As Christine Topfer (2007, p. 4) explains:
‘Playing with rhymes helps children learn
about sounds. It is an important part of
tuning a child’s ear to the rhythms and
sound patterns of language.’
As children learn more words, they take
turns in a conversation and begin telling
stories:
I know what happened! Nana Jen was
talking and she fell over my pink trike and
tumbled over and over.
As they become proficient in oral language,
children begin to learn polite forms of
language and how to show empathy and
concern: