Words and play: Building blocks for language
The interactions that children have through playing teach vital skills
Play provides learning opportunities for children to develop their language skills through a variety of activities. Babies’ communication with their “playmates” (parents, siblings, other children) starts through non-verbal gestures, supported by initial oral communication (coos, babble and crying) and playful engagement helps them to develop their language skills. Similarly, toys such as rattles (home-made ones work just as well) teach babies about the sensory properties of objects: how it feels, its weight, its sound when moved, among others, which are all woven into language development.
This happens from an early age and continues throughout childhood. Babies watch their parents’ activities and facial expressions and listen to them while they engage, nurture and play with them. They observe others and start to learn verbal and nonverbal cues (language). These are later imitated when they play. The coos and babbling that the baby makes while being engaged safely and playfully with adults start to lay the foundation for language and communication.
When toddlers and pre-schoolers engage in fantasy play, children talk to each other while dressing up and pretending to be someone else. Also when children are playing with blocks and other objects to construct something, such as a house or a tower, it coincides with a discussion about who is building what and who will be living in which house. Adults need to use these moments to observe and encourage the use of language by asking questions about the activity that is underway to expand children’s vocabulary and promote language development. Children then playfully learn new words and how to explain certain activities.
Storytelling is an excellent and interactive way to develop language with young children. Through storytelling they can ask questions, have discussions about what they think would happen next or they can be asked to re-tell the story in their own way (e.g. words, drawing, acting it out). When children have the opportunity to talk about their play activities it helps them practice how to pronounce new words and develop the language skills crucial for future learning.
Language development for young children is encouraged and strengthened when you actively engage with the child and follow her lead. Discover what she is interested in, e.g. when a child points to a flower, you can say “flower”, or when she says leaf you can say “green leaf” affirming the child’s vocabulary while teaching new words playfully — or finding different colour leaves in autumn.
During outside play there are also a lot of things that can be discussed and talked about. For example, when children run around outside you can ask them questions such as who is running fast or slow, or whether they can run around the tree and come back, let’s count how many steps to the gate etc. It is important to use this opportunity to talk about their surroundings and what they feel, see, hear and smell. Through this playful, interactive way children make sense of the world around them, learn to communicate effectively and use language with confidence.
The message is clear — play and language development are knitted together and facilitate the development of vocabulary and expression that leads to forming concepts needed for future formal learning.