Parents Help Babies Learn Language Skills

 

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Article source:  "Grow up Reading," from the West Bloomfield Township Public Library
http://www.growupreading.org/babies/literacy.html  

I. Main idea/topic

     A. Evidence/Example 1

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     B. Transition, Evidence/Example 2

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     C. Transition, Evidence/Example 3

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     D. Conclusion

I. Parents help babies learn language

     A. Oral lannguage

          1. Make sounds by 8 months

          2. Say 6-8 words by 8 months

          3. 8 new words daily by age 2

     B. Phonemic awareness

          1. Distinguish sounds easily

          2. Learn diferent languages easily

          3. Learn by listening to parents

     C. Comprehension skills

          1. Parents read aloud

          2. Discuss what was read

          3. Picture clues/relate to baby's life

     D. Conclusion

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                                      Parents Help Babies Learn Language Skills

     Babies develop language skills easily, and parents can help that development. Oral language develops by listening to parents talk.  Babies are making copycat sounds by the age of eight months.  By the time they are twelve months old they can usually say eight to twelve words.  By age two, babies are learning eight new words each day from their parents.  In addition to saying words, parents help babies develop phonemic awareness.  Babies are very good at distinguishing phonemes, which are the small units of sound that make up words.  Because of this, they can easily learn different languages at a very young age.  Most phonemic learning comes from listening to adults talk to them.  Besides speaking and phonemic skills, parents can help babies learn comprehension skills, which are very important to language development.  Comprehension is helped when parents read to their children. Discussing with the child the story that has been read is very important.  It also helps to point out clues in the story’s pictures, and when relate the story to the child’s life.  Obviously, parents play a very important part in the development of language skills in babies.

 

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