language choices

[Anonymous]

Poll for nannies and parents both:

Which language choices do you use with kids in your life?

Do you ask them to do things, tell them, or give choices?

Do you use baby talk or a song-song tone?

Do you limit the extent of your vocabulary around children?

Do you feel it's important to encourage correct grammar? Do you correct grammar at all, sometimes, or every time?

Do you encourage children to use words to express emotions? Do you model expressing emotions when children see you are sad, frustrated or angry?

Do you offer choices about anything, some things, or everything?

Do you teach children by using repetition, questions, songs, and/or something else?

Do you change the way you teach and interact with children based on their ages or maturity/intelligence?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Poll for nannies and parents both:

Which language choices do you use with kids in your life?

Do you ask them to do things, tell them, or give choices?
That depends on whether it is optional. “Hands to yourself!” when reaching to pinch brother: non-optional, “Do you want to set the table or stir the sauce” when it’s time to help: choice, “Do you want help?” when they are struggling to carry something: optional.

Do you use baby talk or a song-song tone?
I do with babies. There’s plenty of research to indicate that the type of language often do you ride it as “baby talk” is hardwired into the species as a way to teach infants the phonemes that make up their native tongue.

Do you limit the extent of your vocabulary around children?
It depends on the context. If I am talking in a casual way, particularly if I am narrating something I am doing, then I go ahead and throw in big words. If I am trying to help a young child to manage their emotions, or giving them instructions, then I use language I know they will be comfortable with and readily understand, even if that means simpler words and grammar.

Do you feel it's important to encourage correct grammar? Do you correct grammar at all, sometimes, or every time?
I never correct grammar directly, but I will repeat their sentence back to them with correct grammar in a non-critical way. “It snowing when I waked up!” “It was snowing when you woke up? That is so exciting!”

Do you encourage children to use words to express emotions? Do you model expressing emotions when children see you are sad, frustrated or angry?
Yes. We spend a lot of time talking about their feelings, my feelings, and the feelings of characters in books and stories.

Do you offer choices about anything, some things, or everything?
As I said above, sometimes I need and demand pretty much immediate compliance for everyone’s safety. Other times I need them to comply in the sense that I need general cooperation with what is happening, but I give them options about how they do that. At other times, I will make specific suggestions and allow them to take me up on it or come up with their own alternative. As they get older, I tend to give fewer choices and instead simply state the problem (“there’s a lot of work to do to get dinner on the table and we are running behind. What would you like to help with?“) And allow them to look around and practice problem-solving on their own.

Do you teach children by using repetition, questions, songs, and/or something else?
I wouldn’t say I do any of these things specifically to teach language, but we do all of these things and communicate all day. I actually don’t focused largely on teaching language generally, rather I am very language oriented by nature and kids learn what they see. They have to develop a wide vocabulary and a fairly fluid and complex use of sentence structure and grammar in order to keep up.

Do you change the way you teach and interact with children based on their ages or maturity/intelligence?

Yes of course. A significant component of language is listening. If I’m not listening to their verbal and nonverbal cues to see that they are comfortable and confident with the amount, volume, and type of language being used, then my own language skills must be lacking.

[Anonymous]

I speak to my kids, and all kids, the way I speak to anyone - respectfully, politely, and with all appropriate/accurate grammar and terminology.

I value language and my kids are learning to also. With babies or little kids I use sing song kinds of speech sometimes, whenever possible I offer the kids choices so they can feel empowered, and when necessary I'm authoritative.

I wish all people, of all ages, were taught how to use language effectively in all things. The world would be a lot better place.