I, Me, We

Ayden made a pretty big connection recently.

 He started using pronouns!  Pronouns are pretty abstract to young children. Because of this, it helps to speak in the third person or to refer to them by their name instead of "you" if you really need them to understand you. For example, we have been saying things like, "Can mommy have a kiss?" instead of, "Can I have a kiss?" Or "It's Ayden's turn!" instead of "It's your turn!"  This hasn't necessarily been all the time but most of the time. Even so, Ayden has learned about the use of pronouns, indirect or not.  The first time he did it was over the weekend. He asked, "soccer ball me?" aka, "Will you play soccer with me?"  when just a day or two earlier he would have said Ayden instead of me. Then yesterday he said, "I see Peep!" when before he would have just pointed and said, "Peep!" ("Peep" is our neighbor's horse, Chief). He is not doing this 100% of the time (just today he said, "Ayden's turn!) but he is working on it.

This exciting development illustrates two things for us. 1) Speaking to a child in a way that helps them with comprehension (simplified and sometimes in the third person) does not adversely affect their language development. They are always listening. They hear proper syntax and sentence structure when they listen to you speak with older children and adults and through books. Read, read, read to your children! Their language development will benefit greatly. It is hard to measure just how many ways reading to your child contributes to all areas of their development! This indirect example is enough because children are amazing sponges.   2) New connections can happen overnight. It is remarkable the way a child can speak in third person one day and properly be using pronouns the next. Pronouns are such an abstract concept and are a true accomplishment to master. 

Yay, Ayden!!  Or should I say, Yay for him! 

What has your child said or done lately that has amazed you?

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Ayden Votes!"

Thank you for stopping by Life With the Ladniers!

Please take a second to:

 Subscribe via email, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter so you'll know as soon as a new post is up!

Miss seeing what Ayden is up to everyday?  Follow us on Instagram!

You can find all of the links in the sidebar.