Language Acquisition in Children

Supporting your child’s language development is crucial for their overall communication skills and academic success. Language development involves not only the ability to speak but also to understand and use language effectively. One of the most impactful ways to support language development is by engaging in regular conversations with your child. Talking to your child frequently, narrating daily activities, and describing what you see and do provides them with a rich language environment. This exposure helps expand their vocabulary and improves their understanding of sentence structures. Reading aloud to your child is another powerful strategy. Choose age-appropriate books and make reading a daily habit. Discuss the story, ask questions, and encourage your child to predict what might happen next. This interaction enhances their listening skills, comprehension, and vocabulary. Singing songs and nursery rhymes also promotes language development. The repetitive nature of songs and rhymes helps children learn new words and improves their memory. Encouraging your child to express themselves is essential. Ask open-ended questions that require more than yes or no answers. This practice encourages them to think critically and articulate their thoughts. Providing opportunities for your child to interact with peers and engage in group activities can also boost their language skills. Playdates, storytimes, and group games offer chances for social interaction and communication. Limiting screen time and encouraging imaginative play can further support language development. Interactive and imaginative play, such as role-playing and storytelling, stimulates creativity and language use. Additionally, creating a print-rich environment at home by labeling objects and having access to books and writing materials encourages reading and writing activities. Supporting your child’s language development is an ongoing process that requires consistent effort and engagement.

Face-to-face interactions stimulate your newborn’s brain in ways that pave the way for language learning. This according to fascinating new research from Dr. Patricia Kuhl and colleagues at the University of Washington’s ILABS. We’ve long known that serve and return stimulates the infant brain and supports parent/child bonding. But now, through use of magnetoencephalography (a fancy brain scan), Kuhl and colleagues have determined that these early interactions play a role in stimulating specific attention centers in the brain critical to language learning during a sensitive window from 6-12 months. In the study, children with the highest levels of stimulation in these attention centers at 5 months demonstrated superior language learning at five future points, measured up to two years after the initial scans. Fascinating stuff! If you’d like to learn more, check out the great summary by KC Compton of Early Learning Nation here: https://t.co/EhBKmULk1w And if you really want to nerd out, you can read the full study in the new issue of Current Biology: https://lnkd.in/eMQWFtqx This great video example was shared to IG by babies.wonderful. #earlychildhood #earlyyears #eyfs #parenting

📱 Digital Media Use and Language Development in Early Childhood How does digital media impact children’s language development? Rebecca Dore and her colleagues have explored this important question in a new survey of research evidence. Traditionally, conversations about digital media have focused on screen time—but their work emphasizes the importance of quality over quantity when it comes to digital media use for young children. 🔍 Key insights from their research: 1️⃣ Educational content and co-use with adults are linked to stronger language skills. 2️⃣ Interactive, technologically advanced media that respond to children’s actions may support language development—though more research is needed. 3️⃣ Children under 3 learn best from real-world, face-to-face interactions. They struggle to transfer learning from 2D digital formats into real-world contexts. 4️⃣ For children aged 3–5, high-quality educational media can positively impact language development, such as helping them learn new words. 5️⃣ When adults share digital media experiences with children, it can create a valuable opportunity for conversation. However, studies show that during co-use, parents often engage in fewer and lower-quality verbal interactions. 💡 The solution? Thoughtfully designed digital media can help. For example, an interactive e-book that provides prompts for parents to engage their child has been shown to promote richer conversations and better language outcomes. ⚠️ A note on “technoference” The authors also highlight the negative impact of "technoference"—situations where a parent’s use of mobile devices or background TV disrupts interactions with their child. Research links this distraction to lower parental sensitivity and fewer verbal interactions, which could hinder language development. ✨ Would you like to keep up with more research like this? Visit my profile and subscribe to my free monthly newsletter, Early Years Evidence In Action

I never thought bedtime stories would solve 80% of our language-learning struggles. But reading them in TWO languages did. Here are 3 more simple habits that can transform bilingual education for your child: 1️⃣ Play their favorite games in the target language. → Whether it’s Minecraft, Roblox, or a simple puzzle game, switching the language setting helps kids learn without even realizing it. → Bonus: They associate the new language with fun! 2️⃣ Incorporate a “Language of the Day” rule. → At home, dedicate one day a week to speaking only the target language. → This builds conversational confidence and keeps the language alive in everyday life. 3️⃣ Use tech as a bridge, not a crutch. → AI-powered tools (like the ones we’ve developed at LingoCircle 😉) can help kids practice vocabulary and grammar through engaging games and activities. → Pair it with live conversations for maximum impact. The best part? These habits don’t feel like “work” to kids -they feel natural and fun. As a mom and entrepreneur in EdTech, I’ve learned that small, consistent actions create BIG changes in a child’s bilingual journey. Which of these would you try first? Or do you have a favorite language-learning habit to share? Drop it below! 👇

Skip the ABCs. Study shows rhythm is baby’s first language. We often imagine babies learning language by piecing together sounds. The phonetic “building blocks” we represent with letters. But a new Nature Communications study suggests we’ve been underestimating what’s really driving early language learning. 𖦹 Background Phonetic sounds like “d” in dada or “m” in mama aren’t reliably processed until around 7 months. By 11 months, when babies may say their first words, phonetic encoding is still sparse. That’s too slow for phonetic sounds to be the foundation of language. 𖦹 The Hidden Driver Researchers found that rhythm (the stress, emphasis, and rise/fall of tone in speech) is the real starting point. Babies as young as 2 months can process rhythmic patterns. Differences predict language development. 𖦹 Methods ⇢ 50 infants (4, 7, and 11 months) ⇢ EEG recordings while watching a teacher sing 18 nursery rhymes ⇢ Algorithms read the “phonetic information”, rhythm encoded in brainwaves 𖦹 Results ⇢ Phonetic encoding emerged gradually, starting with labial and nasal sounds ⇢ Rhythmic processing was present from the earliest months, matched adult patterns ⇢ Rhythm appears to scaffold sound learning, helping babies guess word boundaries 𖦹 Why it matters Parents, caregivers, and educators can tap into this by talking and singing to babies, with exaggerated rhythm, melody, and repetition. Nursery rhymes, lullabies, and sing-song “parentese” aren’t just cute… they’re building a neural map for language before the first word arrives. 💬 Comment: How could rhythm shape the way we teach, design, or communicate? ➕ Follow: Click follow on my profile (Emily Little, PhD) for more science-backed insights on infant development and early learning.

Every time I meet Grade 1 and 2 teachers, the concerns remain the same. Different schools. Different teachers. Same concern. But here’s the truth: This problem isn’t new — and yet, we’re still not solving it. We’re expecting children to write full sentences without first helping them read. We want them to read, without letting them speak. We ask them to speak, but haven’t built the habit of listening. We’ve forgotten the simplest sequence: Listening → Speaking → Reading → Writing (LSRW). Instead, we jump straight to writing. Neat handwriting. Long sentences. All while the child is still trying to make sense of sounds and words. Language isn’t a worksheet. It’s a rhythm. A dance. A conversation. And the early years need more than just paper and pencil. They need movement. They need music. They need stories, actions, sounds, and joy. So here’s what we can do: 🟡 Begin with Listening: Daily songs, rhymes, and playful instructions — even 5 minutes a day makes a difference. 🟠 Encourage Speaking: Circle time. Show and tell. Role-play. Let them express freely, without fear of “mistakes.” 🟢 Build Reading Readiness: Picture reading, storybooks, and sound games. Don’t rush to letters—build a love for language first. 🔵 Introduce Writing last: Start with drawing. Letter tracing in sand. Air writing. Writing begins with confidence, not just a pencil. 🔴 Use TPR (Total Physical Response): Teach language with movement: “Jump when I say jump.” “Touch your nose.” “Clap twice.” It’s magical for retention. The solutions are with us. They always have been. We just need to pause, reflect, and realign. Let’s teach the way children learn. Let’s bring joy back into language learning. #FoundationalLiteracy #HappyClassrooms #LSRW #NIPUNBharat #EarlyYearsEducation #TeacherReflections #LanguageLearning #JoyfulLearning #TPR #FLN #LetChildrenBeChildren #TeachingTips