Early Language Learning
With the new year, Buddings has a new program for younger kids: Buddings Jr., for toddlers 18 – 35 months old. It has been so fun! The younger kids are reacting really well with the environment, so Jenny is happy (she worries… :), and I’m impressed with the redecorated and rearranged furniture. We’ve created a toddlers’ area in the front room, and instead of compressing the preschooler’s area, I feel like we’ve made it bigger!
Yesterday we had a little girl come in for a tour with her mom. She is only 15 months old, so they were checking it out for the spring, but even though she is less than half the age of our preschoolers, she took to the space in the same way, though more slowly. The big difference, of course, is the level of communication possible. I’m so excited to be part of that learning process.
A recent article in The Sun reinforces how important that role will be! A new study from Denmark and Toronto has found evidence to counter the leading theory on how toddlers learn words and correct pronunciation. It was previously believed that they listened to their own voices and, upon hearing the sounds, corrected themselves. This study found that the children actually get more of that correctional feedback from the facial expressions and cues of the adults around them – like baby songbirds!
This is probably more surprising to scientists than it is to parents and preschool teachers. It seems so obvious to me that kids learn from social responses, rather than from their own behaviours. Even actions that can lead to painful consequences, much less mere auditory inaccuracy, are less educational than a reminder from mom, even if she only raises an eyebrow!
It’s a timely lesson on how social people really are, and a welcomed reminder about how much we as teachers, and caregivers, are affecting the children who share our lives. I’m excited about that.
