Which activity best supports oral language development in young children?

Singing songs and engaging in conversations are pivotal activities for promoting oral language development in young children. These activities encourage verbal interaction, allowing children to articulate their thoughts, expand their vocabulary, and enhance their understanding of language in context. Through singing songs, children are also exposed to rhythm, rhyme, and repetition, which play a significant role in language acquisition. Conversations stimulate meaningful exchanges, enabling children to practice speaking, listening, and responding, which are essential components of effective communication.

While word puzzles can help with vocabulary recognition, they do not foster the same level of interactive language use. Reading silently does not provide the verbal engagement necessary for developing oral language skills, and playing video games may not offer the same rich language interactions as conversations, potentially limiting exposure to meaningful dialogue.