Talkin' Toddlers
Author: Jeannie Fleming-Gifford
There were smiles, coos, giggles and now words are forming. Development occurs rapidly. As toddlers begin to acquire the ability to communicate, you may find you are experiencing a “few bumps in the road.”
Toddlers are terrific little people. All of sudden they are walking, they provide expressions of how they feel both through movement and sound, and they are now trying to find the right words to share with us.
Sometimes it can be challenging. They may use one word, maybe two.
What do they want?
What do they mean?
Sometimes they simply melt down and ta-da, you have the classic toddler tantrum that you’ve heard stories about.
What can you do? What should you do to support your toddler’s language development?
- Read and read some more. From the classics like Goodnight Moon to the new series of colorful books about families by Karen Katz, there are delightful tales that will keep you and your child engaged. With every book, there are new words and new opportunities for children to acquire understanding of current vocabulary.
- Use sign language. Even if you didn’t use sign with your infant, there are great benefits from using a few key signs with your toddler. Most frustrations from a toddler come from their passion to complete tasks on their own. However, they may not have the skill to complete the task successfully (i.e. trying to put on their shoes). Signs for words such as “help” and “more” may provide an alternative solution for children versus becoming angry.
- Immerse your child in a world of language. This can be as simple as noting every day use of letters and words in your environment. “Oh, that sign says open, that means we can go play.”
- Sing and listen to music with your child. The patterns one finds in music and through singing are similar to those found in speech patterns. Whether you think you can carry a tune or not, it doesn’t matter. Through these types of interactions, your child will benefit.
- Talk to your child and ask open-ended questions (open-ended questions are those that have more than one answer). Even if your child doesn’t have the right answer, encourage them to talk with you and to share their feelings.
Before long, you’ll be smiling thinking of the days when things were much quieter.
