meta-dad

Kids & language – semantics and syntax development

There is a lot to say about the many nuances of language acquisition and what is considered the normal range of development for toddlers and young children. What my wife and I have learned is there is a wide spectrum of normal development and a lot of things (specifically – incorrect pronunciation and grammar) “work themselves” out in the early years of grammar school.

The chart above presents typical language development, specifically grammar and vocabulary development. It is presented so you will have a better idea of what is considered a healthy and acceptable range of development. My understanding is that delays in syntax and semantics may point toward other delays or issues with speech and/or cognition in general. That said, the wide spectrum that is considered acceptable is affected by many factors. There can be environmental things slowing down your child’s language development. One example is if the child is living in a house where more than one language is spoken on a regular basis, they may develop English slower than a classmate that only hears English in the household. In this case, it is important to point out that the child being exposed to two languages is more apt to pick up the second language quicker than her monolingual classmate.

We have been keeping close tabs on our children since our oldest has had a speech delay and issues with low tone since early on. Like a lot of parents, we did a lot of research on the possibilities of autism, apraxia and other language or communication disorders. He has been doing individual and group speech therapy, as well as various occupational therapy (O.T.) for the past few years (he’s four years old) and we have tried to adopt a healthy regimen of reading to him (with an emphasis on word-play, rhyming and song) and using flash cards to give him as much opportunity to practice and sharpen his language skills. My understanding is like working the many major and minor aspect of a muscle group, reading, singing and rhyming use different parts of the language/communication portion of your brain. His articulation has progressed, although he still has problems expressing himself.

If your child seems significantly behind in language development, you should talk with your child’s physician regarding your questions and concerns. The chart illustrated above attempts to map the general syntax and semantics development, although it purposely excludes phoneme development. Phoneme development is the way your child’s articulation and pronunciation develops during these early years (*follow the link, “What sounds should my toddler be saying?“ below for a Phonological Development Chart).

Sited & Related Links;
Meta-DAD | What Sounds Should My Toddler Be Saying?
Child Development Institute | Language Development in Children
American Speech, Language, Hearing Institute | How Does Your Child Hear and Talk?
American Speech, Language, Hearing Institute | Late Blooming or Language Problem?
Medem Medical Library | Age 4 to 5 Years: Language Development
CDI | Children with Communication Disorders
Everything ESL | Stages of Second Language Acquisition
DOWNLOAD:
General Syntax and Semantics Development in Children [PDF file]
General Phonological/Articulation Development Chart [Image file]