Speech and Language

Until just recently, I never realized how much my own vocabulary affects the children I am around.  Not only what I say but how I say things are conveyed in a big way to the children I am caring for, and can affect the way they say them to their friends.  Having younger siblings, this is very hard because I talk differently at home then when in a school or at my job.  Hearing them repeat things I say to my older family or even my friends is not always a good thing.  Especially this summer, I realized how true form of imitation is while working at the daycare.  Children will hear another child say a word they know they should not be saying and repeat it over and over just because they know they are not allowed to.  Setting a good example of what I say and how I say it is one main priority of mine now.  While at work, instead of yelling at a child who was doing something wrong, our policy was to use our manners, just as they should be to us.  While the adults said, "no thank you," "yes ma'am," "yes sir" to the kids, it helped take after us and repeat it back.