Closing the 32 Million Word Gap

Talking, Explaining, Pointing Out - Increases Vocabulary

It is so exciting to hear children’s first words.  Did you know that how adults respond and build on early attempts at speech are two of the most important things to ensure children’s future success?
  Psychologists Betty Hart and Todd R. Risley found that children whose parents and caregivers are always talking with them, explaining, and pointing things out have a much greater vocabulary than children who do not get this experience. There can be an exposure gap of 32 million words between one preschool child and the child in the next chair by age four. The gap is significant since vocabulary growth is linked to school achievement.
 Vocabulary Hints
  What are some things that families and caregivers can do to build children’s vocabulary?  Talk your way through the precious time you have with children.  “Mommy is looking for her keys.  Let’s put on your shoes.  Let’s get into the car/bus.  We are going to the grocery store.  There’s a shopping cart.  Let’s pick out some oranges.”  Children will be more expressive, ask questions, and carry on a conversation if adults talk with them.
  Invite friends and family to go on an outing.  Three parents of toddlers were overheard in a park, pointing to a truck and conversing with their children.  “See the truck.  It’s a really big truck!  The truck is red.  The horn goes “toot-toot”.  The truck is moving away. The man on the truck is waving to you. Wave back.”
  Respond to toddlers’ directions. 

Respond to Todlers' Directions

If they want to walk to a tree, follow them there.  Try to understand what is capturing their interest.  If toddlers pick up a twig that has fallen off a tree and want to put it back, help them. This is a perfect opportunity for explaining what might have caused the twig to fall and to praise them for understanding that the twig was part of the tree.
  Toddlers may point to the full moon as it rises over grandpa’s house and say, “Hmm, hmm?”  It is a perfect time for grandpa to talk about the moon, the way it lights up the night, and to pull out the book,  “Good Night, Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown or make up a story.
Reading Builds Words
  

Stop and Point Out Objects, Characters, Illustrations...

Reading aloud to children is one of the most time-honored and effective ways of increasing vocabulary.  Stop to point out illustrations and talk about them.  Look for all the objects that are red or identify all the characters pictured on the page.  Ask questions about what may happen next in the story. Relate the story to events in children’s lives. “The story is about a butterfly.  Where did we see a butterfly?”
photos: Fran Darling, fdarling fotos
 More Vocabulary Ideas and Activities....See the authors’ book “Learning Through the Seasons” at area bookstores and grandparentsteachtoo.org. For more help to prepare young children for success in school see the authors’
website: Also check our audio Podcasts WNMU Radio, 90; Youtube video activities; and join us on Pinterest

Developmental Milestones for Ages 12-24 Months

Exploring, Learning, Communicating

The second year of life is a delightful time for children and those who care for them.  And what a busy time it is! Every moment is filled with exploring, learning, and developing communication skills. Children have passed through infancy and are ready to take on the world!
Families will notice growth and changes in children’s physical, mental, emotional, social and language development during the second year of life. There are certain developmental milestones that are typically achieved at this time.
Moving Around
  Children at this age are learning how to use their large muscles to move their whole bodies and smaller muscles for moving little things.  At 12 months most children can sit up by themselves, crawl on their hands and knees, pull themselves to a standing position, and move around, holding on to furniture.  By 24 months, they can stand alone, walk, and begin to walk up stairs. 
Safety will be a big concern every minute.

Learning to Use Large Muscles

  One year olds typically can drink from a sippy cup, or a regular cup with help.  They pick up small food items by using their thumb and one finger.  They like to put things into containers and take them out again and to scribble with a fat crayon or marker. Give them many opportunities.
  Children between 12 and 24 months are learning to explore, discover, and interact with their environment.  They can follow directions like pointing to body parts or blowing a kiss.  They engage in pretend play such as feeding a stuffed animal.  They respond to familiar songs and stories and can relate a spoken word with a picture in a book.  They start to test cause and effect as when an object is dropped on the floor.
Will someone pick it up and play the game?
Language Grows
  Language skills at this age include

making sounds like talking (babbling), understanding what is said, and communicating wants and needs through words and/or pointing.  They can recognize family members’ names and words for everyday items and begin to say them.  They also understand directions such as ‘Stop”.
  Most one year olds show affection to familiar people and may become anxious with new people.  They smile and laugh with other people or cry when someone is upset.  They show frustration through mild temper tantrums.
  Spend time with your children talking, reading, singing, playing, going for walks,

Communicating Through Pointing

pointing out and naming new things in their environment. These are all ways to encourage the natural development of age-appropriate milestones.
It is important to note children grow and develop at their own rates.  Some achieve these milestones earlier and some later.  However, families should not hesitate to consult with their physician if a child is missing many of these milestones.
Photos - Wikimedia: Play_Walter_de_Maria … http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Walter_de_Maria_Vertikaler_Erdkilometer.jpg
Red_headed toddler - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Redheaded_child_mesmerized_2.jpg
URL: http://www.keysphotography.com/photopages/2007-03-04.php
Steven H. Keys and http://www.keysphotography.com
More Ideas and Activities....See the authors’ book “Learning Through the Seasons” at area bookstores and grandparentsteachtoo.org. For more help to prepare young children for success in school see the authors’ web site: www.grandparentsteachtoo.org. Also check our audio Podcasts WNMU Radio, 90; Youtube video activities; and join us on Pinterest

Making Maps with Plastic Eggs

Young Children Construct Maps With Blocks

Children are naturally eager for knowledge. With a little preparation, families can have fun together providing a learning environment and inviting discovery. Map making activities are fun and help develop a sense of order.
   When young children play with snap together blocks on the floor, they can construct rooms and furniture for their tiny play figures. Explain that they can also look down on the room and draw a picture map of all the furniture, doors, and windows with lines, rectangles, and squares. They can make circles to represent their play figures.
  You don’t need to do this every time they construct, just when they are in the mood. Making maps may become a habit when they build.
Treasure Maps
  Another time help them draw a simple paper treasure map of their bedroom. Draw some ovals where you plan to place plastic eggs. Explain that if they were Spiderman stuck to the ceiling, this is what they would see.
  Then walk around the room while

Learn and Explore Through Mapping

following the map and place the eggs. Use words like ”turn right and walk around the chair” to practice directions. Add a map key and  a title “My Bedroom Treasure Map”
  Together you can make more treasure maps and include eggs for others to find.  Place the plastic eggs under and behind objects around the bedroom so the seeker must follow the map.
  When young children feel like playing map games again, help them draw a treasure map of more rooms. Keep the maps very simple and hide eggs where others will need to follow the map instead of taking one look and spotting the eggs.
Fun with Maps
   Together make treasure maps of their room’s

See Your Neighborhood in Google Street View

location in the house and their house on the street.  Introduce other kinds of maps of places they visit. Show them where Santa lives on a world map or globe and draw a line to their house. Children might also like to see locations on Google Maps.
  Other helpful places include: ”Follow That Map” by Richie, “Me on the Map" by Sweeney.
Photo by Fran Darling, fdarling fotos
Sketch by Mark Nowicki;
Street View, Google Maps
More Ideas and Activities....See the authors’ book “Learning Through the Seasons” at area bookstores and grandparentsteachtoo.org. For more help to prepare young children for success in school see the authors’ web site: www.grandparentsteachtoo.org. Also check our audio Podcasts WNMU Radio, 90; Youtube video activities; and join us on Pinterest

Healthy Babies in the Womb

CDC's PACT for Healthy Babies

The national Center for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov) has many ways for women of reproductive age to focus on what they can do to improve their chances of a healthy pregnancy. The CDC’s suggestion is making a PACT for preventing birth defects before and during pregnancy: Plan ahead, Avoid harmful substances, Choose a healthy lifestyle, and Talk with your healthcare provider.
  Women can make a PACT for healthy babies while they are in the womb and spread the word on Face book, Instagram, and Twitter #LivingMyPACT.
  The P is for plan ahead. Doing what you can before pregnancy, and all during pregnancy will give babies a healthy start and help them throughout life.
  Physicians recommend taking a vitamin with 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid, a vitamin B, every day before and during pregnancy.
Avoid Harmful Substances
  Smoking--every kind of smoking--

Avoid Harmful Substances

is the single most preventable cause of death and illness for mothers and infants. Research the dangers and now to quit.
  There is no safe amount of alcohol to drink during pregnancy. When Mother drinks alcohol so does Baby’s brain. Stick to water at parties and when thirsty drink water, milk, or an all-natural nutritious juice with a minimum of sugar. Check the labels. If you don’t know what all the ingredients are don’t drink it.
  Do not take any drugs except those prescribed by your doctor who knows you are pregnant. Cells are rapidly dividing and the womb is meant to be a safe place for growth. What Mother does, Baby does.
  Talk to your doctor about vaccinations. Some are safe during pregnancy and some are not. The CDC recommends a flu shot to protect the mother and baby in the womb.  The shot will also protect the baby after birth.
  Try to avoid infection. Wash your hands often with soap, especially after touching raw meat, raw eggs and unwashed vegetables, after gardening, handling pets, and caring for children. Do not touch or breathe the fumes from dirty cat litter. There are parasites dangerous to your fetus. See cdc.org for travel warnings.  
Choose a Healthy Lifestyle
  Eat healthy meals and exercise. Pregnancy is a time to fine tune eating habits. The American Pregnancy Association (americanpregnancy.org) outlines recommendations for fruits and vegetables, bread, grains, protein, calcium, iron, vitamins C and B, folic acid. At least walk every day.

Choose Healthy Lifestyle

  Come to physician’s appointments with written questions after reading cdc.org. Ask for pamphlets, books, and recommended web sites. Ask about diabetes if you are at risk, HIV tests, West Nile virus, Zika virus, high blood pressure, all medications and environmental and workplace exposure.
Photos by Fran Darling, fdarling fotos
More Ideas and Activities....See the authors’ book “Learning Through the Seasons” at area bookstores and grandparentsteachtoo.org. For more help to prepare young children for success in school see the authors’ web site: www.grandparentsteachtoo.org. Also check our audio Podcasts WNMU Radio, 90; Youtube video activities; and join us on Pinterest