Point more often to stimulate your child’s concept and vocabulary development.
For more on pointing and language development, read our article.
Banter Speech & LanguageBanter Speech & Language is owned and managed by David Kinnane, a Hanen- and LSVT LOUD-certified speech-language pathologist with post-graduate training in the PreLit early literacy preparation program by MultiLit, the Spalding Method for literacy, the Lidcombe and Camperdown Programs for stuttering, and Voicecraft for voice disorders. David is also a Certified PESL Instructor for accent modification.
David holds a Master of Speech Language Pathology from the University of Sydney, where he was a Dean’s Scholar. David is a Practising Member of Speech Pathology Australia and a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP). David is a part-time Associate Lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney’s Graduate School of Health. David sits on Speech Pathology Australia’s Ethics Board and Professional Standards Advisory Committee.
Language Tip of the Week: Imitation
Language tip of the week: Imitation. Do what they do, say what they say!
For more on imitation, read our article.
Banter Speech & LanguageBanter Speech & Language is owned and managed by David Kinnane, a Hanen- and LSVT LOUD-certified speech-language pathologist with post-graduate training in the PreLit early literacy preparation program by MultiLit, the Spalding Method for literacy, the Lidcombe and Camperdown Programs for stuttering, and Voicecraft for voice disorders. David is also a Certified PESL Instructor for accent modification.
David holds a Master of Speech Language Pathology from the University of Sydney, where he was a Dean’s Scholar. David is a Practising Member of Speech Pathology Australia and a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP). David is a part-time Associate Lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney’s Graduate School of Health. David sits on Speech Pathology Australia’s Ethics Board and Professional Standards Advisory Committee.
Language Stimulation Tip of the Week: Modelling
Our Language Stimulation Tip for this week is Modelling.
Modelling means giving your child lots of examples of a particular word form or sentence structure.
Check out our video for a structured example:
Banter Speech & LanguageBanter Speech & Language is owned and managed by David Kinnane, a Hanen- and LSVT LOUD-certified speech-language pathologist with post-graduate training in the PreLit early literacy preparation program by MultiLit, the Spalding Method for literacy, the Lidcombe and Camperdown Programs for stuttering, and Voicecraft for voice disorders. David is also a Certified PESL Instructor for accent modification.
David holds a Master of Speech Language Pathology from the University of Sydney, where he was a Dean’s Scholar. David is a Practising Member of Speech Pathology Australia and a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP). David is a part-time Associate Lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney’s Graduate School of Health. David sits on Speech Pathology Australia’s Ethics Board and Professional Standards Advisory Committee.
Banter Evidence Snapshot: Point it out: 10 reasons to use gestures around your kids
To read our full article, check out: Why I tell parents to point at things to help late talkers to speak
For other Banter Evidence Snapshots, see here.
Banter Speech & LanguageBanter Speech & Language is owned and managed by David Kinnane, a Hanen- and LSVT LOUD-certified speech-language pathologist with post-graduate training in the PreLit early literacy preparation program by MultiLit, the Spalding Method for literacy, the Lidcombe and Camperdown Programs for stuttering, and Voicecraft for voice disorders. David is also a Certified PESL Instructor for accent modification.
David holds a Master of Speech Language Pathology from the University of Sydney, where he was a Dean’s Scholar. David is a Practising Member of Speech Pathology Australia and a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP). David is a part-time Associate Lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney’s Graduate School of Health. David sits on Speech Pathology Australia’s Ethics Board and Professional Standards Advisory Committee.
Parents: teach categories to your kids to ignite language development
To succeed in life – especially in the Information Age – we need to sort out and organise all the information around us.
So how do we learn how to do it?
1. Humans are biologically primed to notice and to categorise some objects
As we’ve discussed in more detail here, some researchers think that humans have evolved several core skills to survive, including:
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in/out grouping skills to help break our social world into categories of people; and
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attending to the biological and physical world around us, including knowledge about the “essence” of different species of plants and animals, and how to categorise them.
These natural abilities might be one reason category work usually starts with things that move (e.g. animals and transport) and sustenance (e.g. food and drinks) – even for young city kids who are very unlikely to meet a cheetah (or even a cow), or drink coffee or tea.
2. Categorisation and classification are not the same thing
Broadly speaking, humans have two mains ways of organising information:
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Categorisation: dividing the world into groups of entities whose members are similar to each other in some way.
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Classification: systematically assigning each object or entity to one – and only one! – class within a system of mutually exclusive, non-overlapping classes.
3. What’s the difference?
With categorisation, the boundaries are often fuzzy as membership in one group does not prevent the object from also being in another group. In classification, there is generally a hierarchy of well-defined, mutually exclusive, and non-overlapping classes nested in a series of systems and sub-systems.
The difference is probably best illustrated through examples. Think for a moment about a Wedge-tailed Eagle. Or a White Oak Tree. Or a Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute+.
We can categorise these things in several ways. For example wedge-tailed eagles, white oak trees, and Dyson vacuum cleaners can be sorted by function (things that fly, grow, vacuum), by group (birds, birds of prey, trees, angiosperms, home appliances), by parts (things with talons, roots/leaves, cyclone technology), materials (e.g. feathers/bones, wood, polycarbonate plastic), origin (Australia, Europe, Malaysia) and of course basic perceptual characteristics like size, colour, scent, texture – almost any attribute you can imagine.
But we can only classify each of these things in one way. For example:
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Scientific classification
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Kingdom:
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Phylum:
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Class:
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Order:
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Family:
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Genus:
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Species:
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A. audax
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Source: Wikipedia.
(b) Classification of a white oak tree
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Kingdom:
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Clade:
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Clade:
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Clade:
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Order:
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Family:
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Genus:
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Subgenus:
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Section:
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Species:
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Q. alba
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Source: Wikipedia.
(c) Classification of Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute+
4. How do categorisation and classification skills develop?
The developmental sequence is:
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comparison; then
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categorisation; then
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conceptualisation; and finally,
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classification.
Categorisation begins in infancy, starting with categorising objects according to basic concepts (e.g. colour and shape). Early categorisation may be purely perceptual (e.g. “these objects look alike”, or “all these things have four legs”), meaning that the child doesn’t necessarily understand the logical relationships among the grouped objects.
Preschoolers:
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first compare objects, abstracting similarities and differences between objects (e.g. looking at a glass and a mug, noting that we drink from both, but a glass is see-through, and a mug is not);
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then categorise them – i.e. put them in groups according to “essential” or relevant similarities (e.g. “cups and mugs are things we drink from”).
School-age kids of 5-7 years of age continue to build their knowledge of things, and to organise them into “semantic networks”. Between 7 and 9 years of age, as their vocabulary hits around 5,000 words, children acquire deeper knowledge of abstract categories (e.g. maths and science categories), synonyms, antonyms, and word definitions.
What does this all have to do with language?
Big topic! There is a lot of debate about the relationship(s) between thinking and language. For a full discussion, we recommend checking out Steven Pinker’s The Language Instinct.
Categorisation and classification are usually thought of as basic thinking (cognitive) skills. The way we use a specific language (e.g. English) to understand and to express relationships between objects or events and their meanings is called semantic language. Semantic language, together with vocabulary, comprise the content of our language.
Thinking and language are different things. But, obviously, they interact with each other in several ways, e.g.:
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Some researchers think that children rely on existing conceptual knowledge when acquiring new language. In other words, kids construct their own language based on categories they have already acquired. Some think that a child’s early concepts of objects, relationships, property, and events provide the building blocks for kids learning new words (e.g. Clark, 2004).
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The use of “thinking categories” allows kids to learn new words rapidly. Typically, a single word appears in each category, e.g. “hat” under the clothing category; and “car” under the vehicle category. As the child’s vocabulary grows, the child acquires words related to categories he or she already knows. For example, “socks” is added to “hat” under clothing; and “truck” to “car” under vehicles. The transition from single word categories to multiple word categories indicates the child has learned to recognise similarities and differences between items and to arrange them into categories (Dromi & Fishelzon, 1986).
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The ability to make language generalisations – e.g. that regular past tense verbs end in “ed”, and regular plurals end in “s” – is associated with the ability to make other cognitive generalisations beyond existing conceptual knowledge (Goldberg, 2007).
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Classification appears to be fundamental to the development of higher order cognitive skills and concepts. Category learning influences simple cognitive functions, like object-to-label associations (e.g. naming an apple) and complex cognitive functions like decision-making (Goldstone & Hendrickson, 2010). Categorisation and classification skills are basic thinking skills that allow creative thinking and analogical reasoning (Gentner and Christie, 2010).
Categories play a fundamental role in analogical thinking (Kaniel, 2001). For example, consider these problems:
To answer these questions (cold, finger), you need to know conceptually about the categories of colours, temperatures, and body parts (and parts of body parts). You also need to know about the meaning and names of opposites (antonyms) and the names for different colours, temperatures and the parts of things.
Analogical reasoning thus involves categorisation, classification, and learning processes, which provide the thinking tools that enable discovery and creative thinking (Goswami, 1992). Analogy is also important for problem solving (Novick & Bassock, 2005), and inductive thinking (Holland et al., 1986).
There is some evidence that classification training can improve language and some higher level thinking skills. For example, working on verbal concepts and classification skills may improve perceptual analogical skills (e.g. Tzuriel et al., 2017).
Clinical bottom line: what to work on
A possible implication of the research cited above is that therapy designed to help kids to compare, categorise and classify may transfer to language gains, and gains in analogical reasoning skills.
For children with semantic language disorders, therapy should:
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focus first on helping kids to sort concrete objects in categories humans are primed to distinguish (e.g. food v. animals; or people v. transport);
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then help kids to notice different attributes of objects (size, shape, colour, function, composition, texture, taste, parts, etc) – usually starting with perceptual sorting activities, and moving to more abstract or representational attributes;
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then help kids to compare and contrast different objects by attributes;
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then help kids to categorise objects (put them into groups);
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then teach kids to define and classify objects by reference to attributes; and
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finally work on higher level language skills like defining words, and analogical reasoning skills.
Principal sources: Tzurierl, D. Isman, E.B., Klung, T., & Haywood, H.C. (2017). Effects of Teaching Classification on Classification, Verbal Conceptualization, and Analogical Reasoning in Children with Developmental Language Delays. Journal of Cognitive Education and Psychology, 16(1), 107-124. Jacob, E.K. (2004). Classification and categorization: A difference that makes a difference. Library Trends, 52, 515-540.
Related free resource: Visual Description Maker.
Banter Speech & Language is owned and managed by David Kinnane, a Hanen- and LSVT LOUD-certified speech-language pathologist with post-graduate training in the PreLit early literacy preparation program by MultiLit, the Spalding Method for literacy, the Lidcombe and Camperdown Programs for stuttering, and Voicecraft for voice disorders. David is also a Certified PESL Instructor for accent modification. David holds a Master of Speech Language Pathology from the University of Sydney, where he was a Dean’s Scholar. David is a Practising Member of Speech Pathology Australia and a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP). David sits on Speech Pathology Australia’s Ethics Board and Professional Standards Advisory Committee. Banter Speech & Language
Learn to love being stuck in traffic with your kids: here’s how
If, like me, you live in a city with limited public transport and terrible roads, you’ll spend lots of time in the car with your kids. For some of us, that time can feel wasted. Lost. Dead.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
With only a bit of planning, even painful gridlock with wailing kids in the back can be converted into enjoyable family time.
Here’s how:
Change your mindset – the advantages of family time in the car
Lots of car advertisements trumpet personal freedom: sitting in the car alone without a care in the world, tearing down a deserted highway with the windows and top down and the music up. The reality – especially for us suburban dads and mums inching our way through Saturday sports traffic in our SUVs and station-wagons – is very different. But, even when trapped with loved ones at close quarters strapped into your seats, a car is not a prison. As Igor Stravinsky said “the more constraints one imposes, the more one frees one’s self”. And, compared to home, cars have a lot of advantages:
- Time. For Dads who work long hours, the school drop-off may be one of the best (or only) times available to chat with their kids during the week. And this is true of some Mums, grandparents and other carers too.
- Fewer distractions. Travelling together in the car gives you uninterrupted time with your kids. While the purity of this “time alone” has been diluted by the increased use of smart phones, back seat DVD players and other devices, you’re still physically separated from the rest of the world together.
- Lack of eye-contact. This may seem a disadvantage in light of the research about the importance of face-to-face interactions for young or language-delayed kids. But some children are much more likely to experiment with sounds, singing and even language without an adult directly looking at them (e.g. kids that get embarrassed easily).
- Less physical parent intervention. I once glanced in my rear view mirror and beheld the sight of my son thrashing about with his jumper stuck around his head. Kids have to be more self-sufficient in the back of the car. If you’re a parent who rushes to anticipate your child’s every need, being physically unable to do so easily may give your child more opportunities to help themselves or to ask for help – to initiate more interactions with you, which is good for language development.
- More interactions between siblings. This can, of course, go either way. But studies show that siblings interact with each other for longer and in more ways when they are stuck next to each other in the car. As most parents know, apart from squabbles, the back-seat/front-seat divide can also foster a cheeky “kids versus parents” dynamic that brings siblings closer together – even if at the expense of poor Dad or Mum!
- Relaxation and time for reflection. After a hard day at school, a meltdown-tantrum at Grandma’s house, or a soccer win, cars can provide an opportunity to reflect on the things that have happened. For older children and young adults, car trips can also provide an opportunity for discussions about difficult topics. Again, I suspect the reduced eye contact in a car might be one reason sensitive topics can be broached more easily on the drive home, than face-to-face at the dinner table.
- Changing gears. One rather poetic researcher talks about the car being a place “betwixt and between” social environments. In plain English, I think she meant that car trips often happen between the time we spend in the outside world with strangers and the time we spend at home with family.
15 activities to try out
- Sing songs and make up verses: For younger kids, try “Wheels on the Bus”, but add silly verses for each family member (e.g. the Dad on the bus went “shush shush shush!”, the Grandma on the bus went “no, no, no!”). For older kids make up alternative lyrics to their favourite songs or songs on the radio. The sillier the better!
- Listen and wiggle to music: For the little-lys, I favour old school nursery rhymes, like my retro-beloved Patsy Biscoe, with lots of actions and repetition. But, as with movies, music for kids is much more sophisticated these days. Personal favourites include the For The Kids album featuring artists like Tom Waits, Cake and Sarah McLachlan. I also like some of the independent children’s music “radio stations” you can stream from services like Pandora and Spotify.
- Name that tune: Take it in turns to hum a song, while everyone else tries to guess what it is.
- Opera-talk: Use a silly “opera” (or monster or fairy) voice to sing rather than say your words. To keep it simple, use the “na-na-na-na-na-na” tune kids use when they are teasing each other (e.g. “na-na-na-na-na-na-you-can’t-have-it”). Alternate comments and questions to avoid it becoming an interrogation and to keep it going e.g.:
Dad: “I can see a tree-ee”.Mum: “I can see a green ga-ate. What can you see?”Child: “I can see a…”
- Listen to gripping audio-books: My little guys used to love Roald Dahl audio books and CDs – particularly Esio Trot, Fantastic Mr Fox, The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me and The Witches – look for talented narrators like Simon Callow, Hugh Laurie, Geoffrey Palmer and Miriam Margolyes. But what captivated us the most were the old-fashioned Enid Blyton Famous Five mysteries. We’ve spent many a day-trip worried about the fate of know-it-all-Julian, second-fiddle-Dick, girly-girl-Anne, tomboyish-George and Timmy the Dog! It also helped get my first son into reading the “real book” at home.
- Podcasts: Whether your kids are into dinosaurs, trucks, beanie babies, or dolphins, these days you can download or stream podcasts on almost any topic from places like iTunes or Stitcher. Replace the inanity of FM radio with a podcast on your child’s favourite thing in the world, and you’ll have one riveted kid and something to talk about together. You might even learn something yourself.
- I Spy: An oldie, but a goodie, the “I spy with my little eye, something beginning with…” game has powered us from Sydney to Dubbo. As kids get better at it, start throwing in more difficult things to spot, e.g. parts of objects and less concrete nouns (I once flummoxed my kids with “shoelace”); and giving less obvious clues (e.g. it starts with a letter in the second-half of the alphabet, it has seven letters).
- Counting and sorting games: Start with competitions to spot the most white versus red cars, one kid to each colour. Then extend the competition to other features e.g. car make, number of seats, roof-racks, etc. Extend the game into counting and sorting other objects you might see on your drive (e.g. trees, buildings, power-lines, petrol stations, rest stops) and talk about attributes, e.g. colour, shape, textures, materials, tastes, size, sounds, smells. These games can morph in all sorts of directions, and, where possible, follow your kids’ interests. For example, armed with her trusty “What Bird is That?”, my sister became quite the twitcher as a young girl.
- Road sign bingo: search for all the letters of the alphabet in road signs. For older kids, get them to find them in order, or find each of the letters for their full names, or their weekly spelling words.
- Find number plates for every State and Territory of your country. (Good for interstate road trips.)
- Where are we going?: For young school-age kids, get them to spot street signs and local landmarks (e.g. the library). For older kids, print out a detailed map of your drive, and get the kids to chart where you have been.
- Can you beat Siri/Google Maps?: Let the kids pretend to be your GPS navigator to direct you using spatial terms and directions (first, next, last, left, right, turn). Will you reach your destination?
- Bumper sticker debates: This is for older kids. Start with simply reading bumper stickers. Then discuss what they mean literally, looking for double meanings, puns, famous sayings, jokes, etc. to discuss. Then imagine what kind of person drives the car and why they would want the chosen bumper sticker on their car. Start with simple ones (e.g. the clichéd “Child on Board” or much-maligned stick figure families). For older children, look for more complex stickers (e.g. for commercial stickers, ask “What are they trying to sell us?”) and controversial bumper stickers (e.g. on political, religious, social justice and environmental topics). Discuss what kind of bumper sticker each of you would get on your car and what it would tell people about them. Can your family agree on a perfect bumper sticker for the whole family?
- New trading card characters: Are your children into trading cards, e.g. Pokemon or Yu-Gi-Oh!? If so, talk about the different types of characters, e.g. Pokemon come in Electric, Metal, Grass, Fairy, Psychic, Dragon, Water and various other stripes. Who knew!? Take it in turns to add made up characters to each of the types, e.g. today we added bindi, whipper-snipper and water-fountain-feature to the Grass type.
- Awesome singing and jokes: In my experience, nothing is more likely to provoke a furious reaction from the back than Dad belting out a power-ballad or cracking a hilarious Dad-joke!
Principal sources:
(1) Huisman Koops, L. (2014). Songs from the Car Seat: Exploring the Early Childhood Music-Making Place of the Family Vehicle. Journal of Research in Music Education, 62(1), 52-65.
(2) Norton-Meier, L.A. (2004). The bumper sticker curriculum: Learning from words on the backs of cars. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 48:3, 260-283.
(3) Family experiments with brilliant Dad jokes and songs.
Image: http://tinyurl.com/jcpe5k4
Banter Speech & LanguageBanter Speech & Language is owned and managed by David Kinnane, a Hanen- and LSVT LOUD-certified speech-language pathologist with post-graduate training in the Spalding Method for literacy, the Lidcombe and Camperdown Programs for stuttering, and Voicecraft for voice disorders. David is also a Certified PESL Instructor for accent modification.
David holds a Master of Speech Language Pathology from the University of Sydney, where he was a Dean’s Scholar. David is a Practising Member of Speech Pathology Australia and a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP).