FIU Assessing Developmental Progress in Language Table

help filling out the following table.The table describes language-related behaviors of children in different age ranges. For each youngster, the table indicates whether the behavior is typical or unusual for the age group, suggests developmentally appropriate responses to the behavior, or both.

Developmental Trends Table
The table below describes language-related behaviors of children and adolescents in five
different age ranges. For each youngster, the table indicates whether the behavior is typical or
unusual for the age group, suggests developmentally appropriate responses to the behavior, or
both. Apply what you’ve learned about assessing developmental progress in language to fill in
the empty cells in the table.
Assessing Developmental Progress in Language
Age
A Youngster’s Experience
Infancy
(Birth–2)
When a caregiver at a child care
center exclaims, “Your daddy’s
here!” 10-month-old Midori
looks eagerly in the direction of
the door. But despite Midori’s
apparent understanding of the
word Daddy, she does not yet
say his name, not even a
reasonable approximation such
as “Dada.” Sometimes she says
“dadadadada,” but with little
regard for whether her father is
present.
Twenty kindergartners sit
quietly and politely as the
school principal describes the
procedure they should follow
during a fire drill. After the
principal leaves the room,
however, many of them are
unable to describe the
procedure she has spoken
about.
Early
Childhood
(2–6)
Middle
Childhood
(6–10)
Seven-year-old Arthur’s
sentences are rarely more than
two or three words long.
Developmental
Concepts
Recognizing Typical and
Unusual Behaviors for
the Age Group
Implications
Facilitating Acquisition of
Language Skills
Regularly engage infants in
“conversations” in which
they can practice vocalizing,
taking turns, maintaining
eye contact, and using other
basic language skills.
Simplify your language
somewhat (e.g., use infantdirected speech), but use a
variety of words in
appropriate contexts.
This behavior is typical
for the age group. Young
children often think that
being a “good listener”
simply means sitting still
and being quiet. They do
not necessarily realize
that listening also
involves understanding
and remembering what
the speaker says.
Such speech is unusual
for the age group.
Children typically begin
putting two words
together sometime
around age 2, and their
sentences become
increasingly longer after
that. By school age, their
sentences are adultlike in
many respects.