Speak Nerdy 2 Me

As an Early Childhood Educator who occasionally reads kpop fanfic, I cannot standby anymore.

Please. Please. Stop making 3-5 year olds sound like a 2 year old who only knows how to say fragmented sentences or one word sentences. By 2 and 1/2 most kinds can make simple sentences and do not speak in one word sentences anymore. If a child is not, then there may be some underlining cause (kids go at their own pace but if they cannot connect sentences or know less that 20 words that is a red flag). At 3 the child should be speaking complete sentences much like an adult, although their voice is still kind of squeaky and they may have some speech impediment like with r’s or a lisp but that is not very common. It happens but it’s like 1 in every class, if even that.

So. When writing for 3-5 year olds please just write normal dialogue minus more complex words and a less complex structure. Put in there something only a child would say (kids that age are notoriously honest and are still learning what’s okay to say and what’s not). 3 year olds are bleeping smart and are capable of retaining so much information, please don’t reduce them to babbling toddlers in your stories. It’s so frustrating seeing fanfic writers writing kids 3-5 years old like they never learned to speak.

Rant over. Peace.