Oral Language:
Listening,
Speaking, and Vocabulary
What is it? Did you know
that your child will soon be spending up to 75% of his or her classroom time
learning through listening? The importance of being a good listener—a skilled
listener— can hardly be overrated in today’s culture. The ability to listen
skillfully,in fact, provides a foundation for all aspects of reading and
language development—but according to experts, while skillful listening
requires explicit instruction, it’s something not frequently taught in
elementary grade classrooms.
Fortunately, research shows that experiences with music “light
up” your child’s brain,including the areas used in processing language. In a study of
children ages four to six, music training was proven to improve brain
functioning related to listening. Amazingly enough, after only seven weeks of
music classes, brain scans showed frequencies associated with increased
cognitive processing.
The good news doesn’t stop at listening, either. Researchers believe
that by providing a playful and safe way for children to vocalize and
communicate through singing, rhyming, and vocal play activities, music
experiences also contribute to the development of young children’s language
skills, including speaking, vocabulary/comprehension, confidence, and
expressiveness and comfort with multiple forms of self-expression.
Research shows that the sheer quantity of words a child knows at
age three is one of the most reliable predictors of what his or her reading
ability will be in third grade. Not surprisingly, songs and stories are
absolute treasure troves of new words, and hearing new vocabulary read or sung
aloud is the best way for young brains to put new words into context.
Developmental Milestones:
Oral Language
By the time your child enters kindergarten, he or she will
likely be able to:
-- Listen to and
follow directions with more than two steps (“Put the brush in the tray, wipe
the table, and wash your hands.”).
-- Initiate
and/or extend conversations for at least four exchanges (e.g., when talking
with a friend, asks questions about what happened, what friend did, and shares
own ideas).
-- Ask and answer
questions with plenty of details.
-- Resolve
disputes with peers using spoken words.
-- Use at least
1,500 words in spoken vocabulary.
-- Understand
close to 6,000 spoken words, and respond to nearly 25,000.
-- Show a love of
big and new words about favorite topics (e.g., dinosaurs).
How It Works in a
Kindermusik Class
Whether discovered in stories, songs, or just out of the blue,
the meanings of new vocabulary words are always far more likely to “last” when
given a physical or memory “tag” of some sort—like a rhyme . . . like an
associated movement . . . like all the things children do when they listen,
speak, and sing in a Kindermusik class! (Wanna really make it stick? Parent
involvement in the next best key to children’s absorption and retention of new
information like vocabulary.)
What You Can Do at Home
-- Pretzels for
Sale! Pretend you are a carnival announcer or street vendor selling pretzels.
Speak or sing the words “Pretzels for sale! Pretzels for sale! Come and buy my
pretzels!” in various styles: whispering, booming, slowly, quickly, quavering,
in a monotone, etc.
-- Fill in the
________. Your child’s memory and prediction skills may still surprise you from
time to time! Try a fill-in-the- missing-word game with a familiar song or
rhyme—either by turning down the music or by simply pausing as you recite,
sing, or read.
-- Out and About.
When out for a drive or a walk in your community, play a game of telling who or
what is out and about. For example, you might say, “I see a bicyclist out and
about. He’s wearing a yellow shirt and a purple helmet. What do you see?”
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