A YouTube video by Ming @ Agents of Speech arguing that play skills should be taught before or alongside speech because many children recite songs/ABCs without understanding—they lack play-based contexts for language. Expanding play provides more language functions, increases communicative intent, and strengthens social bonding that encourages language use.
Play skills and language goes hand in hand. The reason why the child saying recites ABC counts numbers is mostly because that they don't have anything else to do. In fact, if there weren't videos for them to watch, it would be immensely boring for them. That's because they don't have enough play skills. They don't have a context to give the language. Language that they've learned only lives in the context of the songs, the ABCs, the numbers, the shapes, the colors that indulge in. That's why you have to expand the play. When they expand their play, you give context for more language functions, number one. And it also increases communication intention. Why? Because when we play with them, we don't just play. We have to sell the toy hard. We have to play with the toy with absolute conviction. It creates this bond with the child. Me, the toy plus mom or dad equals a good time. Then the language starts to come out. They're like, oh, I can say these words with mom. And it makes it even more fun when I talk. When you say something a thousand times according to something that is happening that both of you guys are looking at, that creates a bond.
