Category: Talk

We go out shopping, find the CUTEST outfit for our little one, and come home excited to put them in it!  Dressing can be a great opportunity to teach our children. It’s something we help them with at least twice a day. Even when they get old enough to give us a hard time, which they will at some point, we can still provide a learning opportunity! Dressing routines can teach them names of clothing even before they can imitate sounds and words. As parents, we just have to label what we are putting on them. It not only teaches them but it may even distract them from being upset about what is happening😊 Over the years, I’ve seen some parents/caregivers turn it into a song! “These are your socks, socks, socks!” The tune doesn’t matter(and neither does your singing voice!). As they get older, ask your child to give you the article of clothing to put on(receptive language) or ask them “What’s this?” as you show them, so they can label it(expressive language). If they don’t know or the word is too hard for them at the time, label it for them so they eventually imitate it. Repetition and practice are keys to learning. What better way to do this than in daily routines! Even as they get older and more headstrong, provide choices(when able) for the child to pick out clothing. You can ask, “Do you want to wear the blue shirt or the green shirt?”. You may use a favorite character that’s on the clothing. Any method you choose, you are teaching them to combine words! Also, you can teach them “on” and “off”. “We put shoes on”. “Take your coat off”. There are so many phrases. Furthermore, you can incorporate questions in this routine. “Do you wear shoes on your head?” “No, shoes go on our feet!”(Be silly with this!). “Does our hat go on our head?” “Yes, on our head!” Another example is asking “where” so they can use words to answer one of the first “wh” questions they will begin to understand. “Where do our socks go?” “They go on our feet!”(Encourage them to respond “feet” or “on feet”). Although we may not always have a lot of time to spend in this routine, significant learning can occur!

TIP: Give you child time to respond, at least 3-5 seconds.

Words/sounds to use: names of clothing, colors, body parts, on, off, yes, no

Early on, babies begin to explore their mouths. Once they get the hang of bottle or breast feeding, their fingers begin to make their way to their mouths.  Some babies may begin to suck on their fingers or thumb to soothe themselves.  Although we hope this doesn’t turn into a habit we somehow have to help them break in the future, it is important to have the hand to mouth connection.  They will also begin to place objects to their mouths when they begin to teethe.  This is a good thing as long as it is an appropriate object!  As parents, we should begin to make silly faces and sounds with them as early as possible. This will given them the opportunity to connect, begin to imitate and gain awareness of their mouths, and engage in the beginning of turn taking(social language).  It feels silly at first as adults, but it teaches your baby so many early speech and language skills!  Show your baby raspberries(blowing with your lips closed or when tongue is slightly protruded), moving your tongue around(clicking it, sticking it out, lalalala sound), popping/smacking your lips together(I like to call this the fishy sound), blowing, opening mouth wide to make “ahhhh” sound, and smiling to make an “eeee” sound.  Your baby will probably get a kick out of this and laugh a lot at his silly parent/caregiver!  As they get older, you can teach them using a mirror if you notice they are having difficulty imitating these movements or making sounds.  This way they can watch you and themselves perform.  Blowing bubbles is a great way to teach toddlers how to blow, which is important for awareness of their lips and tongue in order to make both an “o” and “w” sound.  If they have difficulty with this movement, use a bubble blower that they can dip one end in the bubbles and blow through the other end.  Having to blow through it shapes their lips in a rounded position and their tongue down and out of the way.  Any type of instrument they have to blow through to make noise(the reinforcement for the child) will be a fun way to teach them. You can use horns, whistles, flutes/recorders, etc.  Remember, they will never know they are actually learning when you make it silly and fun!

Words/sounds to include: ahhhhh, eeeee, lalalala, pop, blow, bubble, mouth, tongue, lips, teeth, etc.

Gardening can be a fun way to grow your relationship with your toddler! Whether planting in the ground or in pots, giving your child a way to learn a ton of vocabulary and to follow directions while getting messy can be so much fun. They won’t even know they are learning! Whatever you choose to plant, tell your child what it is you are planting and what you are doing. For example, “ Let’s plant the beans!”  “Here are the seeds.” “We need to use a shovel to dig a small hole.” “Dig, dig, dig!” “Put the seeds in the hole.” “Then cover up the seeds with the dirt.” “Now we need to water them.” “Pour!” “The sun will help them grow too!”. Take turns with the tasks and use phrases “My turn” and “Your turn” as you do.  Ask them what they need so they can request the materials(Seed please, More dirt, I want shovel, I need water, etc.).  As they watch them grow, they will know they helped and maybe(if you plant vegetables or fruit)eat what they planted and nourished!

Word/sounds to include: names of fruits, vegetables, or flowers, dig, hole, scoop, dump, pour, seed, water, sun, dirt, sprout, bloom, pick, dirty, clean, wet

As parents, we learn very early on that reading is great for the development of young brains. It’s also a great bonding experience between parents/caregivers and children! Even babies can sit with their parents/caregivers and look at picture books for short(or long) periods of time. It’s a great way to set a routine with babies at night before they go to bed so they can begin to wind down. It’s also a great way throughout their day to help them learn to transition their body and mind from active learning to more passive learning. When they are small, going through very short, simple books with just pictures or short sentences that tell a story gets them ready to both understand and begin to use words. You can point to pictures as you label them and eventually, when they are able to touch/point, label the pictures so they can show you they understand the word is associated with a picture. Once they begin to talk, ask your child “What’s/Who’s this?” as you point so they begin to practice saying the words themselves. This is also a great opportunity for them to ASK to look at a book with you. When your child brings a book to you ask him/her “Do you want to read a book?”. Then, cue them by saying “Tell me” and model “book” for them to imitate. You can also utilize the sign if needed(found in resources tab). For older children, expand when they ask “book” by modeling “Read book” or “Book please” so they imitate word combinations to make requests. Books with repetition or onomatopoeia of a sound/word/phrase are great for children to fill in when you pause. This will demonstrate both their growing memory and anticipation, as well as, build their confidence to use sounds/words.

Words/sounds to include: book, more, all done, read, open, label the pictures or actions on the pages, use any sounds the pictures in the book may make(vroom, beep, moo, quack, etc.)

Meal times are a great way for children to learn, as well as, use language with others. It also teaches them to engage in turn taking behaviors while expressing wants/needs and beginning social/conversational language with parents or caregivers.  Food and drink are usually a huge motivator for children, and we are meeting their basic needs while teaching them! Providing some choices for your child(ren) can help them use words/gestures to tell you what they want to eat or drink. It takes some of the pressure off to produce the word spontaneously when they may not be able to. For example, ask “Do you want milk or juice?” while showing them either the containers or if you use certain cups for the liquids and they understand that.  You can use choices for snacks, drinks, and even parts of meals. All of this is within reason of course. If you, as the parent/caregiver, are not comfortable with choices, there are additional strategies to use to encourage language. You can limit the amount of food or drink that you provide. If you are working on them asking for “more”, place the object in sight but out of reach. Your child(if motivated) will inevitably try to get more on their own. Ask him/her, “Do you want more?”. If they indicate they do(follow the body language) cue them by saying “Tell me more”. You can use the sign if your child doesn’t imitate “more”. If they indicate they don’t want more, end the snack or meal by stating “All done!”(model the sign when necessary). Maybe they aren’t motivated that much by food/drink. Try giving choices of favorite/preferred cups/bowls/utensils at meal or snack times. Also, naming the food/drink your child is enjoying, and telling them what they are doing(eating, drinking, chew, bite, etc) helps build vocabulary. Make sounds like “Mmmmm”, “yum”, or “ahhh”(after they take a drink) so they imitate. They can participate in sharing and turn taking as well! Meals are a great way to help your child learn and engage with them while they explore tastes and textures with your company. You can find a helpful website for baby sign language in the resources tab.

Words/sounds to include: names of foods or drinks, actions-bite, chew, munch, crunch, taste, sip, swallow, yum, mmmm, sipping/munching sounds, fork, spoon, cup, bowl, plate, cut eat, drink, colors, more, all done, all gone

Brushing teeth. When it comes to your baby, it’s easier said than done sometimes. The first question is, “When do I start?”. It is recommended to start when they begin to get teeth in. However, some children experience more pain with this process than others. How can we make this a pleasant, non-stressful experience for them(and for us!)?  The earlier you begin, the less stress and anxiety they will feel. This can be a great opportunity to sing some songs with them. It can be a song they like or one you make up about brushing teeth. Also, you can narrate the steps to the process. For example, “Let’s brush our teeth!”. “We get our toothbrush.” “Put on some toothpaste, SQUEEZE!”, “Turn on the water!” “Open up and brush, brush, brush!” Maybe show your child how you do it if they are anxious about what is happening. Try making some sounds along with the oral actions, such as “Ahhhh” when mouth is open wide, or “eeee” when smiling to brush fronts of teeth. Then you can describe the process of cleaning up as well. When they are old enough, this is a great time to practice using a dixie cup to take small sips from. This can be a fun way to incorporate sounds and words, as well as, a distraction for them if they are having difficulty tolerating the toothbrush. As they first begin to get teeth in, start with a finger toothbrush so they can get used to the feeling of it. It will also provide some stimulation to their gums and tongue. Then you can move to a toddler toothbrush when ready. You can find a set of each step in most stores that sell baby items. Remember, babies are supposed to be putting objects in their mouths as teeth are coming in(as long as it is appropriate).  Provide them with teethers or safe toys to mouth during this time. This not only gets them ready for foods, but also for speech!

Words/sounds to include: toothbrush, toothpaste, water, on, off, wet, brush, teeth, tongue, all clean/all done, wipe, squeeze, “eeee”, “ahhhhh”