PowerPoint for Chapter 3 in "From Lullabies to Literature". Language and cognitive activities for young children. How storytelling enhances language development.

1. Sharing Spoken Language
Chapter 3 from Birckmayer, J., & Kennedy, A. (2008). From lullabies to
literature: Stories in the lives of infants and toddlers. Washington, DC:
NAEYC.

2. Recognizing Spoken Story Experiences
• Chapter focus
• Recognizing spoken story experiences and language experiences for infants
and toddlers
• Understanding the link between language immersion for infants and toddlers
and language development in infants and toddlers
• Developing and implementing intentional strategies and activities to support
language development in infants and toddlers.

3. Receptive Language
• Infants and toddlers understand what is being said (receptive
language) before they gain expressive language skills
• Responding to infants sounds and expressions (reciprocal
interactions), talking to them while providing normal care routines
and other interactions, and including them in natural conversations all
contribute to an infant’s language development.
• Infants, toddlers, and children with special needs are all able to
communicate if the adults are tuned in to the child’s efforts to
communicate.

4. Adult Responsibilities
• Model language for infants and toddlers
• Tune in to interests and needs of infants and toddlers
• Encourage infants’ and toddlers’ efforts at observing, listening,
imitating and otherwise tuning in to what is going on around them
• Respond and encourage infants’ and toddlers efforts at
communicating and vocalizing.

5. Playing with Sounds for Infants
• Make sure babies have exposure to everyday sounds
• Tune into the sounds and model listening
• Talk about what you are hearing
• Move to sounds, rhythms and music with babies
• Use rhyming language
• Vocalize with babies, imitate their vocalizations, and use “motherese”
• Engage in the give and take of communication with babies

6. Strategies to Use with Toddlers
• Make every effort to understand what the toddler is trying to
communicate
• Get on the child’s level to talk and listen
• Give them time to communicate
• Use words correctly, reflect on what they are saying, elaborate on
what they are saying
• Communicate with simple signs the toddler can use with vocalizations
• Use simple words in the child’s home language if it is different from
the primary language

7. Strategies to Use with Toddlers (cont.)
• Develop responsive relationships with toddlers
• Respond with enthusiasm, wonder, and excitement and encourage
the same
• Increase language complexity and elaboration as the child’s
vocabulary grows
• Enjoy books and stories together
• Real-life
• Imaginative
• Picture books – evaluate books for quality
• Folk tales and traditional stories –evaluate for appropriateness

8. What Children Gain from Stories
• Besides helping with language development . . .
• Stories help children understand the world around them
• They reinforce experiences
• They help build relationships and connections with important people
in the lives of the children
• They help children understand thoughts and feelings
• Isn’t it amazing what little children can remember and will happily
share with you as they develop their storytelling skills?

9. Activities with Infants and Toddlers
• Language play includes face and body games and rhymes
• Sense of touch enhances language development with infants
• There may be some suspense in the games with older infants and toddlers.
• Lap games and rhymes include movement such as bouncing and
swaying
• Songs and music include physical development
• Music variety can help set environment moods and activity levels
• Toddlers begin telling stories as soon as they have some language
• They may tell them to their toys, friends, family or themselves (private talk)
• Adults can support these efforts by recording (voice or written) what the
children are telling, modeling correct language and grammar, and elaborating
on what a child is saying