Teaching Toddlers to Talk - by doing
Teaching toddlers to talk becomes a fun and pleasant activity if you look for opportunities to DO entertaining things WITH your toddler in active play and repeat the same activities over and over.
Choose household objects to play with as well as toys. Toddlers don't know the difference between a manufactured toy and a pot lid. Toys are just "something to play with". Ordinary every day household objects that are not sharp or too small, are safe to play with give many more chances for useful words to be learned. And make no mistake, babies will learn what is most useful or most fun to them.
While your toddler is playing with a spoon, you can say "spoon" several times. Hold the spoon in front of you and make sure baby can see the spoon and your face at the same time. Say "spoon" and wiggle the spoon about to focus the baby's attention on it.
Do this several times. Then look straight at baby and say "spoon" very slowly and exaggerate your mouth movements "sssssss....P...ooooooo...n" . You will notice he looks in your eyes the first time you say it. Then as you repeat it slowly like that several times, his eyes will flick back between your eyes and your mouth. He may make a sound - trying to say the word. Now if he tries to say the word, regardless of any errors, this shows your toddler is learning and is producing the best sounds his skill level allows. You should give a big smile and give lots of praise. Then it is important to say the word correctly again so you are showing the best model of how to say it.
Do this several times. Then look straight at baby and say "spoon" very slowly and exaggerate your mouth movements "sssssss....P...ooooooo...n" . You will notice he looks in your eyes the first time you say it. Then as you repeat it slowly like that several times, his eyes will flick back between your eyes and your mouth. He may make a sound - trying to say the word. Now if he tries to say the word, regardless of any errors, this shows your toddler is learning and is producing the best sounds his skill level allows. You should give a big smile and give lots of praise. Then it is important to say the word correctly again so you are showing the best model of how to say it.
Now do some deliberate playing with the spoon. You can put some dry rice grains in a cooking pot. Tell baby it is "rice" let him play with it with his hands, then show baby how to "stir" with the spoon, and say "Stir the rice" several times. Start to do actions with the spoon. Say " Give mummy ( or daddy or carer name) the spoon".
Toddlers love "Hiding " games. So you can simply put the spoon under a towel to hide it, then ask your toddler , "Where's the spoon?". He may pull the towel away to show the spoon, so you can show how pleased you are he found it.
You can play many variations of this. Hide two things - the spoon and a cup under two different towels and ask " Where's the spoon"? Be happy and pleased when he guesses right. When he is wrong, shake your head 'Uh-oh, no spoon, It's the cup!".
Toddlers love "Hiding " games. So you can simply put the spoon under a towel to hide it, then ask your toddler , "Where's the spoon?". He may pull the towel away to show the spoon, so you can show how pleased you are he found it.
You can play many variations of this. Hide two things - the spoon and a cup under two different towels and ask " Where's the spoon"? Be happy and pleased when he guesses right. When he is wrong, shake your head 'Uh-oh, no spoon, It's the cup!".
Making sure your toddler has somewhere in the house to play is crucial. Toddlers need a place they can do messy playing, like painting, water play, handling messy squishy textures like pasta, paint, modelling clay and generally able to make a mess while they are learning about the world.
If you can provide an area in your home that is dedicated as your kid's playroom or play space then you will find that they will really benefit from this. Your children will be really happy if they have their own play area and not have adults shouting at them all the time to clear up their toys or projects, especially if they don't have their own room. A playroom with washable area of floor and some storage will give them somewhere to keep their toys on a permanent basis. This means that the adults don't have to worry about tripping over things all the time and the kids have a fun room in the house.
If you can provide an area in your home that is dedicated as your kid's playroom or play space then you will find that they will really benefit from this. Your children will be really happy if they have their own play area and not have adults shouting at them all the time to clear up their toys or projects, especially if they don't have their own room. A playroom with washable area of floor and some storage will give them somewhere to keep their toys on a permanent basis. This means that the adults don't have to worry about tripping over things all the time and the kids have a fun room in the house.
Most homes have an area that they just don't utilise; basements and attics are just used as storage space. These spaces can become part of the home with some conversion work. And if you choose to add heating then this is another area which can be used all year round even on cold or rainy days when boredom can peak if you have to stay indoors.
But you will find that toddlers won't play much in their own playroom, on their own. They want you to be there to play with them and teach them, and that is just as it should be. THe playroom shouldn't become a place to park the toddler and expect him to play quietly for hours on his own. It won't happen. Try to make their play area as interesting as possible with toys and everyday objects that spark their interest. Then you have the ideal place for doing activities for teaching toddlers how to talk.
But you will find that toddlers won't play much in their own playroom, on their own. They want you to be there to play with them and teach them, and that is just as it should be. THe playroom shouldn't become a place to park the toddler and expect him to play quietly for hours on his own. It won't happen. Try to make their play area as interesting as possible with toys and everyday objects that spark their interest. Then you have the ideal place for doing activities for teaching toddlers how to talk.
