Using language for communication and learning

At age four children become more aware of the use of language for getting information. You may have noticed your child likes to ask questions and engage in longer talks and sometimes they even talk to themselves.

It is a good time to listen and you will feel rewarded by how much effort they make to use it correctly. Children’s language is clear to most people and they enjoy talking and asking questions. At times they can pursue an idea or a set of questions on something they are curious about.

Children at age four become more confident to explore the environment and manipulate objects they find. They also show a greater curiosity for understanding why things happens the way they do.

DID YOU KNOW?

• A four years old uses basic rules of grammar correctly (use of ‘he and she’)
• Knows poems and songs
• Tells stories
• Says first and last name (what is your name: Peter Smith)
• Begins to wonder about causality in the environment (i.e. why it rains?)
• Uses language mainly for communications but realises that can seek information
• Language is also good for learning and finding out news.
• Names primary colours (red, blue & yellow) and numbers up to ten
• Understands the idea of counting
• Starts to understand time (today-yesterday)
• Remembers part of a story
• Understands the idea of same and different
• Draws a person with 2 to 4 body parts (head, body and limbs)
• Starts to copy letters & shapes
• Plays simple board and cards games
• Tells you what he thinks is going to happen next in a book