expressive language

Auditory Processing Disorders.

Jj is for Jottings 137.  Auditory Processing Disorders.

Following on from auditory skills and developing auditory processing skills, we now turn our attention to auditory processing disorders.  There are so many conflicting ideas in the literature as to exactly what constitutes auditory skills. One could really become bogged down by this and therefore any resulting disorders.  There is even disagreement as to whether it should be “auditory processing disorders” or “central auditory processing disorders.”  I’ve decided to go with the thinking that “central” implies problems only at the brain level and consequently limits the definition.

Picture of woman reading "Aa is for Alpacas" book to a group of children, with baby alpacas in the background, and the caption: "Auditory processing disorders - attempting to prevent them is a good policy."

Auditory processing disorders – attempting to prevent them is a good policy.

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Morphemes.

Jj is for Jottings 135.  Morphemes.

There was a brief definition of morphemes in the article on learning vocabulary.  Direct vocabulary instruction referred to using morphological knowledge to work out meanings of more complex words.  So it’s probably time to go more thoroughly into morphemes and how important they really are.  Knowledge of morphemes is important in phonics for both reading and spelling; and also in vocabulary and comprehension.  That’s a broad sweep across both language and literacy. Continue reading →

Vocabulary: Homonyms, Heteronyms and Homophones.

Jj is for Jottings 133.  Vocabulary: Homonyms, Heteronyms and Homophones.

 

Following on from learning vocabulary and direct vocabulary instruction, it is useful to consider another aspect of vocabulary: homonyms, heteronyms and homophones.  These categories are often either unknown or confusing for many people, so this is a good time to sort them out.  We can also see how useful they are as part of the approach to teaching vocabulary.

Much of the confusion about these word categories can be ironed out by discovering the root words of each category.  Then it is easy to remember what they mean. Continue reading →

Direct Vocabulary Instruction.

Jj is for Jottings 132.  Direct Vocabulary Instruction.

When a child has poor vocabulary knowledge for their age, it indicates that they struggle to learn vocabulary from their written or spoken language experiences.  They will then need direct vocabulary instruction to increase their chances of catching up with their peers.

It also makes sense to teach them strategies to help them learn new word meanings from their language experiences.  These strategies involve teaching them to use morphological knowledge (see previous article) to work out meanings of more complex words, or to search for words that might provide clues to the meanings of other words in context.  A combination of this broad, strategy-based approach and direct vocabulary instruction will provide the best results, according to recent research.  And it aids not just vocabulary knowledge, but also reading comprehension.

 

SUPERFICIAL WORD KNOWLEDGE.

Many children with poor language and reading skills will have only a nodding acquaintance with many word meanings.  They can even be quite common, concrete words which you would expect them to know.  These children can easily slip through the net. Parents and teachers may not observe that, although children may use a word, their knowledge of it is actually very limited.  It’s not just a case of “he used that word so we can mentally tick it off as part of his vocabulary”.  We need to be more vigilant than that.

Picture of woman holding a baby alpaca with the caption: Direct Vocabulary Instruction needed at this age? Probably not for a cria.

Direct Vocabulary Instruction needed at this age? Probably not for a cria.

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Learning Vocabulary.

Jj is for Jottings 131. Learning Vocabulary.

Learning vocabulary – the words a person knows and uses – is a lifelong process. Talking to and reading with your child right from the start is a good recipe for a child to develop a rich vocabulary.  I have talked about vocabulary in previous articles, mainly in the context of reading with children and children reading for themselves.  But, given that vocabulary is so important, I thought it was worth going into a little further.

Photo of a father reading to a young child with the caption: Learning Vocabulary. The User Guide in "Aa is for Alpacas" explains how to use the book to enhance vocabulary skills.

Learning Vocabulary. The User Guide in “Aa is for Alpacas” explains how to use the book to enhance vocabulary skills.

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Interactive Reading With Children.

Jj is for Jottings 96.  Interactive Reading With Children.

There is a difference between reading to children and reading with children.  Reading TO children is just that – reading a story without any sort of discussion or interaction.  (For disquieting statistics on reading to children, see here.)  On the other hand, interactive reading with children, or reading WITH children, is an active process rather than a passive one.  In this case, you are encouraging the child to think, predict, remember and discuss the story, and other related topics may also arise.  Therefore it has all the benefits of reading to children, plus many more.

Photo of newborn alpaca on the ground, her mother and another alpaca sniffing her, with the caption: Too young for interactive reading with children, but the right age to start reading TO her.

Too young for interactive reading with children, but the right age to start reading TO her.

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Oral Storytelling.

Jj is for Jottings 95.  Oral Storytelling.

Oral storytelling is wonderful for developing listening skills (no pictures – so there is no visual ‘cheating’) and language.  It also encourages memory and can stimulate imagination.  You can read about the importance of listening here and here.  You can tell the story, or you can encourage your child to tell the story.  Your child may not be confident enough to tell stories from the outset.  However, after hearing you tell stories and with some encouragement, they may begin to feel like having a go.  Even if your child doesn’t feel like telling stories, the listening, language and memory benefits are still there. Continue reading →

The Effects of Screen Time on Children.

Jj is for Jottings 90.  The Effects of Screen Time on Children.

Picture of 4 children on a haystack with caption: Avoiding the effects of screen time on children - Zara, Amy, Seth and Zack reading "Aa is for Alpacas" AND outside.

Avoiding the effects of screen time on children – Zara, Amy, Seth and Zack reading “Aa is for Alpacas” AND outside.

 

By now, there have been many studies done on the effects of screen time on children.  My own observations on this subject are here and here.  And here is an article on parental concerns about screen time.  So, let’s have a look at some of the recent research. Continue reading →

Unilateral Hearing Loss.

Jj is for Jottings 89.  Unilateral Hearing Loss.

Head shot of an alpaca with the caption: Does Geisha have a unilateral hearing loss? It looks as if she has only one ear, in which case she would have.

Does Geisha have a unilateral hearing loss? It looks as if she has only one ear, in which case she would have.

This is the third article on hearing loss.  The previous articles are about fluctuating hearing loss and effects of hearing loss on speech, language and literacy. Continue reading →

Communication Milestones.

Jj is for Jottings 68. Communication Milestones.

Here is a chart put together by a group from Queensland and the National Office of Speech Pathology Australia which you may find useful.

Here is the link if you want to print copies.
www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/milestones