Language is a system of symbols and rules that is used for meaningful communication. A system of communication has to meet certain criteria in order to be considered a language: 1  A language uses symbols, which are sounds, gestures, or written characters that represent objects, actions, events, and ideas. A language uses symbols, which are sounds, gestures, or written characters that represent objects, actions, events, and ideas. 2  Symbols enable people to refer to objects that are in another place or events that occurred at a different time.
Also remember that children between the ages of 6 and 18 months can normally move up or down on their percentiles, but older children should follow their growth curve fairly closely. Answers to examples: 1) 50th percentile, 2) 10th percentile, 3) 50th percentile, 4) 75th percentile, 5) about the 15th percentile.
Childhood Obesity is on the Rise. The number of overweight children in the United States has increased dramatically in recent years. Approximately 10 percent of 4 and 5 year old children are overweight, double that of 20 years ago. Overweight is more prevalent in girls than boys and in older preschoolers (ages 4-5) than younger (ages 2-3). Obesity increases even more as children get older. For ages 6 to 11, at least one child in five is overweight. Over the last two decades, this number has increased by more than 50 percent and the number of obese children has nearly doubled. For most children, overweight is the result of unhealthy eating patterns (too many calories) and too little physical activity. Since these habits are established in early childhood, efforts to prevent obesity should begin early.