Pronoun use can be tricky for young children, especially distinguishing between 'me' and 'I.' Many children naturally say e.g., 'Me want juice,' instead of 'I want juice.'
Why is it confused?
Development Progression: Children often use object pronoun (me) before subject pronoun (l).
Hearing Adult Speech: They frequently hear phrases such as, 'Give it to me,' reinforcing 'me,' in their speech.
Egocentric Speech: Young children focus on their own needs and use simple, direct language.
Teaching Strategies
Model Correct Usage: Teach through imitation, using slow, exaggerated speech.
Child: 'Me want the toy.'
Therapist/parent: 'Oh, you say, I want the toy.'.. 'say it with me.'..
Use Visual Cues: Create simple stick figures or picture cards and demonstrate the actions e.g., 'I am running.'
Role Play: Use puppets and toys and act out sentences, where the puppet is wrong, and you ask the child to correct the sentence.
Puppet: 'Me like ice cream.'
Therapist/parent: 'That sounds silly, can you help the puppet to say correctly?'
Jumping Games : Say a sentence and let the child jump if correct and stand still if incorrect.
Sorting Games : Have 2 containers one labeled 'me,' and the other 'l,' and place tokens in the correct one.
Mirror Exercises: Look in the mirror and have the child point to themselves while saying correct sentences e.g., 'I am smiling."
Encourage generalizations and praise correct usage, and with consistent practice and fun children will gradually master 'I' vs 'me.
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