Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/children-need-rich-language-experiences/5010661/
Human beings are the animals that talk. Everywhere, they have invented languages with which to remember experiences, plan ahead, and communicate with each other. A child's learning to talk - and, later, to recognize print as talk written down - is a major milestone in her relationships with her family and community; she becomes a "member of the club" of people who use words with each other. If she goes to child care, the adults there will determine, in large part, the language experiences she has during her day, even though they won't be participants in all of those experiences.Adults greet children. Friendly words are an important welcome to each child, each day; children need to hear their names spoken warmly. They need to see their names written, as well; children learn to recognize the shape of their name, and thus to read it, long before they know the sounds of the letters it's made of.
Adults engage children in conversation. Genuine questions (to which the child knows the answer and the adult doesn't) about family events spark conversation just as they do among adults: "Is your grandma visiting you?" "Is your baby ...