Some theory…

Language appears naturally among most children and follows a predictable sequence of milestones. At age 2, children know at least 50 words that they are capable of associating to form short sentences. When the size of vocabulary reaches some 200 words, the learning rate increases and grows more complex. The combination of words becomes more coherent and there is gradual mastery (progressive) of terms designating time, size, quantity and location. Between ages 4 and 6, children are able to maintain a conversation or narration. All children make various kinds of mistakes; the support and intervention of the adult play a determining role in their evolution.

How to stimulate the child's development through play...

First, act as a communication model. It has been shown that children from families where the parents verbalize more benefit from better linguistic development. When preparing the play area, describe your actions and intentions to the child. Do not use baby talk when addressing the child. You want him to become an efficient communicator! Present images and decors that the child has seen before or experimented with. For example, it will be easier to pinpoint images in a “Hunt and Seek” game if the child has seen these objects in the home. Seek phonetic resemblances (sounds that resemble each other) between words that the child already knows (the “cat”, the “hat”; the “bubbles”, the “ball” the “boat”).

Developed by Audrey Leblanc and Mélanie Martel, psychoeducators ©2011, Groupe Formation Intervention inc., Montréal.