幼童的父母可能都熟悉教育家羅杰·普里迪那本著名的《100個單詞》(First 100 Words)。這本最暢銷的紙板書是全國各地嬰兒登記處和托兒所書架上的主流圖書。現在,一項新的研究表明,為什么這本書和其他旨在幫助孩子學習第一個單詞的資源可能被證明是無價的。
在最近發表于《早期教育與發展》(Early Education and Development)上的一項研究中,研究人員發現,入學前詞匯量大和注意力集中的孩子在課堂上表現更好。這項研究涵蓋來自美國8個州的900名4歲兒童,研究要求他們識別圖片中的常見物體,例如水果、動物園里的動物和家居用品,并得出結論,在學前階段詞匯技能更強的兒童“表現出與老師和同齡人更積極的互動”。
來自俄亥俄州立大學(Ohio State University)的主要作者楊青青(音譯)說:“在學前環境中,兒童的詞匯迅速增長并變得越來越復雜;孩子們掌握并開始使用更有表現力的詞匯來與他人交流他們的需求和想法。在這個過程中,孩子們學習了更多的新單詞和抽象概念,并將其作為心理工具來表達和理解客觀關系和社會規則。”
研究表明,早期的詞匯技能是多項學術成就的強有力預測因素,比如閱讀和數學,以及后來的社會和行為表現。
布里塔尼·布萊特是密西西比州的一名企業家和內容創作者,她的兒子賈克森早期的學業成功歸功于她在兒子兩歲生日后不久就開始教他常用詞。常用詞是孩子們學習的在不讀出來的情況下立即就能夠識別的常見詞匯。
布萊特說:“我們認為這很重要,因為我們知道,學習常用詞將有助于激發他對閱讀的熱情。”布萊特每天花10到15分鐘時間和賈克森一起復習常用詞和數字,并通過視頻記錄了他的學習過程。“我們很高興地看到,盡管他才剛剛開始上幼兒園,但他已經茁壯成長,并可以輕松完成任務。”
雖然對學齡前兒童應該掌握的單詞數量并沒有明確的標準,但楊青青指出,關于學齡前兒童根據其年齡應掌握的詞匯技能信息,家長能夠查閱《早期學習指南》(Early Learning Guidelines),這一指南因州而異。例如,俄亥俄州的《早期學習與發展標準》(Early Learning and Development Standards)建議,兒童應該可以“使用通過對話和共享閱讀掌握的詞匯;明確單詞及其用法在現實生活中的聯系;并探索詞義之間的關系,比如物體的類別、反義詞、描述類似動作的動詞——行走(walk)、快步走(march)、大搖大擺地走(prance)等。”
除了繪本,楊青青還推薦互動式朗讀,這種方式讓孩子們有機會就文字或圖片提問和回答問題,而不是只聽故事,這是幫助孩子拓展詞匯量的有效方式。
楊青青建議,除了書本之外,父母和看護人能夠就孩子經歷的事件或他們感興趣的東西進行更多的對話。在這些對話中,父母可以在不同的場合為孩子重復新單詞,增加孩子聽到和學習單詞的機會。提供更多關于新單詞的細節,將它們與孩子的個人經歷聯系起來,并用孩子已經熟悉的單詞來解釋它們,這也很有幫助。
楊青青說:“將單詞與動作、手勢或面部表情結合起來也有助于孩子理解新單詞。同樣重要的是,要等一等,給孩子一些時間,讓他們用自己的話來回應。問一些開放式的問題,例如‘如何’和‘為什么’之類的問題,能夠很好地引導孩子回答問題。父母和看護人應該根據孩子的言行來關注孩子的興趣,并以此作為對話的開場白。”(財富中文網)
譯者:中慧言-王芳
幼童的父母可能都熟悉教育家羅杰·普里迪那本著名的《100個單詞》(First 100 Words)。這本最暢銷的紙板書是全國各地嬰兒登記處和托兒所書架上的主流圖書。現在,一項新的研究表明,為什么這本書和其他旨在幫助孩子學習第一個單詞的資源可能被證明是無價的。
在最近發表于《早期教育與發展》(Early Education and Development)上的一項研究中,研究人員發現,入學前詞匯量大和注意力集中的孩子在課堂上表現更好。這項研究涵蓋來自美國8個州的900名4歲兒童,研究要求他們識別圖片中的常見物體,例如水果、動物園里的動物和家居用品,并得出結論,在學前階段詞匯技能更強的兒童“表現出與老師和同齡人更積極的互動”。
來自俄亥俄州立大學(Ohio State University)的主要作者楊青青(音譯)說:“在學前環境中,兒童的詞匯迅速增長并變得越來越復雜;孩子們掌握并開始使用更有表現力的詞匯來與他人交流他們的需求和想法。在這個過程中,孩子們學習了更多的新單詞和抽象概念,并將其作為心理工具來表達和理解客觀關系和社會規則。”
研究表明,早期的詞匯技能是多項學術成就的強有力預測因素,比如閱讀和數學,以及后來的社會和行為表現。
布里塔尼·布萊特是密西西比州的一名企業家和內容創作者,她的兒子賈克森早期的學業成功歸功于她在兒子兩歲生日后不久就開始教他常用詞。常用詞是孩子們學習的在不讀出來的情況下立即就能夠識別的常見詞匯。
布萊特說:“我們認為這很重要,因為我們知道,學習常用詞將有助于激發他對閱讀的熱情。”布萊特每天花10到15分鐘時間和賈克森一起復習常用詞和數字,并通過視頻記錄了他的學習過程。“我們很高興地看到,盡管他才剛剛開始上幼兒園,但他已經茁壯成長,并可以輕松完成任務。”
雖然對學齡前兒童應該掌握的單詞數量并沒有明確的標準,但楊青青指出,關于學齡前兒童根據其年齡應掌握的詞匯技能信息,家長能夠查閱《早期學習指南》(Early Learning Guidelines),這一指南因州而異。例如,俄亥俄州的《早期學習與發展標準》(Early Learning and Development Standards)建議,兒童應該可以“使用通過對話和共享閱讀掌握的詞匯;明確單詞及其用法在現實生活中的聯系;并探索詞義之間的關系,比如物體的類別、反義詞、描述類似動作的動詞——行走(walk)、快步走(march)、大搖大擺地走(prance)等。”
除了繪本,楊青青還推薦互動式朗讀,這種方式讓孩子們有機會就文字或圖片提問和回答問題,而不是只聽故事,這是幫助孩子拓展詞匯量的有效方式。
楊青青建議,除了書本之外,父母和看護人能夠就孩子經歷的事件或他們感興趣的東西進行更多的對話。在這些對話中,父母可以在不同的場合為孩子重復新單詞,增加孩子聽到和學習單詞的機會。提供更多關于新單詞的細節,將它們與孩子的個人經歷聯系起來,并用孩子已經熟悉的單詞來解釋它們,這也很有幫助。
楊青青說:“將單詞與動作、手勢或面部表情結合起來也有助于孩子理解新單詞。同樣重要的是,要等一等,給孩子一些時間,讓他們用自己的話來回應。問一些開放式的問題,例如‘如何’和‘為什么’之類的問題,能夠很好地引導孩子回答問題。父母和看護人應該根據孩子的言行來關注孩子的興趣,并以此作為對話的開場白。”(財富中文網)
譯者:中慧言-王芳
Parents of young children are probably familiar with educator Roger Priddy’s infamous First 100 Words. The bestselling board book is a mainstay on baby registries and nursery bookshelves across the country. Now new research shows why that book and other resources designed to help children learn their first words may prove invaluable.
In a recent study published in Early Education and Development, researchers have found that children who enter preschool with good vocabulary and attention skills do better in class. The study, which involved 900 4-year-olds from eight U.S. states, asked them to identify common objects, such as fruit, zoo animals, and household items in pictures, and concluded that children with stronger vocabulary skills at the start of preschool “displayed more positive engagement with both their teachers and peers.”
“Children’s vocabulary skills rapidly grow and become increasingly complex in the preschool context; children both acquire and start to use more expressive vocabulary to communicate their needs and thoughts with others,” says lead author Qingqing Yang from the Ohio State University. “As part of this process, children learn more new words and abstract concepts and use those as psychological tools to represent and understand objective relations and social rules.”
Studies have shown that early vocabulary skills are a strong predictor for several academic outcomes, such as reading and math, as well as social and behavioral outcomes in later years.
Early academic success is part of the reason Brittany Bright, a Mississippi-based entrepreneur and content creator, started teaching her son, Jaxon, sight words shortly after his second birthday. Sight words are common words that kids are taught to recognize instantly–on sight–without sounding them out.
“We felt it was important because we knew that him learning sight words would help spark a love for reading,” says Bright, who reviewed sight words and numbers with Jaxon 10 to 15 minutes a day and documented his learning process through videos. “We’re so happy to see that even though he’s only just now starting kindergarten, he’s already thriving and breezing through the work.”
While there are no set criteria for the specific number of words children should know by preschool age, Yang points to the Early Learning Guidelines, which vary by state, for more information on which vocabulary skills preschoolers should have according to their age. For example, Ohio’s Early Learning and Development Standards suggest that children should be able to “use words acquired through conversations and shared reading experiences; identify real-life connections between words and their use; and explore relationships between word meanings, such as categories of objects, opposites, verbs describing similar actions—walk, march, prance, etc.”
In addition to picture books, Yang recommends interactive read-alouds, which provide opportunities for children to ask and answer questions about the text or picture instead of just listening to the story, as an effective way to help develop children’s vocabulary learning.
Beyond books, Yang suggests parents and caregivers have more conversations about the events children experience or the items they’re interested in. During these conversations, parents can repeat new words for children on different occasions to increase opportunities for children to hear and learn the words. Providing more details about new words, relating them to the child’s personal experiences, and explaining them using words the child is already familiar with is helpful as well.
“Accompanying words with actions, gestures, or facial expressions can also contribute to children’s understanding of the new words. It’s also important to wait and provide children with some time to respond using their own words,” says Yang. “Asking open-ended questions, such as ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions, can be a good way to elicit children’s responses. Parents and caregivers should pay attention to children’s interests based on their words and behaviors and use them as conversation starters.”