The approach of enrichement of language for the elementary years

Question: How is vocabulary enrichment offered in the elementary years?

Kay Baker, AMI primary level trainer, gives her perspective on the subject.

Answer: The theme of this issue is the Absorbent mind and Language. Language development is one of the most important aspects in the life of the young child. In answering a question for the elementary years, it is necessary to realise that the foundation for the elementary work is laid in the primary years. Hence the power of the absorbent mind is crucial to development. The adult prepares an environment for the child that is rich in language at the begin ning of development. Language is used to bring knowledge and skills to the child and, in due course, the child uses language to express knowledge. As long as language is present in the child’s environment, he will acquire language. To help his language development occur and proceed seamlessly, we can give specific helps to the child. The specific helps for vocabulary enrichment are in the areas of general knowledge and language skills.

What do we give in terms of general knowledge? How does the child’s language become enriched? The approach to enrichment of language for the elementary years is the presentation of cosmic education which consists of an orientation to the environment of the child. This orientation begins with story telling and the use of words appropriate to the ideas expressed and the language of the discipline. For example, bringing the idea of the universe to the child involves using words associated with the universe – galaxy, star, planet, asteroid, comet. Ideas in relation to chemistry use the proper terms mixture, solution, chemical reaction, saturation, crystallisation. Grammar studies are accompanied by grammatical terms -parts of speech, subject, predicate, verb conjugation, indicative mood.

In order for the child to reflect upon and learn what is necessary to not only be oriented but comfortable living a life as a human being, the child is presented with possibilities for independent activity. There are several activities that aid the child to acquire the vocabulary of human knowledge. There are command cards in several areas: the child encounters the vocabulary of the discipline, comes to an understanding of the words, and then is able to use these words. There is nomenclature material, a set of booklets and loose pages containing illustrated definitions of ideas associated with various disciplines such as geography, botany, and geometry. The ideas are easily accessible and isolated for the child so as to give the child the best opportunity for interpretation and understanding. The child not only builds up a store of words but is guided to define terms with the help of isolated illustrations. If the child has some difficulty, the guide is there to furnish sensorial images, clarify by representing, and propose independent work to solidify the ideas. One area of work that encourages a final consolidation of the knowledge obtained is found in classification work. For example, having learnt the terms associated with the variety of plants on earth, the child sorts them by category – different shapes of leaves – linear, elliptical, spatulate, etc. Eventually, the child is led to apply terms from several parts of the plant in order to place the plant within a classification scheme.

In summary, terms associated with various disciplines such as science, history, mathematics, art, music, etc. are presented to the child. The child is then encouraged to use these terms as they carry out interesting activities and thereby achieve command of a hugely enriched vocabulary. Thus the child, having knowledge and the language associated with that knowledge, has the foundation for using that knowledge as they speak and write.

What about the presentation of language skills? How does the child develop their abilities to speak and write about what they know? The foundation of the child’s development of fluency in speaking and writing is the willingness of the adult to listen to the child. Conversations with the child from the earliest years provide the child with the occasion to speak and to express what is in their minds. The child is then given knowledge of symbols that allow expression without speaking. The child is given knowledge of the alphabet and the association of the alphabet to words in their minds. Writing with the movable alphabet is the first step in this process of expressing what the child is thinking about. Writing with a conventional instrument is introduced as the child perfects their hand control. A final step is bringing the child to the knowledge that not only can they express themselves but that they can listen to what others are saying and read the writing of others. Being able to read is what will allow the elementary child to relate to human society. With this foundation, what the elementary child receives is the refinements of spoken and written expression.

First of all, the child is encouraged to express himself through spoken and written language. When the child enters the elementary years, there is a need to introduce the child to skills that help them interact with society. The child is given knowledge of the conventions of language and practice in using them to express themselves more clearly and reflect more accurately what is in their minds. Among the conventions are spelling, capitalisation, punctuation, agreement of subject and predicate, variation of words and many others.

These helps to development occur in parallel. What aids the child is to be given the knowledge of humanity and the skill to be able to express their thoughts on this knowledge as they acquire it. Once they have acquired some knowledge, their minds will be set in motion. The child now is ready to seek further knowledge and wants to express himself. Then you see the flowering of human development. The child enters into the life of humanity and makes their contribution.

AMI Communications – 2009/1, page 55

The approach of enrichement of language for the elementary years

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