The Power of Language
The ability to understand the messages of others and to generate our own messages is necessary to many of the functions of daily life. It is also the foundation for reading and writing. But did you know that language is an essential ingredient for the development of self-regulation? Self-regulation is the ability to remember and connect information, problem solve, control impulses, delay gratification, and be persistent. And it is critical to successful functioning in today’s world.
Self-regulation is the ability to remember and connect information, problem solve, control impulses, delay gratification, and be persistent.
Language makes a number of unique contributions to the development of self-regulation. It provides a means for the young child to communicate his wants and needs, helping his caregiver to be a successful co-regulating partner (Roben, Cole, & Armstrong, 2013). Words for emotions and other internal states transform a series of physical sensations (such as heart pounding and fast breathing) to a concept (I am afraid) that can then be processed by the areas of our brain where appropriate responses are provided.
Individuals who lack strong communication skills are much more likely to have behavior problems, such as acting out or withdrawing. Across more than 20 research studies, over 80% of children between the ages of 5 and 13 with a diagnosis of emotional/behavioral disorder had below-average language skills (Hollo, Wehby, & Oliver, 2014). My own research with young children from low income families revealed that 90% of children with significant behavior problems had language skills that were below the mean score for their age. Language provides us with an incredible opportunity to prevent behavior problems and build self-regulation. When we use communication-based strategies and practice them in ways that make them habits, they are powerful tools to help children build language.
Finally, language provides the means for self-talk, an important tool for problem-solving and delaying gratification (Cole, Armstrong, & Pemberton, 2010) and the precursor to thoughts (Vygotsky, 1986).