Handwriting, Reading, Speaking, and Listening Skills
Features of Handwriting Development
When a child first puts a pen or pencil on paper, she begins the journey with a highly conscious participation in the writing process. Slowly, with time and experience, the shaping of letters into words and sentences becomes automatic. Initially, children move through the space on paper making letters one after the other. This motion is called praxis. Scientific studies have sought to describe the features of handwriting movement, rather than advocate one method
Read MoreCrafting Effective Essays: A Step-by-Step Approach
1. Understand the Essay Question
Read the essay question carefully.
- Highlight key words.
- Use a dictionary to check the meaning of any unfamiliar words.
- Identify the task words that indicate what needs to be done (e.g., ‘discuss’, ‘explain’, ‘compare’).
- Identify the topic words that indicate the particular subject of the essay (e.g., the character of ‘Juliet’ in Shakespeare’s work or the ’causes’ of World War I).
- Identify any limiting words that restrict the discussion to a particular area (e.g., in ‘Chapters
Enhancing Listening Skills in the Classroom
Teaching: In general, students and teachers do not usually take into account the ability to listen in language class. Surely we do not dispute its importance, but in practice, not enough special attention is devoted to it. Students listen, and we know that we should apply our efforts more to other subjects: reading, writing, grammar, etc.
The Paradox of Listening
- Children arrive at school understanding the most basic things, but they have shortcomings.
- It’s a skill practiced more often, but not worked
Language Varieties: Geographical, Social, and Specific
Language Varieties
Geographical Varieties (Diatopic)
Diatopic or dialectal varieties relate the speaker to their territorial origin.
Dialects: Linguistic system derived from a language, dead or alive.
Regional Speech: The variety that a language presents in a given region. Its size is usually more limited.
Local Speech: A variety of language that occurs in a very small geographic area: a region, a city…
Social Varieties of Language
The modality of a language in a social layer is called a social dialect.
Read MoreEarly Childhood Development: Perception, Language & Learning
Visual Perception: Colors and Shapes
Recognize colors and shapes.
Auditory Perception: Sounds and Rhythms
Improve listening and recognize sounds and rhythms.
Tactile Perception: Exploring Textures
Explore textures and tactile sensations.
Olfactory Perception: Recognizing Smells
Recognize and differentiate smells.
Gustatory Perception: Distinguishing Flavors
Recognize and distinguish flavors.
Proprioceptive Perception: Body Awareness
Improve coordination and body awareness.
Vestibular Perception: Balance and
Read MoreUnderstanding Motherese: Characteristics and Purpose
What is Motherese?
Motherese, also known as baby talk or child-directed speech (CDS), is a specific way of speaking that is phonetically well-articulated, clear, smooth, intelligible, and well-adapted to a child’s capacity.
Key Features of Motherese
- Higher pitch
- Longer pronunciation of words with semantic content (nouns, verbs)
- Slower utterance rate
- Excellent intelligibility
Purpose of Motherese
- Adults recognize that babies, even a few months old, have a special sensitivity to marked stress patterns. Motherese