Has your child ever told you a nonsensical joke that they just made up themselves using a perceived play on words? Something along the lines of … “Knock, knock?” “Who’s there?” “Cow.” “Cow who?” “He’s not really there ‘cos he is a cow-ard!” Cue fits of giggles on their part.
However un-funny they are, these attempts to manipulate language are part of the more serious business of children learning to use and play with words, and effortlessly growing their own vocabulary. The quantity and quality of early language experiences have a profound impact on how children develop, how they access learning when they reach school, and how they go on to read and succeed throughout their school life and the statistics can prove scary. Some children hear five times as many words in their homes as their peers, developing a ‘vocabulary gap’ in the earliest years, before school even starts. Given the importance of early language, focusing on vocabulary development in the earliest years is extremely important.
Unfortunately, it appears that language gaps which develop early can also prove very resistant to being closed, so children of parents who invest time in early vocabulary development will reap the rewards at school.
There are two key facets to vocabulary development; spoken language and written language. We know for example that simply more talk and more vocabulary in the home is better for a child’s vocabulary development. Children who hear more language, with more conversation directed at them or including them, hear a greater amount of frequent words, as well as hearing more unusual words which are so important to vocabulary growth. This can be a simple conversation over breakfast about something in the news to trips to a museum and conversation arising around the trip.
As part of these conversations, children learn vital skills such as turn taking, but they also offer opportunities to ‘expand and recast’ speech (when you repeat to the child what they have said but improve the grammar, pronunciation or vocabulary) as well as an opportunity to extend and explain in greater depth any concept under discussion. All of these activities have a positive impact on a child’s vocabulary development, and these opportunities extend right through childhood, from toddlers discussing their latest picture book, to teenagers conversing about and explaining their GCSE coursework – although at this point they are usually the ones who know more about the subject but it doesn’t stop us adults from questioning, expanding and correcting where necessary.
As the school librarian, it would not be right for me to omit to mention at this point the crucial gateway to a diverse and sophisticated vocabulary that is the act of reading!
Story-time is full of unusual and refined vocabulary and patterns of language. Often these are more complex than the daily conversations that take place in the family, the vocabulary and talk that accompanies reading even a basic picture book is a vital source of linguistic richness. If more talk for young children matters, then more reading, and talk about such reading, may well matter most when it comes to vocabulary development. And going on a family trip to a museum can of course be matched with reading a great book on the same subject upon your return!
The children at Barrow Hills all have access to our three fabulous libraries from which they are welcome to borrow books at any time.
Mrs Emmett, Librarian