a sing along in which he/she chooses the songs are some appropriate activities.

• Plan to have at least a little time to get your child settled on arrival - read a short story, visit class pet, or look at a special toy.

• Show your interest but give a clear good-bye.

• When picking up your child, allow them to see connections between you and the teacher.

• Allow your child to share something important about the day while you are still in the school setting.

• Ideal setting for interaction.• Bath toys float, get dunked, and come

into contact with each other.• The water itself provides many

opportunities for play.• Children relax naturally in the water.

• Often the last activity of the day.• Natural time for close contact and

shared meanings - child could be in your lap or next to you on a chair or bed.

• Be aware of responses and questions that you can extend.

• Accompanied by a ritual, but is also a moment to feel close and loving.

• Children sometimes share important thoughts and feelings.

• Respond with empathy and stay close until the child is calm and feels safe enough to go to sleep.

• Call his or her name.

• Make sounds that are novel and interesting.

• Move Your hand in front of his or her face, wiggle your fingers, move your hand slowly to your face as you smile and talk.

• If that doesn’t w ork, stop m oving and hold very still until he/she looks to see w hat’s wrong. Begin talking as soon as the child looks at you.

• Show enthusiasm.

• Use clues to add meaning.

• Use suspense, surprise, and appropriate testing.

• Give the child equal time and opportunity to talk, to handle materials, and to participate in the activity.

• Show interest in what the child communicates.

• Respond Appropriately.

• Talk about what the child is doing seeing or feeling.

• U se language appropriate to the child’s developmental level. Start with short simple sentences and increase com plexity as child’s understanding of language increases.

• R espond to the child’s com m unication.

• P lay the child’s gam e.

Relationship of Play to Relationship of Play to Later School Later School AchievementAchievement

• Visual and auditory discrimination.• Percepto-motor skills.• Hand-eye- coordination.• Ocular efficiency.• Ability to shift from whole-part and reverse.• Figure-ground discrimination.• Body-image-laterality/directionality.

• Music, rhythms, running, jumping, creeping, dramatic play, fitting objects into objects,taking things apart and putting them together, throwing, catching, pasting, using puzzles.

• Sorting and matching: using discrimination of size, shape, color, sound, smell, taste. Ordering objects or placing them in sequence of length, height, etc.

• Observing, comparing, describing, classifying, hypothesizing, testing.

• Development of spatial relationships of size, shape, position, distance.

• Shift from whole to part and reverse.

• Hand-eye coordination.

• Selecting and identifying properties of matter through sensory discrimination.

• Fitting objects into things, taking objects apart and putting them together.

• Constructing with wood, blocks, etc.• Using manipulative materials.• Ordering and grouping of objects.

• Matching one-to-one correspondence.

• Grouping (sets), classifying according to size, shape, color, number, etc.

• Seriation or sequencing of objects.

• Whole-part discrimination (fractions, ratio).

• Using manipulative games of all kinds.• Matching and sorting materials.• Taking things apart and putting them

together and construction of all kinds.• Playing with blocks noting equivalence,

balance, etc.

• Visual discrimination.

• Hand-eye coordination.

• Grasping as part of motor skills.

• Spatial orientation - noting size, shape, distance, direction.

• Painting, pasting, using clay.

• Constructing with wood, blocks, etc.

• Using manipulative games, puzzles.

• Involvement with motor activities of all kinds.

I tried to teach my child with I tried to teach my child with books.books.

He gave me only puzzled He gave me only puzzled looks.looks.

I tried to teach my child with I tried to teach my child with words.words.

They passed him by often They passed him by often unheard.unheard.

Despairingly I turned aside.Despairingly I turned aside.How shall I teach this child: How shall I teach this child:

I cried.I cried.Into my hands he put the key.Into my hands he put the key.

“C om e,” he said, “C om e,” he said, “P lay w ith m e!”“P lay w ith m e!”

• Dr. Sue Schwartz• 301-622-1085• drsues@cavtel.net

Parent-Infant Communication, 1985Handout - Parent Language Development Objectives 18,19,20

M offitt, M .W . & S w edlow , R . “D ynam ics of P lay for Learning”