Preschool Language Skills
Preschool is a time of amazing growth, especially for language skills. What kids learn now will set them up for success in communication, learning, and social interactions.
Preschool Language Development
Vocabulary: expressing words for familiar objects, basic verbs for everyday actions, and social words like 'please' and 'thank you' to interact with others.
Expressive Language: using simple sentences to describe their experiences, asking basic questions to learn more about their environment, and beginning to tell short, imaginative stories or recount personal events.
Listening Comprehension: understanding simple instructions, grasping basic concepts like colors and shapes, and recognizing familiar words and phrases within context.
Social Language Skills: learning to include taking turns in conversation, using gestures and expressions to convey emotions, and beginning to understand and follow basic social rules like sharing and using polite words.
Tips to Support Language Development
Talk Often: Chat with your child about what’s happening around them. Use lots of descriptive words and ask questions that encourage them to share more.
Read Together: Reading is a great way to build vocabulary. Pick books on different topics and ask your child to talk about the story and characters.
Encourage Storytelling: Let your child make up their own stories, draw pictures, or act out tales. You can start a story and have them finish it.
Play Language Games: Add games into weekly activities such as “I Spy,” rhyming games, or Simon says.
Create a Language-Rich Environment: Surround your child with words—labels, signs, and conversations. Narrate daily activities and describe things around you!
Be Patient and Supportive: Language skills develop at different rates. Celebrate small achievements and gently correct mistakes to help your child grow.
