Jj is for Jottings 130. Auditory Skills.
Auditory skills underpin the development of speech, language and literacy. Therefore it is vitally important to be aware of these skills and, wherever possible, assist our children to develop them.
Auditory skills include the following: Continue reading
Jj is for Jottings 129. Adjectives Add Interest.
In previous posts we have discussed nouns and articles. The next part of speech we will cover is adjectives. Adjectives add interest to language because they describe nouns and pronouns, making our speech or writing more colourful and informative. They are the difference between “The man walked down the road” and “The bent old man walked down the long, winding road”. You get a much clearer and more interesting mental picture with the second sentence, I bet. Continue reading
Jj is for Jottings 128. Hard and Soft ‘C’ and ‘G’.
The great thing about spelling rules – such as the bossy ‘e’ rule – is that, once you learn a particular rule, you can read (and hopefully spell) many different words. In other words, rules give you lots of bang for your buck. When dealing with hard and soft ‘c’ and ‘g’, we teach the hard sound first as part of basic sound-letter links, and introduce the soft sounds a little later. Continue reading
Jj is for Jottings 127. Sequencing is Important.
We probably don’t think about it very much, but sequencing is important in many aspects of our lives. A definition of “sequence” is: a set of related events, movements, or items that follow each other in a particular order. (This is the definition for the noun. It is also a verb, as in “I’m going to sequence the tracks on my playlist.”)
Sequencing is important – but is it important in this picture?
Many times, if things are not in sequence, they don’t make any sense. Although the playlist referred to above has a sequence, the sequence isn’t vital; it’s just a preference. But if you put on your shoes first and then your socks… Continue reading
Jj is for Jottings 126. The Bossy ‘E’.
The bossy ‘e’ (sometimes called the magic ‘e’) appears so often in written language that it is worth revisiting in its own right. It is a classic case of “Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Once you know the rule, you can unlock thousands of words. Continue reading
Jj is for Jottings 125. Nonsense Words.
Nonsense words are letter sequences which follow regular phonetic rules and are pronounceable, but which have no meaning. Examples are ‘bof’, ‘zim’, ‘chog’. They can also be called nonwords or pseudowords. There are stages in children’s development where nonsense words may play a part. These are: babbling, early reading, rhyming, and if they require assistance for speech sound development (speech therapy). All children babble, but children may not encounter nonsense words when learning to read or to rhyme. And many will not need speech therapy, or have access to it if they do.
Atticus is a FAN of nonsense words.
Jj is for Jottings 124. Neuroplasticity, Power and Children.
This article follows on from the previous article on neuroplasticity and power. However, I just want to mention a couple more points before moving on to the subject of neuroplasticity, power and children. These points include people’s differing needs for power, and avoiding the negative effects of power. Continue reading
Jj is for Jottings 123. Neuroplasticity and Power.
The topic of neuroplasticity and power is related to this article which defines neuroplasticity and this article on neuroplasticity and complaining. Every experience we have and every thought we think affects the way our brain develops and changes. In turn, this affects our physiology and psychology. The interplay between neuroplasticity and power has consequences in all aspects of life, from the playground bully to leaders in business and beyond.
Neuroplasticity and Power. Shanti says, “I have such power over this paper. Does neuroplasticity mean I will turn into a lion?”
Jj is for Jottings 122. Definite and Indefinite Articles.
Following on from the previous article on nouns, it is timely to discuss definite and indefinite articles. Articles are simply “a” or “an”, and “the”. It sounds simple, but there’s a bit more to it than that. Continue reading
Jj is for Jottings 121. A Noun is a Name.
A noun is a name. But there’s a bit more to it than that. A noun is one of several parts of speech, which also includes verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, articles, prepositions, conjunctions and even interjections. Although they are called parts of speech, they are really units of language, but we won’t try to go against the flow on that issue. The difference between speech and language is explained here. I can’t tell you how many times I have been requested to do a speech assessment, when language was really the issue. Continue reading
