Language Development in Childhood, Enhancing

A new section of each course starts monthly. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when lessons are released. You will have access to all lessons until the course ends. However, the interactive discussion area that accompanies each lesson will automatically close two weeks after the lesson is released. As such, we strongly recommend that you complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

The final exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the final exam has been released, you will have two weeks to complete all of your course work, including the final exam.

Lesson 1
How do children learn language? Play! And not with flash cards, or anything else that you can buy. Children are born with a complete package of language-learning tools. The only accessory they need is you, helping them unlock their natural instincts for language. After reading this first section, you'll be using play and instinct to communicate soundlessly with a newborn, to help him fill his language-building toolbox, and to create a stimulating environment for language development.

Lesson 2
Imagine a database of sounds in your child?s brain. Where do these sounds come from? How does she file, sort, and choose to use these sounds to communicate? In today's lesson, we'll look at why her mind is made for these remarkable tasks, and you'll learn straightforward ways you can lend a hand (even in the form of sign language!). This lesson also includes a fascinating overview of brain and mouth anatomy.

Lesson 3
You say, ?Shelly just said, ?ball?!? But your friend says, ?Nah, that was just babbling.? Who's right? Does something count as a real word if it isn?t pronounced perfectly? In this lesson, we'll explore what makes a word real and how to interpret your child?s patterns of simplifying early language. You'll also start using a journal to uncover the rich potential in your child?s one- and two-word phrases.

Lesson 4
Once you understand the mechanics of hearing and understanding, your role in encouraging language can be powerful, simple, and fun! Many caregivers ask at this stage when they should start to worry about language delays. In today's lesson, we'll soothe your concerns by discussing what to watch for, when to seek assistance (and from which type of specialist), and when to stop worrying and keep playing! We'll look through a list of typical first words that you can use to trace your child?s communication explosion.

Lesson 5
Can you guess when a baby?s brain grows the most? How do you facilitate this growth? Again, the answer is play! In this lesson, we'll match favorite infant-caregiver games to the neurological functions they stimulate. You'll also learn how language affects the development of thinking skills, just as the function of thinking affects language development. Today we'll explore how to keep this circle of growth cycling.

Lesson 6
Your kiddo is talking, but you?re not done yet! Although two-word phrases, such as ?get ball? certainly communicate an idea, your child will keep refining his sentences as he grows. Today you'll find out how to help him progress to past tense, contractions, pronouns, and conjunctions. You'll also learn about the fascinating thought processes behind questions. Don?t forget your journal!

Lesson 7
Wow?now we have listening, speaking, sounds, words, and sentences. What more is there? Lots! Is it still fun? Does she still need you? Of course! In today's lesson, we'll continue with a few more do's and don'ts for caregivers, emphasizing our favorite learning tool: games!

Lesson 8
Expanding on our earlier anatomy lesson, today you'll learn how sounds depend on strong, agile mouth muscles. Before you start thinking about tongue push-ups, remember we always focus on maximizing the opportunities within natural interactions. A discussion of feeding?including your choices of bottles, cups, and straws?is key. We'll answer complex and controversial questions about pacifiers, sippy cups, and thumb sucking, and I'll provide some great tips for easing necessary transitions.

Lesson 9
Some sounds sound fun (like boing!), and some sounds feel fun (like zzzzzz). What does this kind of fun teach if it doesn't use precise words? In today's lesson, you'll find out what you're teaching when you encourage your little one to play with sounds. You'll also learn which speech games will help you make the connection from speech to reading.

Lesson 10
Now you know that speech, language, and communication are different, but related, topics. Using your knowledge of how sounds make language, in this lesson, you'll learn how language is used to communicate and connect with others. We call this social use of language. Today you'll learn how to help your talker become a conversationalist!

Lesson 11
Although children follow similar development processes, no two walk the same path. As more is discovered about learning, the lines between different, delayed, and disability grow foggier. Demystifying these terms is easier when you learn about different learning styles, and when you understand the styles used by you and your child. While you can?t eavesdrop on your child?s thoughts, what you learn in today's lesson will help you help her connect her learning style and her use of language.

Lesson 12
Teaching a child the alphabet tends to be our first step toward reading, but is it where literacy begins? While this skill can be gratifying for adults to see, literacy begins in the brain and is nurtured with fun and games. As you've learned about language skills, literacy doesn?t come in a box from the store. When you understand instincts and use them in fun and play, they come from you.