Language Development

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One morning Maggie’s mother asked her young daughter what she would like for breakfast. Maggie hesitated for a moment, then said, “I thought, but not for very long,” (about her breakfast) quoting a phrase from Piggy in the Puddle by Charlotte Pomerantz (1989). One of the most important and obvious benefits of sharing literature with young children is the impact books have on language development. Young children delight in the sounds of poetry, try out new vocabulary, and acquire understanding of concepts as they experience the language of books. Some children add their own words or verses to favorite rhymes or songs, as Dylan did when he sang about “Ringo, Singo, and Tingo”, after his mom sang from the songbook Bingo (Wells, 1999). Sharing poetry in books and rhymes by Dr. Seuss, A. A. Milne, Jack Prelutsky, and “Mother Goose” encourages children to play with language and invent their own variations and verses (Neuman et al., 2000).

Even before they begin talking, children are developing receptive language, an understanding of words and their meanings. Gabrielle (15 months) demonstrated her receptive vocabulary when she pointed to her own nose, ears, and so on, as her mother read a book about body parts. When asked, “Where is the cow (horse, pig)?” in a farm animal book, Gabrielle pointed to the animals and made their sounds. Expressive language is another term for spoken language. When Gabrielle could name the body parts and animals, she demonstrated her ability to use expressive language. Children’s receptive language learning is usually several months ahead of their expressive language. It is obvious that literature fosters the development of both types of language.

Language acquisition is not only important for oral communication; it is also a first step in becoming literate. Research has shown a clear link between the size of a child’s vocabulary and early reading ability (Snow et al., 1998). According to Rosenblatt (1978), reading is an interaction between the reader and written text. When we read, we are not just decoding print; we are reconstructing the author’s meaning based on our knowledge of language patterns and meanings (Goodman, 1967; Rosenblatt, 1978). Children’s knowledge of language patterns and familiarity with syntax (language structure) and semantics (meaning) helps them anticipate and interpret written language as they begin to read (Morrow, 1997).

The literary language found in books is often quite different from spoken language. In books, children hear phrases like “once upon a time,” “many years ago,” “in the arms of their happy parents,” and words such as “fretted,” “homeward,” and “plunking” rarely used in oral language conversation. Children who have acquired background knowledge of literary language are better prepared for the organization and vocabulary found in text. In the following paragraphs we will look at the four areas of language learning children acquire during the preschool years—phonological knowledge, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics—and ways these facets of language can be enhanced through literature experiences.