Children absorb what’s around them, including — or maybe especially — language. Words are absorbed at an incredible pace, but just look around; you’ll probably see how often adults talk at children rather than with them.

We all do it, it’s frequently necessary and certainly speeds things up. But I can’t help but notice how few words all of us use in daily conversation.

So, how can we introduce children to language is rich and varied? By sharing books with them, of course.

When my son was very young, we were out and about one day when we overheard someone use the word “odiferous.” My son exclaimed in his huge four-year old voice: “ODIFEROUS WRETCH!” (The looks around us ranged from amazement to horror.)

He’d heard that word when we read (and reread) one of his then favorite books — William Steig’s Amazing Bone (Farrar).

Rich language is a hallmark of Steig’s books. Pearl, the heroine of the book, goes out not on a sunny day, but rather one that is “brilliant.” The cheerful pig doesn’t call her captor, a villainous and hungry fox, simply a bad guy, he becomes an “odiferous wretch.”

More than one book for children has sent me to the dictionary to figure out what a word means or how to pronounce a word. And that’s a good thing. It means that these books can build for adults as well as children while making a time shared memorable.

About the Author

Maria Salvadore is Reading Rockets’ consultant for children’s literature and literacy. Maria curates our themed booklists and writes the blog, Page by Page, which explores the best ways to use kids’ books both inside and outside of the classroom. She leads parent workshops for Ready To Learn (RTL) at WETA Public Broadcasting in Washington, D.C. She has also taught children’s literature at the University of Maryland, reviewed books for School Library Journal, and has served on various book award committees, including the Boston Globe/Horn Book Awards, Golden Kite, and the Caldecott Committee.

Publication Date
August 15, 2008
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