Teaching Toddlers to Use Their Words

Ask any parent of a toddler, there’s nothing more frustrating for the parent (as well as the toddler) when you can’t understand what your toddler is trying to tell you. Between the ages of about 18 months and 3 years old toddler’s are gaining new words and language skills like crazy, unfortunately their little mouths don’t have the dexterity to keep up with all the new sounds.  Luckily, toddlers are eager to learn when their parents talk and that’s exactly what we need to be doing-talking.

Toddlers learn how to talk through everyday interactions from their parents or other adults in the household. These interactions can be direct or indirect; adults can converse, play or read with the toddler. Toddlers can be exposed to new language indirectly-where adults are conversing with each other which sometimes leads to a toddler learning one of those “sentence enhancers” (you know-those special four letter words) and toddlers always seem to flex their vocabulary muscles at the most in opportune times.

Helping toddlers communicate

Toddlers often (always) are very emotional and can’t form words to express their wants and needs; rather defaulting to non-verbal communication (pointing, shaking/nodding their head), whining, stomping or crying to get their needs met. We need to help them understand that this is not how they get what they want.

-We can encourage toddlers to use their words by repeating what we think they are trying to say. “Your cup is empty, would you like more water. Yes or No”.

-Helping connect emotions to words can also help to increase your toddler’s communication skills. “Oh-no, you dropped your cookie; I know you’re sad, but we can always get another one”

-Try giving your toddler choices. “Do you want the grape juice box or the apple juice box?”, “Would you like to play with the cars or read a book”

-When your toddler inevitably uses the wrong word, used a made up word or uses a word in the wrong context you can encourage the use of the correct word by repeating their sentence with the correct one.

– Your toddler will also use simple word combinations “Mom more”, “Car go”, etc. . Encourage full sentences by repeating what they’re trying to say in full; “You want Mom to give you more cereal?”, “Yeah!, you are making the toy car go down the track”.

Helping toddlers understand words

Here are some ways to help your toddler learn more of what you say to them

-Try saying the same thing in different ways. “There are six blue blocks”, “These six blocks are blue”, How many blue blocks do we have? 1,2,3,4,5,6″.

-Use the same word when referring to or describing something. Maybe you only refer to the toy box as a toy box, rather than a bin, bucket or tote.

-Try using clear 1-2 step instructions when asking a toddler to do something. “Turn the light on”, “Pick up the wrapper and put it in the garbage”

If you have any concerns about your child’s language development or any other area of development you can screen your child and get support with the free Sparkler app on Apple and Android

Use code: HMGK when creating an account.

Sparkler offers free developmental screening for children 0-5 years old, over 2000 play activities, and a direct connection to child developmental experts right in the app.