Skip to main content

Language explosion

I admit that earlier in December and November, I had started to be concerned with how many words Luke knew. He had a grasp on the important ones: Mama, Daddy, candy, TV, popcorn, and so on. He also clearly had things to say---he could hold his own in any conversation he thought worthwhile, expounding on various subjects at great length and with great emotion, although without using any actual English words. But he didn't know the requisite number of words you're supposed to know at 2, he would repeat words I said but not come up with them on his own, and he certainly wasn't using any sentences.

How things change in a short time. Luke started asking "Wha dat?" for everything he saw in books and in the world. He started putting together sentences ("telegraphic speech," according to the FNDP (friendly neighborhood developmental psychologist)) like "Mama beep!" In addition to making noises for animals, he says their names: cat, doggie, sheep...

Last night we went on a walk to see Christmas decorations before they all got taken down. Luke asked about and learned the words moon and stars, and possibly Venus (we're not quite sure about the last one). I think having guests here really pushed his language development. If you have to communicate with someone other than your mother, who is in tune with all your grunts and body language, it is to your advantage to use actual words.

Don't misunderstand me: if you came to visit tomorrow, you might not notice that he's using words instead of babbling. There are only a few words he uses that are decipherable without context and help from his parents. ("no, up, mama, daddy" are the ones that come to mind.) But the explosion is starting to take place, and it will only get more exciting from here on out.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My hero, Helen Parr

Otherwise known as Elastigirl , a.k.a Mrs. Incredible. She is a stay at home mom ( SAHM ), she clearly feels that what she is doing is important and is willing to give up a lot to do it (remember her comment in the intro: "I'm at the top of my game! Leave saving the world to the guys? I don't think so.") But she is finding fulfillment in leading her family from day to day, in doing a hard job well. She also knows that she is very talented, and that knowledge helps her see beyond the repetitive drudgery of staying home. My favorite scene is from the deleted introduction, where she talks with a "career woman" who is of the opinion that staying home is fine for people who can't do anything else. She responds that taking care of her kid is at least as hard as saving the world, and is valuable contribution to society. The point for me is that someone has to do the job that I'm doing, and it's not something that you could pay someone to do. I see...
8 comments
Read more

Kindergarten Fashions

I was informed the other day that Eleanor wants to get a new thermos. She lost the o-ring from her purple Tinkerbell thermos, and I have so far resisted buying another one for her, on the theory that you shouldn't just replace things that are broken since it doesn't encourage being careful with one's things. I have been sending her with the sippee cups that she has been using since she was a year old, which she has resisted giving up to the point of becoming partly dehydrated when I don't let her use them at home. Here's how the conversation went. Eleanor: Anna and Jane said today at lunch, " Kindergartners don't drink from sippee cups!" Me: That's very interesting. Eleanor: They are supposed to drink from thermoses. Me: Eleanor, would you like a new thermos? Eleanor: Yes! Get the purple one, please. If there is a crayon one, that's the one I want.... Who knew that peer pressure started in kindergarten? The sippee cups are perfectly f...
4 comments
Read more

Why you should study the history of math

  Why you should study the history of math In the mid 1300s a fad made its way around Italy. Mathematicians would challenge each other to “mathematical duels”. They would post problems for their opponents to solve, sometimes along with their solutions in coded poetry. The winners would get support and funding from rich patrons, the losers would descend into obscurity. One such contest, between Fiore and Tartaglia, involved a new method for solving the cubic. In order to win, Tartaglia worked day and night to find Fiore’s method---unfortunately, Fiore did not do the same and only knew his own method and no others. (*Recall that the formula for solutions to quadratic equations of the form use the quadratic formula, Giorlamo Cardano---physician, philosopher, astrologer and mathematician---convinced Tartaglia to share his method and promised never to reveal it. Then Cardano figured out a more general method, and wanted to share it, but was blocked by his promises. Fortunately (for Ca...
Post a Comment
Read more