Follow up a new experience with a library book that reinforces it: Reading a book about the zoo (“remember the monkey we saw?”) after a visit, for instance, will enhance learning. Build your toddler’s grasp of simple concepts (big and little, wet and dry, up and down, in and out, empty and full, standing and sitting, happy and sad, light and dark, good and bad), and cause-and-effect (we put water on the burner and it gets hot, we put it in the refrigerator and it gets cold, we put it in the freezer and it freezes hard). And regularly stimulate the senses, talking about the colors, textures, sounds, and smells found in your child’s environment.
Talk, talk, talk . For children to use language, they must first understand language. And to understand language, a child must hear it spoken—over and over again. To get your child to talk, you’ve got to talk. So keep talking, even if you feel silly holding a one-sided conversation, even if you sense that your toddler doesn’t have the slightest notion about what you’re saying. On a stroll to the park, remark on the blue sky, the red car, the girls playing ball, the man pushing the baby stroller. While you’re cooking dinner, give your toddler a blow-by-blow account as you cut the carrots, stir the soup, slice the tomatoes. When you’re waiting on line at the bank, give your toddler a running account of people remaining in front of you, counting down as you move up. When dressing your child in the morning, name his or her body parts as you uncover and cover them; identify each piece of clothing and its color and texture.
But don’t get carried away, chattering on endlessly just for the sake of exposing your child to language. Children also need periods of quiet contemplation, a chance to listen to themselves instead of others, to observe what’s around them without the help of a tour guide. When you’re being tuned out (the eyes are turned elsewhere or glazed), turn it off. There’s such a thing as auditory overload.
Read, read, read . Reading to your child from picture books—stopping to point out familiar objects in each picture and explain what is going on in the story—provides invaluable exposure to language. Stick to simple stories at first, and to ear-catching rhymes. Toddlers love to hear the same books over and over again, perhaps because they inherently recognize the value of repetition as a way of learning. See page 101 for more on reading to your toddler.
Sing, sing, sing . Children naturally love music and will pay close attention to simple songs. Sing to them a cappella or along with a tape recording or an instrument, if you play one, such as a piano or guitar. In particular, toddlers enjoy songs that include hand clapping or finger play (such as “Patty-cake” and “the Itsy Bitsy Spider”). Again, repetition helps a toddler’s vocabulary grow, so don’t hesitate to sing the same songs over and over. (You probably will be urged to, anyway, whether you like it or not.) And don’t worry about your singing ability (or lack of it); your toddler will gladly lend you an ear, even if you do sing out of tune.
Label, label, label . There are thousands of words in the English language, and your toddler has to learn them one at a time. The best way to teach them isthrough labeling. Label things you see on the street (truck, bicycle, traffic light, man, woman, dog), at home (table, chair, sofa, juice, cup, spoon), while reading (cow, girl, farm, duck, frog). Once you’ve named an object, encourage your toddler to repeat it. (“This is a book. Can you say ‘book’?”)
Sound like a grown-up . Out of the mouths of babes (or rather, toddlers) come some of the cutest words: sketti (spaghetti), ta-too (thank you), ba-bo (apple). The temptation is great to mimic these adorable utterances when conversing with your toddler, but hearing you use baby talk may confuse your toddler and won’t help his or her language development. Using such diminutives as
Talk, talk, talk . For children to use language, they must first understand language. And to understand language, a child must hear it spoken—over and over again. To get your child to talk, you’ve got to talk. So keep talking, even if you feel silly holding a one-sided conversation, even if you sense that your toddler doesn’t have the slightest notion about what you’re saying. On a stroll to the park, remark on the blue sky, the red car, the girls playing ball, the man pushing the baby stroller. While you’re cooking dinner, give your toddler a blow-by-blow account as you cut the carrots, stir the soup, slice the tomatoes. When you’re waiting on line at the bank, give your toddler a running account of people remaining in front of you, counting down as you move up. When dressing your child in the morning, name his or her body parts as you uncover and cover them; identify each piece of clothing and its color and texture.
But don’t get carried away, chattering on endlessly just for the sake of exposing your child to language. Children also need periods of quiet contemplation, a chance to listen to themselves instead of others, to observe what’s around them without the help of a tour guide. When you’re being tuned out (the eyes are turned elsewhere or glazed), turn it off. There’s such a thing as auditory overload.
Read, read, read . Reading to your child from picture books—stopping to point out familiar objects in each picture and explain what is going on in the story—provides invaluable exposure to language. Stick to simple stories at first, and to ear-catching rhymes. Toddlers love to hear the same books over and over again, perhaps because they inherently recognize the value of repetition as a way of learning. See page 101 for more on reading to your toddler.
Sing, sing, sing . Children naturally love music and will pay close attention to simple songs. Sing to them a cappella or along with a tape recording or an instrument, if you play one, such as a piano or guitar. In particular, toddlers enjoy songs that include hand clapping or finger play (such as “Patty-cake” and “the Itsy Bitsy Spider”). Again, repetition helps a toddler’s vocabulary grow, so don’t hesitate to sing the same songs over and over. (You probably will be urged to, anyway, whether you like it or not.) And don’t worry about your singing ability (or lack of it); your toddler will gladly lend you an ear, even if you do sing out of tune.
Label, label, label . There are thousands of words in the English language, and your toddler has to learn them one at a time. The best way to teach them isthrough labeling. Label things you see on the street (truck, bicycle, traffic light, man, woman, dog), at home (table, chair, sofa, juice, cup, spoon), while reading (cow, girl, farm, duck, frog). Once you’ve named an object, encourage your toddler to repeat it. (“This is a book. Can you say ‘book’?”)
Sound like a grown-up . Out of the mouths of babes (or rather, toddlers) come some of the cutest words: sketti (spaghetti), ta-too (thank you), ba-bo (apple). The temptation is great to mimic these adorable utterances when conversing with your toddler, but hearing you use baby talk may confuse your toddler and won’t help his or her language development. Using such diminutives as
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