KTMS Radio Commentary
Books, magazines,
and talk show hosts all bombard parents with advice on how best to
raise their children. But there is simply no substitute for a caring
adult who takes time with a child
Children pick up
language skills and knowledge about the world around them during
interesting conversations with responsible adults in their lives.
In daily life,
parents can help by pointing out and reading printed words that
appear in a child’s environment —store signs, labels, and
television titles.
Have your toddlers
share in making grocery lists and checking them off at the store as
each item is found.
Sing songs and tell
stories whenever the opportunity arises. It’s fun for children and
it’s a way for them to develop verbal skills that will stay with
them.
Above all, talk to
your child whenever possible. It is the rhythms and sounds of
language that lead to future learning.
That’s why
children love nursery rhymes, though the actual words can seem to
make little sense to adults.
It’s the sounds
of the language and the word-play that children find so appealing and
get imbedded in their consciousness. In a very real sense, language
is like music to a child’s ear.
