A tip for how to promote your child's language comprehension and expression

The ingredients of language, as illustrated by Snow & Douglas (2017)

Complex language is the defining feature of humans, this video from the Smithsonian Institution asserts. Language - understanding and expressing ourselves with others - is something that develops as we mature, unlike learning to read and write. However, barriers prevent a person from communicating effectively. This "cup of language competence" is a great illustration of all the ingredients that go into effective communication. Understanding "ingredients" in an individual's communication can help address any difficulties they are having.

I am a big fan of the work of Pamela Snow*, Distinguished Professor (Cognitive Psychology) and Co-Director of the Science of Language and Reading (SOLAR) Lab in the School of Education at La Trobe University. This illustration by her shows just how complex the act of communicating is.

One way of fostering language skills is dialogic reading with a child. Dialogic means talking about the book, as opposed to just reading it aloud (although there's nothing wrong with doing that!) Here is a guide to dialogic reading for those of us who might find it a bit daunting https://stemie.fpg.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/A-Guide-to-Dialogic-Reading.pdf

While the guide uses the Very Hungry Caterpillar, a book for infants, as an example, it's hard to say when we're too old to stop talking about books! Or movies, or tv shows or video games for that matter.

The point, in case I haven't said it before, is fostering connection about the text.

*Professor Snow, a speech pathologist, has been named as one of the most influential figures in education in Australia. She reminds us that advanced communication, including reading, rests on the foundations of early oral language – age 0-5.