

Childcare Center Licensed Under the Ministry of Education
(519) 650-3899
Language Development:
5 years and up
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During the early school years, the child will learn more words and start to understand how the sounds within language work together
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The child becomes a better storyteller, as they learn to put words together in different ways and build different types of sentences
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Children share ideas and opinions.
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By eight years, the child will be able to have adult-like conversations.
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At 5-8 years, children understand more about sounds and how they make words. This helps them with learning to read.
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By the time children are five, you can understand all of what they say.
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Children’s understanding and use of grammar is developing. Their sentences and stories become more complex too.
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Children are learning more words all the time.
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By five years, children know that words are made of different sounds and syllables. When they’re listening, they can identify words beginning sound – for example, ‘Mummy made magic marshmallows’.
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They can notice words that sound the same and play rhyming games with words like ‘bat’, ‘cat’, ‘fat’, ‘hat’ and ‘mat’.
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At 5-6 years, the child knows some or all of the sounds that go with the different letters of the alphabet.
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They start to read by blending sounds together in combinations that make words
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By six years, children start to read simple stories with easy phonetic words that sound the way they’re spelled, like ‘pig’, ‘door’ or ‘ball’.
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They start to write or copy letters of the alphabet, especially the letters for the sounds and words they’re learning.
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By eight years, the child understands what they’re reading
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The child can read on their own, and reading might even be one of their favourite activities.
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By this age children can also write a simple story.
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They can use different linking words in the right way – for example, ‘because’, ‘then’, ‘now’, ‘when’, ‘before’, ‘while’ and ‘although’
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The child uses different sentence types to present the same information
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Can correctly use pronouns like ‘he’, ‘she’ and ‘they’ when they’re telling a story
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They understand the difference between fact and theory – that is, the difference between ‘What happened?’ and ‘Why do you think … ?’
When to Seek Assistance:
If at six years, your child:
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is difficult to understand or isn’t speaking in full sentences
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has trouble following two-step directions, like ‘Please put your pyjamas on your bed after you’ve put your clothes on’
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has stopped using a language skill they once had.
If at eight years, your child:
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has a stutter or lisp when talking
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has difficulty following instructions
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has stopped using a language skill they once had.