What does language development look like for 4 and 5 year olds in online instruction?

Answer 1

Language development at ages 4 and 5 is a "see-label-do" process. The first two are easily accomplished, and some of my colleagues have mentioned labeling items around the house in the language being learned. I would make sure to pair that with a movement portion, called total physical response, which pairs an action with the new word or words. By activating this kinesthetic memory, students will learn and remember new language more easily. In my online language classroom, lots of movement and the use of a puppet friend helps young children learn new words!

Answer 2

My 4 year old nephew speaks Spanish and English because of our Mexican heritage. He has been taking online Mandarin Chinese lessons and he is absorbing it pretty fast. My sister in law(retired elementary school teacher) is very detailed oriented and labels things in the house with both english and mandarin characters(the light switch, door, fridge, etc.. She makes him pronounce the words in mandarin and then in English. Parents play a crucial role in the learning process. The only thing I recommend is to go for 30 minutes or less for a child less than 5. Their attention span is vey low.

Answer 3

Words are the labels we use for our experiences. A child who has varied experiences and who is given the labels for those experiences develops strong communication and language skills. The transition to reading and writing is dependent on building vocabulary and the ability to express thoughts and understand the thoughts of others.