Children’s learning process is a critical developmental stage. The learning process refers to the systematic process through which new students acquire knowledge and skills that help them develop desired behaviors. Parents look forward to their children’s linguistic development and celebrate their first words with joy (Ceka, & Murati, 2016). For children, word learning helps them communicate their feelings and socialize with other people in society. Parents have significant influence over children’s learning process that occurs informally, but the child’s ability to use their input is dependent on their cognitive development.
Vygotsky theory provides a comprehensive framework of language development among children. The theory posits that children learn through social interactions with other people in society (Lantolf, Thorne, & Poehner, 2015). Children learn their first words by listening to adult conversations with them or other people within their surroundings. Usually, children repeat newly discovered words and phrases in private in what is commonly known as baby talk until they master them in their brain (Horst, 2013). However, all words have different meaning until the children learn how to attach specific concepts to the words. Parents help children to map the essential connection between words and ideas, thus help children to construct sentences meaningfully. Learning is a systematic process and children add to their collection of words slowly; and by the time they reach three years, they develop a high level of fluency just like adults. Notably, children rely on their family members to interpret or identify new words to improve their speech capabilities.
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The word learning process among children is informal. The informal word learning process is appropriate for kids because they are not exposed to the high level of pressure commonly found in formal learning environments like schools. Children learn through active involvement, which involves engaging them in conversations and helping them to explore the surrounding environment. For example, children learn the names of different animals by looking at them and inquiring their identity from their parents. Play is an important word learning strategy as it exposes kids to new experiences and words, thus contributes to their linguistic development. Children also learn through stories and songs, where words are repeated and meaning illustrated by use of exciting diagrams. According to Horst (2013), word learning requires the contextual repetition of terms until the children make the appropriate mapping. A child’s first encounter with a new word is not sufficient to produce a long-lasting impression in their minds; for example, children read the same story many times to understand the meaning. Since children’s stories and songs are repetitive, they significantly contribute to their language development.
However, child development influences how they utilize their parents’ input in language development. Piaget’s learning theory explains the connection between children’s mental capacity and the world learning process. The theory posits that there are four stages in a child’s cognitive development process (Resnick, 2017). Foremost is the sensorimotor stage, which is the first two years of birth, where the children begin to understand things about them and connect how their function. The children bubble words but have difficulty attempting to communicate their feelings to other people. Next is the preoperational stage, which refers to age 2-7 years, where children begin to learn new words and their cognitive development enables them to think and communicate using words. At the concrete operational stage, which encompasses 7-11 years, brain development helps children think and communicate logically (Resnick, 2017). Lastly is the formal operational phase, from 12 years and above, when children’s linguistic skills are well developed and they require little assistance to comprehend words.
From the above discussion, it is evident word learning is a systematic process. Vygotsky model explains the complex word learning process, while Piaget’s theory shows the influence of mental development in the parent’s contribution to children’s learning method. Parental support in children’s language development is essential until the age of twelve years, where their linguistic skills are well developed.
References
Ceka, A., & Murati, R. (2016). The Role of Parents in the Education of Children. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(5), 61-64.
Horst, J. S. (2013). Context and repetition in word learning. Frontiers in psychology, 4, 149.
Lantolf, J. P., Thorne, S. L., & Poehner, M. E. (2015). Sociocultural theory and second language development. Theories in second language acquisition: An introduction, 207-226.
Resnick, L. B. (2017). Toward a cognitive theory of instruction. In Learning and motivation in the classroom (pp. 5-38). Routledge.
