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Should We Correct a 3-Year-Old’s Diction?
Filed Under (Animation, Children Learn What They See & Hear, Dealing with Difficult Questions, Raising the Child, Toys) by Footyman on 10-12-2008
(This is written by Footywife)
We went to a Christmas party the other day and my little son brought along his most prized car collection, from the Walt Disney movie “Cars”.
He was playing with them when our friend’s teenage daughter, Geraldine, came along to chat with him.
“What is the name of this car?” Geraldine asked.
“Art-sen” my little son replied instantly.
“Art-sen?” Geraldine repeated.
“Hudson” I chipped in, helping my little son to pronounce the letter “h”.
“Oh, Hudson” said Geraldine. “How about this one?” she asked again.
“Pilmore” my little son replied, somewhat a bit more hesitant.
“Pilmore?” Geraldine asked, looking a little confused.
“Filmore” I chipped in again, helping my little son to pronounce the letter “f” this time.
“Oh, you mean Filmore. How come I don’t understand what you say” Geraldine commented.
Then she pointed to another car and asked the same question.
“I don’t know” came the reply from my little son.
Filmore (2nd from left) ; Hudson (2nd from right)
But I’m sure he knew because he knows all the cars’ names by heart. My interference probably made him feel lousy about his diction as Geraldine could understand me but couldn’t understand him. So he chose to feign ignorance than risk Geraldine not understanding his diction again.
Maybe next time I should shut my big mouth and let my little son carry on the conversation in his own way and see what comes out of it.
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My experience in teaching children is we have to enter their world to understand them. Don’t correct their mis-spell or words, but show them that we usually say this or write that.
They will learn unconciously, whose right or wrong.
Another way to help is to join in the conversation. For example, you could say, “Yea, Filmore is my favorite”. So you are helping the other person understand what your son is saying but not directly correcting him. Another thing I do is put the blame back on the adult but in a humorous way. I will say something like “yea, this aunty not so clever that’s why she cannot understand”
I like Lian’s idea above. I don’t think you did anything wrong. Part of our job as parents is to teach kids to do things “right”; I think the thing is that we don’t somehow communicate to them that they’re dumb or bad or something when we do it. It’s just a matter-of-fact correction or one done with a smile and a joke if that works.
I’m more interested in the teenager’s comment: was that about her or about him? If about him, it was insensitive and … well … bad…
Aldhis – yes we read this somewhere before too. Try not to correct them but teach them by example. Thanks for reminding us that.
Lian – Great Idea! But it probably takes an experienced and creative parent like you to be able to think so fast.
Pete – Yes taking things light-heartedly always work doesn’t it? We’ll bear that in mind.
Thank you all!