Finding ways to improve play could help child with language acquisition

From Maria Montessori to other educators, play is considered to be a child's work. It is how they learn about their environment and everything in it. A new study out of the University of Iowa and published in the December issue of Psychological Science has found a potential link in that the more diverse the toys with differences in shape available in a child's play, the more language acquisition is increased.

PACER Center, a local center for families of children and young adults with disabilities, talked in one of their Early Childhood E-newsletters about the Tots 'n Tech Research Institute (TnT) which began as a collaboration between Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and Arizona State University in Tempe. TnT was created to provide information and resources about assistive technology and adaptations that can be used with young children. Their website gives many resources and ideas to help make modifications such a s grip changes to all kinds of things, including toys, to help the child use and play with the item and therefore learn from it.

Sometimes the job of a parent is to help pave the way for the child to experiment with new and hopefully diverse toys, and maybe a modification or adaptation can help your child improve their language acquisition as well because even if they can't yet say all the things they know, they are still learning all the time.

http://www.examiner.com/special-needs-kids-in-minneapolis/finding-ways-to-improve-play-could-help-child-with-language-acquisition