Language Development

Question 1

Language Content - Dev. Prior to School

Answer 1

Understanding + producing first words (0-1)
Building expressive vocab and semantic relations (1-2)
Who, what, where questions and spatial terms (2-3)
When and why q’s, colours, and shapes (3-4)
Letter names and numbers (4-5)

Question 2

Language Content - Dev. during school

Answer 2

Expanding vocabulary
Semantic network
Expanding vocabulary in number and type - e.g. emotive, descriptive, academic words etc.

Question 3

Language form - dev. prior to school

Answer 3

Two word utterances (1-2)
Functional elements used more consistently (2-3)
Increase sentence length and complexity (3-5).

Question 4

Language form - dev. during school

Answer 4

Basic sentence structure at 5. Some elements may be omitted/incorrectly used.
Post noun modification using embedded phrases and clauses developed early.
Verb phrase development early.
Modal development is gradual.
Use and comprehension of embedding improves.
New structures develop.

Question 5

Language use - dev. prior to school

Answer 5

Turn taking, gestures, vocalisations (0-1)
Requests (1-2)
“Please” and sequences (2-3)
Narrative, recounting, pretend play (3-4)
Jokes, detailed instruction, more mature narrative (4-5)

Question 6

Language use - dev. during school

Answer 6

Basic functions of language refined - reasoning, predicting, turn taking etc.