Communicating With Your Child

By four years of age, a preschooler will understand the meaning of and be able to use at least 1000 words correctly. Experts think that, on average, a four-year-old learns 4-5 new words each day.

Your four-year-old will use more complex sentences and share more complex thinking. With practice, she will make fewer pronunciation and grammatical errors. She recognizes the sounds of letters more easily and will begin to identify words that begin with the same sounds (door, dog, doll) and end with the same sound (play, day, may).

She is likely to be interested in “reading” her name, words, signs, and simple words in favorite books. She will “read” you her favorite books, holding the book correctly, looking at and turning the pages correctly. She loves to listen to, tell and participate in the story.

“Writing” is big. Whether scribbling, drawing shapes, copying letters in her name, or drawing lines and circles that resemble letters and numbers, she “knows” what she is writing and will happily read it to you.

Here are some things you can do:

• Expand her vocabulary! Introduce new and unusual words in your conversations, play and reading. Help her understand the meaning and how to use the words you introduce.
• Play games that require listening and thinking! Games like “I Spy” (“I spy something that has wings, and flies in the air and is resting on the window ledge right now!”) or “Who or What Am I?” (“I come by your house everyday of the week, I pick up children at the corner, I take them to school and I am yellow. What am I?”)
• Talk together. Try not to interrupt her when she is talking (which can go on and on) and remember to give her time to process what you are saying. You will learn a lot about your child’s thinking and feelings.
• Ask lots of simple what, where and why questions. They are great conversation starters. Give your preschooler time to listen so she can understand what is being asked and to use the right words to give a meaningful answer.
• Read, read, and read. Read her favorite books again and again. Ask questions: “What do you think is going to happen?” Invite her to look at the pictures for cues. Point out print on some of the pages. Eventually, she will begin to understand that you are reading words. At the end of the story, talk about what happened to get a sense of what she understood. For example, ask questions like: “What happened to the old lady who swallowed the fly?” Or “Why did Mama call the doctor and what did the doctor say?”
• Have fun with stories. Make up stories. Tell stories about when you were a child. Invite your child to tell a story and write it down so you can read it again and share it with others. Take turns adding a sentence to the story until you reach the end.
• Plan a time each day to read with your child. Bedtime is often when many families read together. However, she may be less attentive if she is getting sleepy. Keep your time together sharing books fun—not forced! Try to find another time (in addition to bedtime) when your child is able to fully participate with you.
• Choose books on topics that interest your child. Try to vary the books to include some wordless, predictable, rhyming and informational books about the topic.
• Make your own books. Use photos or simple drawings for illustrations. Invite your preschooler to help by drawing pictures of the story you tell.
• Talk about how books work and the parts of a book. Point out the title, the author and the illustrator. Explain each. Have her locate the front of the book and turn to the first page. You are teaching “book mechanics”. It is an important part of learning to read.
• Point out letters and words in the environment. Look for words and letters in the grocery store, on the bus or subway, streets, vehicles, buildings and in your own home. When she starts to point to, encourage and praise her efforts: “How did you know that brown truck was UPS?”
• Lend your child a hand in learning about letters. Typically, children this age love to see their name in print…especially the first letter of their name. Let her copy and write her favorite letters. On paper, using chalk on the side walk, masking tape on the rug or cool whip on a cookie tray.
• Make writing part of your preschooler’s everyday experience. Make paper, notebooks, paint, pencils, crayons, markers, and chalk easily accessible. Invite her to help you “write” grocery lists, postcards, thank you notes and recipes of foods you make together. By this age, your preschooler should be able to follow rules about where and what she can write on so that she doesn’t make a mess with markers or paint.
• Model how you want your child to communicate! Show how you listen, talk, read and write. Share her pleasure in her growing ability to communicate through speaking, listening, reading and writing…and always keep it fun.
• Give your toddler simple one-step directions. For example: “Will you please get me the truck book?” Once you see that your toddler can usually follow one-step directions, begin to try two step directions: “Will you please put the truck book back and bring over your red truck?”

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