Processess of Children'S Learning and Speech Development in Early Years
Processess of Children'S Learning and Speech Development in Early Years
Processess of Children'S Learning and Speech Development in Early Years
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Florence Undiyaundeye
University of Calabar
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Basake Julius A
Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria
[email protected]
Abstract
Speech development is important children's development. a crucial tool to learning for
communication and building relationship with others as well as enhancing language attainment
in children which is top priority. It is not only the sole responsibility of those working with
children to provide support for language development and sustenance of the child but a joint
partnership with parents, caregiver, families and policymakers. Many parents begin
communication with children once pregnancy is established in a woman and the voices of other
people who communicate with this woman make contact with the baby. At early childhood stages
babies cry to attract attention and communicate with adults to get what is their need. This cuts
across when they are wet, hungry, in pain, need attention and adults in turn respond positively to
the babies. From when children are delivered, they get integrated in the language of the day by
those who interact with them as parents and other adults. They respond through meeting with
eyes, making sounds and gurgling. This led the children through taking part in conversations
and become communicators. The development of language is a strong bridge for a child’s brain
and cognitive development. When there exist many options of language to choose from, ingenuity
of language usage abound and new ways of talking is generated. The creation of verbal
1. Introduction
Speech is the basics requirement for human interactions, when children issues with
communication causes frustration for the parents and the child. The development of language is
a strong bridge for a child’s brain and cognitive development. Yarrow’s (2014) studies reveal
that “having a huge terminology increases creativity and helps the individual come up with new
ideas. There are a number of benefits to learn more than one language. In other words, the
development of language cannot be viewed in isolation but largely important to a child’s overall
development during the first years of his or her life, promoting a learning friendly environment
where a child reads books proportional to his or her age”.
Parents and other adults find ways to play and have fun with the child as a teaching
process will help accelerate a toddler’s language acquisition and as a preparation for school.
This would boost overall progress on other development milestones and assist also in the
provision of many more giant opportunities for later life (Undiyaundeye, 2014).
Language and communication contribute to the six key areas to learning and
understanding of the child. They include; creative development, social-physical development,
communication, language and literacy, problem-solving, analysis and numeracy, knowledge and
understanding of the world and personal social and emotional development. The eye stresses the
magnitude of giving opportunities for the child to communicate thoughts, feelings, ideas and
build up relationship with parents, caregivers and each other. They also affirm the importance of
promoting helpful relationship with other family members as a key important role to establish
children feel safe attitude, confidence and independence, anti-discriminatory roles. Children
learn the act of convention by observing adults, as they take turns to speak, through watching,
listening and participate.
2. Concept Clarification
2.1 What is language development?
Learning language is a life-long process where babies develop foundations that underpin
speech and language to support a child’s ability to communicate and express and understand
feelings. The process of language development commences early in life of humans, this
occurred from ten months, at this stage babies can differentiate speech sounds and engage in
babbling. Undiyaundeye (2013 & 2014) observed that “learning begins in the uterus where the
fetus starts to recognize its mother’s voice and differentiate them from other sounds after birth.
Productive language is considered to start at stage of preverbal communication where children
use gestures and vocalization to make their interest known. As a matter of general principle of
growth, new forms then take over old functions to enable the child learn words to express the
same communicative functions they earlier expressed by preverbal means. Language maturity is
envisage to proceed by the process of learning through the acquiring all the forms, meanings and
use of words and utterances from the linguistic input”.
The approaches by which humans develop language skills is worldwide; the main issue is
on how these rules of syntax are acquired. The two major approaches to syntactic development
according to Sage (2006), are:
“An empiricist brogue by which children learn all syntactic rules from the linguistic
input;
A nativist approach this is means through which the principles of syntax are innate and
are transmitted through the human genome”.
commands linguistic theory for a long period of over fifty years and remains an influence to
language processing in children.
are likely not to commence talking until their third or fourth year. Individuals with problems of
producing speech sounds rightly or delay in communication are likely to have speech disarray.
Apraxia of speech is a speech disability that leads sounds and syllables together in the correct
order to form words. Once a child is identified with speech disorder proper step is to see a
speech language pathologist who deals with issues of speech and language development for
filling the vacuum of speech development for proper integration into learning processing and
adaptation.
The child at this age identifies source of voice with the right focus on varying sounds,
example, telephone, doorbell and clock. Understand frequently used words such as bye-bye, no,
stop and looks when hears his or her name, understand common instructions when aided by
gestures and context. Also use speech sound to communicate with adult’s example, sounds like
“baba’, “no-no”, “go-go”. At about year, begin to use simple words like “dada”, “mama among
other”. Enjoy action rhymes and songs and try to copy other people speech and lip movement.
6.4 -12-15 Months
The child now enjoys music and singing, knowing simple words in context, for example,
cup, daddy; also understands simple directions like kiss daddy, give to mummy, stop. Can say
10 solitary words although may not be clear. Reach or point to impressive of interest; like
watching adults for a short period of time and like being with recognizable adults.
6.5 -15-18 Months
The child hears and answers to instructions like “boy put on your shoes”, give to
mummy” can use up to 2 simple words correctly but may not be clear. They copy gestures and
words from adults.
6.6 -18-2 Years
Now focuses on behavior of their own acceptance but finds it hard to be instructed by an
adult. Also understands more simple instructions, follow language including pointing and facial
expression, begins to put 2 to 3 words together.
6.7 -2-3 Years
They Begin to listen and talk with interest though easily carried away, understand simple
phrases/concepts like “put teddy in the box”, “get your book”, understands simple stories
supported with pictures. Can use 300 words including expressive language and link four to five
words. Holds a conversation but jumps from topic to topic.
6.8 -3-4 Years
The child understands gestures or instructions with two parts uses sentences of four to six
words e.g. “I want to play with cars”. Use of future and past tense may have problem with
irregular words e.g. “runned for ran”, “swimmed for swam”.
6.9 -4-5 Years
Attention is now more flexible. The child now understands spoken instructions related to a
task without stopping to look at the speaker. Can use well formed sentences e.g. “I played with
chicken at lunch time”. Take turns in longer conversations, can follow simple stories without
pictures.
9. Conclusion
Oral language capability gives rise to many systems in transmitting ideas. It behooves on
children to get hold of the mode which connotes and represents things in their concepts. Children
require having ways and forms of language varying from sound structure to words to grammar
structures in sentences to increase knowledge in their social aptitude.
Getting this knowledge during pre-school period allows the individual to function as a
good listener and speaker in various communication circumstances. Many times, learning is
completed through unspoken process with no prescribed process of instruction.
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