Since some children are affected by more than one sensory loss, it is important to plan activities which will address each child's individual strengths and weaknesses in a meaningful way. When the child is about two years old, he begins to expand his concepts to ordering the world and its objects. In addition, language becomes an increasing factor in the acquisition of concepts. And he needs language as a tool. Since there is such a close relationship between language, fine motor, and cognitive skills during the preschool years, some of the teaching activities in each section will be cross-referenced to a skill in another section.
Language appears when actions begin to be represented symbolically.
Its prerequisites are found in the cognitive skills which develop during the first two years. Once a child has the ability to represent reality through thought, language and cognition become closely intertwined. The child's ability to acquire new concepts depends upon her ability to express her ideas clearly, ask pertinent questions, and comprehend the given answer. Economically disadvantaged children have smaller vocabularies than their middle-class peers due to, lack of meaningful experiences. A visually impaired or blind child may also have a smaller vocabulary for the same reason.