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Home › Articles › Toddlers › Take Your Toddler on a Talking Adventure!

Take Your Toddler on a Talking Adventure!

By Mindy Hudon, M.S.,CCC-SLP

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"Anything that you do throughout the day like getting dressed, walking down the stairs, or changing a diaper is a language modeling opportunity," says Michelle Mitchell, M.Ed, CCC-SLP speech-language pathologist and mother of Parker, 10, Barrett, 7, and Brynn, 4.

"At this age, children enjoy cause and effect games. 'Hide and Seek' is a great example of this type of game," she says. "Go around a corner and when they say a sound or a word, respond by saying, 'Boo' or 'Did you call me?' Then say, 'Bye, bye.' Do this again and again."

Mitchell also suggests using any toy to create communication temptations to encourage your toddler to make sounds or words. "Help your child stack blocks by handing him each block. One time, hand him another toy and wait to see his reaction. Your toddler will probably respond with a sound or a word. Then say, 'Oh, that's not a block, it's a ball!' It is the element of surprise that keeps them interested!" says Mitchell.

Get Set?
Between 16 to 20 months your toddler will continue to learn and use new words. He may even start to combine two words. His understanding of language is continuing to grow. Toddlers love to listen to simple stories. Read to them and enjoy nursery songs or rhymes. You will become very familiar with these activities because your toddler will request that you repeat them many times. All this repetition helps his language development. Eventually, your toddler will start singing or repeating some of the words. To encourage his imitation, try to pause briefly when reading or singing to allow him the opportunity to chime in and sing a note or two!

Mitchell says that sometimes parents model language too much and never allow their child opportunities to talk themselves. "Give them a lot of time to respond to questions and expand their language on their own," says Mitchell. "One day, don't hand your child their breakfast bowl (like yu do everyday), just continue the breakfast routine, like getting the spoon and juice cup. Wait, and see if your child asks for the bowl."

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