Most young children develop language rapidly, moving from crying and cooing in infancy to using hundreds of words and understanding their meanings by the time they are ready to enter kindergarten. Language development is a major accomplishment and is one of the most rewarding experiences for anyone to share with a child. Children learn to speak and understand words by being around adults and peers who communicate with them and encourage their efforts to talk.
As I observed Olivia, a typically developing 5 year old girl, I referred to the Symbolic Play Scale Check List (Westby, 1980). This check list helped me to recognize the different stages of appropriate language development during play for her age group. The list is based on play and language, and Olivia would fall under Stage X:5 years of age.
I had the opportunity to observe Olivia in her preschool classroom during playtime. Like most preschoolers, Olivia participates in play that includes give and take with her......
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