What to do about a preschooler's bad grammar

In general, my 3-year-old speaks with remarkable grammatical precision for her age. She says "mice" instead of "mouses," "went" instead of "goed," and "took" instead of "taked." But, like all other children in her age group, she's prone to mild grammatical slip-ups. She says, "Anybody isn't there" instead of "Nobody is there," and "I very feel tired" instead of "I feel very tired."

Of course, preschool grammar is nothing to sweat. It's an unusual toddler who actually uses correct grammar most or all of the time. But it's important to teach our kids good sentence structure starting in the early years. Proper grammar now sets the table for excellent communication later on.

Here are some things to consider regarding grammar skills for preschoolers.

1. Don't worry too much. As annoying as an entire sentence full of grammatical errors may be, resist the urge to over-correct. Mild grammatical errors are a completely normal part of preschool-stage speech development. Your child hasn't mastered, and doesn't need to master, all the fine points of effective communication. Between 3 and 5 years, your preschooler is rapidly expanding her vocabulary and her understanding of language. Learning the correct plural of "moose" and the past participle of "to be" aren't yet essential.

2. Teach without criticism. If and when I do correct my preschooler's grammar, I do it in a way that sounds like conversation, not criticism. Because of this, she learns without realizing that she's learning, and she doesn't feel embarrassed or shamed by her simple mistakes. For example, if she were to say, "I seed four gooses at the pond," I might respond, "You saw four geese at the pond? Were they swimming?" She'll usually catch the cue and rephrase her statement correctly.

3. Model correct grammar. Most of the time, preschoolers emulate the speech patterns that they hear from their parents. It only takes one day with her Deep-South great-grandmother before my daughter starts saying things like "I'll be dad-burned," and "I's plumb wore out." As much as I find myself gritting my teeth at these statements, they serve as an important reminder of how much children imitate the grammar and sentence structure of the adults they admire. For this reason, I make a conscious effort to avoid using grossly incorrect grammar in my daughter's presence.

4. Read frequently. Most children's books use predominantly correct grammar, but children's movies are often overflowing with grammatical errors. If books, rather than films, are your child's primary source of entertainment, she's more likely to display correct language use in her day-to-day life. By reading to your preschooler frequently and with joy, you offer a subtle reminder about the importance of correct grammar.

5. Get professional help in severe cases. If your preschooler's grammar is so poor that she is difficult or impossible to understand, she might benefit from professional help. For example, preschoolers who mix up "me" and "you," or who are unable to use past and future tenses, may be struggling with speech delays. Schedule a chat with your child's pediatrician if you suspect that your preschooler's speech is far outside the realm of typical grammar development.