I have pronouns on the brain. Recently, I have had questions from friends and family about “when should” their little one be using pronouns correctly. Just this morning I saw a post on Facebook questioning “why educators refer to ourselves and others in the 3rd person when working with young children?”
Pronouns are actually quite complex to learn. They change meaning depending upon who is talking and the ‘cast of characters’ involved. In typically developing children, the first pronouns emerge sometime between the 2nd and 3rd birthday and continue developing over the next few years with the most complex ones (reflexive pronouns like himself/herself) developing around age 5+. The order and timing of acquisition of pronouns varies from child to child.
With children who do not yet have a firm grasp on the meaning of different pronouns I sometimes use names/labels (nouns) to be clear. So I might ask a question, “Casey do, or Jackie do?” instead of “Should I do it, or do you want to do it?” A toddler who has not yet mastered use of pronouns is likely to use names of people and things to get their meaning across, and preschoolers still figuring them out may use pronouns incorrectly.
In general, the first pronouns used are ones that refer to self like “I” and “me”. Next come subject pronouns (e.g. he, she, you), followed by objective pronouns (e.g. him, her, them). Then possessive pronouns (e.g. his, their) develop, and finally the reflexive pronouns. By age 5, typically developing kids are using most pronouns. For more information on speech and language milestones, check the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association website. Katie at Playing With Words 365 also did a great series on speech and language development from birth to 5.
If difficulty with pronouns is your *only* area of concern,
Image from Pronouns With Splingo app there is likely no need to worry. However, I always recommend that you “trust your gut”. If you are concerned about your child's speech and/or language development, please consider consulting with a speech-language pathologist. Don’t wait. Seeking the professional opinion of a speech-language pathologist can put your mind at ease, or put you on the path to finding the help your child needs.
Looking for ideas to support your little one’s learning?
- Model, model, model. Talk about what you, your tot and others are doing. Use short, simple sentences and the appropriate pronouns. You can put slight emphasis on the pronoun. “He is running.” “You are eating.”
- Repeat what your child says (modeling the correct pronoun). For example, if your tot says, “Me want cookie.”, simply repeat “I want cookie.” and then respond to his request.
- There are several printables targeting pronouns on Teachers Pay Teachers, like this freebie from Crazy Speech World.
- Use apps. There a few that target pronouns specifically, but you can also use apps like My Playhome to work on pronouns. Apps designed to target pronouns include: Pronouns with Splingo, Using I and Me Fun Deck, and Pronoun Fill-in Super Fun Deck
Remeber to keep in mind your child's age. Don't expect the same level of pronoun understanding and use from a 2.5 year old as you would a 4 year old.
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