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| |    How to Nurture Language Development - School-Age Children by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. reviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. What is the point of nurturing language in your school-age child if he already knows how to talk? You could ask the same thing about baseball: What's the point of batting practice if he already knows how to hit? With language, just as with baseball, practice makes perfect, and a child's skill level can make a big difference in his enjoyment and success. Unlike baseball skills, language skills play a role in virtually every class in school, and in most well-paying jobs as well. And, like batting practice, language skill-building works best when it's fun. By language skills, I mean the ability to understand lots of different words-not just everyday words, but also less common ones-to make up stories, to play with words, and to ask thoughtful questions. Click here for more on language skills. What's the best way to nurture your child's language? A good starting point is to choose things that you like; your child will pick up on your enthusiasm. And keep in mind that every child doesn't have to be a great talker! Different children have different talents, and it's important to accept your child for who he is. Whatever his natural ability, here are some ideas to get you started: Explore places together. Take walks. Stop to look at plants, rocks, or birds; look at the buildings downtown; go to museums or libraries. Wherever you go, talk about what you see, and ask questions. Pay attention to the interesting words you use: Why is that tall building called a "skyscraper?" Does it really "scrape" the sky? Play games with words. Try saying everything in rhyme for a while. "Do you want a glass of juice -- or would you like a red caboose?" (It doesn't matter if it's stupid - the only important thing is that it's fun.) After a while, your child might join in. Sing songs together, and teach your child the words. Play "Twenty Questions." (Be sure to make it easy enough for him to guess your word!) Make reading aloud a part of your everyday routine. Reading aloud is a great way to build language skills, because the words and sentences in books are often different and more complicated than what children hear in the course of everyday living. And don't stop once your child can read for himself. Together, you can enjoy books that might be more interesting, and more difficult, than what your child can handle on his own. Include your child in your interests. If you like gardening, be sure to talk about what you're doing and why-- teach your child the names of all of the plants you know; use imaginative language to describe their colors, textures, smells. If you love cars, teach him about all of the intriguing things under the hood. If you like reading the newspaper, talk with your child about any stories that strike you as interesting (and appropriate, of course). If you like watching TV, talk with your child about what you're watching. (A good tip: Limit TV--it doesn't teach as much as you might expect because watching is so passive. Your child is much better off doing something else fun with you, or on his own. For more on TV, see Television's Impact on Your Child.)
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