cmdavis..
Thanks for your question. As the parent of twin 3 year olds, I have
had some experience at watching toddlers learn. As you may know,
there really is no set age to learn certain aspects of speech as each
child is different in their learning of language. As children learn
the use of words, typically starting between 10 and 14 months, they
realize that they begin to get responses. The next step, which takes
place about halfway through the 2nd year though it does vary from
child to child, they start putting words together, such as "mommy
cup". Prepositions, such as your example "push the lever down" start
around the third year. Again, I want to stress that each child is
different. There is no specific time table for learning language.
From personal experience, I can tell you that one of my twins started
out with more advanced language skills before the other, yet the other
caught up in a manner of a month or so. We have always spoken to them
in "grown up" talk, in that using prepositions such as behind, up,
down, in and out, has always been there. We never used any formalized
instruction other than occasional games of "where is it". We would
hide a favorite toy and say "where is Kitty? is it BEHIND the chair?
is it UNDER the blnaket" etc. We started doing this with them at
about the time you are asking about and they now (about 3 1/2 years
old) have a firm grasp of prepositions and know them very well. The
old saying is it is never too soon to learn may not always apply, but
in seeing it first hand, I have to say that in regards to basic
language skills, by encouraging (not forcing) your child to learn, it
does a world of good and is all the better.
Thanks again for a very interesting question. I hope the above
information has been helpful. If you need any additional
clarification, please let me know prior to rating my answer.
Regards,
-THV
Search Strategy:
children learn prepositions
References:
How babies learn
http://www.abc.net.au/canberra/stories/s696665.htm |
