Strong oral language is the foundation of literacy. The greater number and variety of words a child hears the more likely they are to use those words. Many children go through a silent period, but they may still understand what is being said. They are archiving those words for use at a later time. Children may be hesitant to speak for fear of being corrected or ridiculed. Group activities can lower inhibitions and encourage children to speak in order to participate.
There are numerous activities that can be used to promote language development in children. A group activity is useful if it engages the children so they want to participate instead of just listening. For infants, it is important to identify or label objects and situations so they are exposed to the sounds of different words. For toddlers, story time is a great activity to introduce new words and invite questions and comments. Sharing is a popular school activity that allows children to showcase their speaking skills, but some children are shy and find this intimidating. Playing board games, putting together puzzles, or even compiling a grocery list are good ways to encourage conversation and introduce new words.
Direct the group activities and repeat what children say to show you understand. For instance, if a child says "Want play" respond with "Do you want to play with us?" Instead of openly correcting the incorrect grammar you have shown the child you understood their question and given them a chance to hear it spoken correctly. Children will learn from each other, but if the activities are directed by an adult they will stay on the right track.
Brain development is dependent on interaction and environment as well as inherited characteristics. A toddler's brain is twice as active as an adult's brain and is the perfect vessel to store a lot of information. Activities such as reading, playing games, having conversations and singing all promote language acquisition in the child's brain. Opening these activities to a group also increases the amount and variety of speech patterns and vocabulary used.
The importance of verbal interaction among day cares and caregivers is equally as important as the verbal interaction at home. A child's speech is dependent on who is speaking to them, and children who have more quality interaction with their caregivers than with their peers tend to perform better on standardized language tests.