Improving the Home Learning Environment

Promoting early language development and early literacy skills is a big ambition that requires the entire society to participate if success is to be seen.

Virtually all parents want the best for their children. It is crucial that we support language development in every area of a child’s life.

A child’s language development begins long before school when they begin to distinguish sounds in their mother’s womb. Further language development is shaped by the ‘home learning environment’ which includes the general nature of the household and the literacy support the child receives from those who take care of them.

To start with every-day conversations, make-believe play and pretend activities, daytime routines, trips to the park, museum or local rabbit farm could greatly influence the child’s literacy and numeracy development as they engage contextually with the environment.

Studies show that the early home learning environment is a key definer of a child’s future success in education and life.

While we know that the home learning environment has a real impact on a child’s early language and learning, influencing the family setting is
challenging. However there are several approaches that have been successfully used to positively impact a child’s development at home.

Television alone in moderation can be quite beneficial when the content is educational and engaging. Programs that promote young children’s exposure to language have been associated with increases in children’s vocabulary. High levels of fast-based cartoon viewing is on the other hand, associated with decreases in children’s language use.

Another early predictor of a child’s early language development is the style and language used by the caregivers when talking with the child. Back and forth age-appropriate conversations between the caregiver and the child in areas of the child’s personal interests help increase vocabulary and use of language in the child.

Conversations could be about toys, food or other household items could be a starting point for those who don’t know what to say.

Remember, the goal is not to get a response immediately or to lead the conversation to a certain result. The goal is to engage the mental abilities of your child in a way that improves their perception and development consistently.