Nursery Clusters
Every child
talking
Supporting speech, language and
communication skills
Nursery Clusters
Cluster 2
Understanding Spoken Language
Objectives
•To share information on the development of :
Understanding Spoken Language
•To explore how we support development of these
language skills in Nursery
The Importance of Language
The essential tool for:
•Learning, thinking and problem solving
•Developing and maintaining relationships
Sounds
Social Skills
Expression
Understanding
Memory
Attention and Listening
Speech sounds
Young children with speech and language impairments are at risk for
continued communication problems,
as well as for associated cognitive, academic, behavioural, social and
psychiatric difficulties (Bashir & Scavuzzo, 1992).
The initial pattern of speech and/or language deficits is related to overall
prognosis.
Children whose impairments involve only articulation/phonology
generally fare better than those whose impairments involve language
[processing] (Beitchman et al., 1994)
Early language impairment (rather than speech impairment) is clearly
associated with continued academic difficulties into adulthood. (Young et al,
2002)
Understanding spoken language
“Play that is well-planned and pleasurable helps children to
think, to increase their understanding
and to improve their language competence.”
“Well-planned, regular and skilful observation of children’s play
and language should ensure that, over time, an accurate
picture emerges of the progress each child is making in each
area of learning.”
“It is important to identify early any difficulties a child is
experiencing.”
“…a rich variety of challenging play activities and other
experiences in a stimulating environment.
“The focus should be to allow children
to learn at their own pace, gain a positive image
of themselves as learners, be able to cope
with uncertainty and to learn through trial and error.”
A child who has poor understanding may:
not do as told
have poor attention skills
rely on routines
echo what has been said
give inappropriate answers
only follow last part of instruction
lack awareness of what is going on around them
be either very withdrawn/active
Choose stimulus
Look
Listen
Hear
Focus Attention
Remember
Understand vocabulary
Understand grammar and word order
Understand Nonverbal Communication/Underlying meaning
Processes Involved in Understanding
Social Skills
Sentences
Vocabulary
Auditory Memory
Attention and Listening
Strategies for improving comprehension
• Give time
• Simplify
• Stress key words
• Use visual support
Information Carrying Words (ICWs)
Children lets stop playing
now, tidy up and go
inside to the quiet room for
a very special story”
Information Carrying Words
Age:
ICW’s/Key Words:
2
2
3
3
4
4
Vocabulary
• Object names (Nouns)
• Action names (Verbs)
• Adjectives (Adjectives)
• Requires semantic (meanings) and phonological
(sounds) knowledge
• Vocabulary size at age 6 = 2 500 – 5 000
• Learn 8 new words/day from 18mths – 6 yrs
• Storage
– Word meanings
– Sounds in words
– Associated information
• Vocabulary size has been directly linked to
reading comprehension
Concepts
•Words that describe
a characteristic (e.g. colour, size, shape)
position (e.g. over, under)
time (e.g. before, first, yesterday)
Difficult as they’re abstract and meaning can change
Lots of relevant, multi sensory experiences in lots
of contexts with lots of repetition
Told words as s/he experiences what they mean
Use concept check list
One at a time
Need to use it
Blank, Rose and Berlin 1978
Studied the language used by teachers and
graded it in order of abstractness.
Assess the level of abstract language a child can understand
Use appropriate level of language
Plan how to develop a child’s language and abstract reasoning
BLANK LEVELS
Level 1
Little language processing required/direct
matching of language to perception/activity
Level 2
Child begins to focus on parts of what is before
them.
(Language development – concepts, object
function, organisation of vocabulary)
Level 3
Child uses material to help organise language to
provide an appropriate response.
(Language development – narrative skills,
understanding of emotions)
Level 4
The materials provide the stimulus for the
discussion. At this level they start to problem
solve. Only 60% of 5 year olds can cope with
level 4 questions
Level I Concrete Language
Label “What’s is this?”
Locate “Where’s the mouse?”
Level II Characteristics
• Describe
• Talk about:
shape
size
colour
“Where was the mouse going?”
“What was the wood like?”
• Finish the phrase
Level III More Abstract
• Information is based on materials but not explicit
• Recall
“Tell me about the story”
• Make judgements “How does the owl feel now?”
• Predict “What will happen next?”
Level IV Most Abstract
• Explaining/ Why “Why did the gruffalo run away?”
• Reasoning/Inferencing “Why does the mouse want to
scare the gruffalo”
Age
Level I Level II Level III Level IV
3 years
95%
35%
30%
30%
4 years
95%
60%
60%
50%
5 years
95%
75%
70%
60%
Visual Support
Gesture
Makaton
Pictures
Language learning does not happen in isolation,
it takes place within meaningful everyday interactions
with adults and peers.