Fostering Parent and Child Language

            The information I have learned thus far in the course has been fascinating. I have learned so much about how children learn and develop. Of the greatest interest to me thus far is analyzing how children learn language. I had written a previous post about infant language development but I wished to look at the topic from another angle. Specifically I wanted to get a greater understanding of the role of caregivers in developing language in children.

            Parent- child interaction is vital to the development of language in children. In her text Berk (2012) discusses how deaf children born to hearing parents who lack American Sign Language (ASL) skills tend to be delayed in language development, especially when compared to deaf children born to deaf parents who speak ASL (p.372). Those deaf children born to deaf parents are able to fully develop the language skills of ASL and develop normally while the other children tend to be behind in toddlerhood and preschool (Berk, 2013, p.372). Berk (2012) notes “deaf children need access to language models-deaf adults and peers-to experience natural language learning,” (p.372). Children need to connect and model the language of their parents. Without conversation and interaction with parents, children are unable to develop language.

            With this in mind I began to think about ways to foster the interaction between parents and their infants in order to develop language. One such way is the common use of a mommy and me class. These classes foster one on one time between a caregiver and child with the use of songs and play. But often these classes are unaffordable to young parents, with memberships around fifty dollars (Gymboree, 2014). That is why I am so glad to see libraries across the nation who have developed Baby Lapsit programs for their patrons.

            The State Library of Iowa (n.d.) has compiled a list of sample Baby Lapsit programs for anyone to use. These programs incorporate song, movement, simple books, early literacy modeling, and parental connection (State Library of Iowa, n.d.). When picking books for this type of program Susie Heimback of the New York Public Library suggests “choosing short stories that rhyme, have repetitive text, or allow the grown ups to read along,” (State Library of Iowa, n.d., The New York Public Library-Susie Heimback section, para. 2). Baby Lapsit programs are a wonderful addition to public libraries. They allow parents to connect one on one with their child while learning early literacy practices from their local librarian. In offering this program libraries are illustrating they value family interaction as well as literacy.

            In closing I will leave you with an example of my favorite rhyme I have seen used for Baby Lapsit programs, Acka Backa Soda Cracker. It is a great song to promote motion and rhythm with parents and is also great fun to say.

References

Berk, L.E. (2012). Child development. New York City, NY: Pearson.

enochprattlibrary. (2015, May 29). June 2015’s rhyme of the month: “Acka backa soda cracker” [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOUPQraqXG0

State Library of Iowa. (n.d.). Sample lapsit programs. Retrieved from http://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/ld/tz/youthservices/forlibrarians/lapsit/s  amplelapsits