What is the practice?
Most toddlers naturally play with language by repeating words, phrases, or songs over and over, and by making up nonsense words. You can help your toddler with this part of language development by joining in his play and encouraging him to pay attention to the sounds he is making. Research shows that toddlers whose caregivers respond enthusiastically to early at- tempts at word play develop language skills more quickly and easily than toddlers who don’t have these opportunities.
What does the practice look like?
A toddler asking incessant ‘why’ questions, singing the frst line of Dragon Tales over and over, or making up nonsense names for her stuffed animals are all examples of children at play with language. As a parent, you can join in by answering questions, asking some of your own, singing along, and pointing out which silly-sounding names rhyme or sound alike.
How do you do the practice?
There are many daily opportunities for you to encourage your toddler’s verbal play. Follow your child’s lead with anything she wants to ‘talk’ about.
How do you know the practice worked?
- Does your child try to engage you and others in conversation or word play?
- Is your child eager to sing along with you, and with familiar songs on the radio or TV?
- Is your child showing more understanding of how people communicate with words?
- Join your child in singing familiar songs from books, TV, movies, or day care. Encourage your child to experiment by making up different words, especially using your child’s name and the names of friends, pets, or favorite activities.
- Introduce your toddler to the idea of rhyming by reading and reciting with her nursery rhymes, and encourage her to listen to the sounds. These are good to recite and play with while driving in the car, because you can use the sights around you (cars, favorite stores, people walking, trees) to think of other words to rhyme.
- Play games about the sounds things make, asking “What does the cow say?” or “What does that truck say?” Encourage your child to use his imagination to think about the way things sound. For example, a toddler might think a very large truck would make a deep, loud sound, but a spider would make a much smaller sound. These kinds of games help your child get used to paying attention both to sounds in words and sounds that aren’t words, and understanding the difference between them.
- Have fun! Learning to talk is a complicated process, and children develop all the skills over time in their own ways. Your willingness to be silly with your child as he begins to play with words and sounds goes a long way to increasing his interest in talking and paying attention to language.
Take a look at more verbal play with toddlers
Songs on the Go!
Nora, 2 1/2 years old, is in her car seat on the way to the store with her dad. She is singing and talking to herself about everything they pass. “Sing Old McDonald, Daddy,” she says. “Okay, you help me,” Dad responds, and starts to sing. Then he pauses and asks, “What animal frst?” “Cow!” Nora says, and chimes in on the mooing and other animal sounds. When they run out of animal ideas, her dad adds a verse: “...and on that farm they had a—Nora! What would a Nora say?” She laughs and calls out, “Ice cream!” “Okay, let’s sing that,” Dad says, and they sing verses with the names of friends and family members, with Nora supplying the words or sounds she thinks they would say, practicing using a range of sounds, words, and expressions.
Rhyme Time
Two-year-old Milo and his mom are together feeding animals in their barn. Touching the wooly head of a lamb, Milo says, “Lamb!” “That’s right,” his mom says. “This is our new lamb. Can you think of other words that sound like lamb?” Milo hesitates. “Think of your favorite book,” his mom suggests. “Green Eggs and….” “Ham!” Milo says. “Right! Hear how they sound the same? Lamb and ham.” “Lamb, ham, fam, bam …” Milo says. “They all sound the same,” his mom says. “How about ram, like a daddy sheep?” They take turns coming up with more rhyming words. Milo’s mom isn’t worried that some of the sounds aren’t real words; Milo is practicing how to play with and use sounds, and the more comfortable he gets with this the more words he will learn in the long run.
Loud/Soft, Fast/Slow
John, a toddler with Down syndrome, is seated on his dad’s lap, pretending to drive the family car. “Here we go,” his dad says, “Vroom… There’s a truck. What do we say to Mr. Truck?” “Vroom, vroom” John says, holding on to the steering wheel. “What? Mr. Truck can’t hear you,” says Dad. “Can you say that louder?” “Vroom!” John makes his car yell. “Oops, too loud. Can you do it softer?” Dad whispers. John whispers, “Vroom.” They play with the sounds of the car, trying out louder and softer as well as fast sounds—pretending they’re race car drivers—and slow sounds for heading up a hill. This play allows John to practice using his voice and sounds, and using words by speaking for his car.
