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| |    Language Skills by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. reviewed by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. By language skills, I mean the ability to understand and use lots of different words, as well as to communicate complicated ideas. One child talks about birds; another talks about pigeons, sparrows, and hawks. One child talks about feeling mad; another talks about feeling angry, upset, frustrated, or jealous. Another aspect of language skills is the ability to understand more complicated and longer sentences. For example, the sentence "The ball, which Johnny had thrown to Jim, was caught by Rover" might seem clear to you, but many less-skilled children might think that Rover caught Jim! Strong language skills allow children to think about ideas, not just the things they can see right in front of their faces. Being able to make up stories, to play with words, and to ask thoughtful questions are all signs of strong language skills. Why language skills matter Infants are born ready to learn language. Young children hear enough language in the course of everyday activities, such as bathing, eating, and getting dressed, to allow them to develop a basic level of language ability. That may have been enough in the past, when many good jobs were open to people without strong language abilities. But modern society demands much more. For better or worse, schools today expect a higher degree of language ability at an earlier age than ever before. Children who enter school with less developed language often struggle all through school and later in the job market. I think you can criticize modern society for being overly focused on language-related skills. This situation is not fair to many children whose strengths lie in other areas. If your child does not have a natural talent for language, you will have to be even more supportive and understanding of the challenges and frustrations he may face. You also will want to know all that you can about pleasant ways to nurture language skill in your child. The articles in this program are a start.
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