As any school principal can tell you, the best teachers spend as much time entertaining as they do teaching. Developing a positive attitude toward language and learning and being receptive when a parent steps into the role of teacher is more important than any individual lesson. Learning (and teaching!) requires a clear head, so if your child can't attend to the task at hand or you're feeling frustrated, don't push it. Also, avoid drilling at all costs. Lessons should be enjoyable enough to make you both smile and short enough that you'll both look forward to playing again. If your toddler isn't finding it fun, forget it!
Here are some simple ways to boost your toddler's verbal skills:
Let her talk to relatives on the telephone.
Ask him to tell you about his favorite activity at day care.
Write down the details of a trip or outing and read them back to her.
Tell him a bedtime story instead of reading him one (and if the main character has the same name as your child, so much the better!).
Turn off the TV at mealtime and talk.
Turn off the radio in the car and recite nursery rhymes.
Teach vocabulary by asking your youngster to hand you clothing when you're dressing him (“Please hand me your sock.”), kitchen items while you set the table (“Please get a cup.”), things you need to go out (“Where is your diaper bag?”). Remember, it's never too early to teach manners, so include “please” and “thank you.”
Another way to give vocabulary lessons is to play the “Where is it?”game with your child:
Place three familiar objects — such as a cup, a teddy bear, and a sock — on a table.
Point to each object while naming it. For example, “See? This is the cup.”
Then ask your child, “Where is the cup? Please show me (or give me) the cup.”
Provide prompts by pointing to or placing your child's hand on the correct object.
If she responds correctly, nod immediately and say, “Yes, that's the cup,” to provide feedback and to reinforce correct answers. For wrong answers, say, “No, that's the sock. This is the cup. Can you say ‘cup’?” Pause briefly after asking him to repeat a word, but then move on.
The goal of the “Can you say?” questions should be to call the child's attention to an object and to build the association between the object and the sound of its name. Don't try to get a toddler to actually say the names of the objects. Remember that vocabulary comprehension is more important than speaking ability for long-term development. Physical maturation will determine when children are able to speak.
Taking TurnsIf your child is able to say the names of some household objects, vary the game by giving her a turn to call out a name and then respond by pointing to the object or handing it to her while saying its name. For instance, say, “Now it's your turn. Ask Mommy for the cup. Can you say ‘cup’?” When she says, “cup,” point to it or hand it to her and say, “Here is the cup.” Then have her ask you for the sock. Continue providing prompts until she can call out the names of objects by herself. When she's successful with the first three objects, stop the game. Use different objects on another day.
Toddlers are really just babies in disguise, and it can be tough for them to grasp that this game doesn't involve banging the cup on the table, cuddling the teddy bear, or eating the sock! If your child lacks the maturity or ability to concentrate on the practice session, so be it. Let a month elapse before trying again. In the meantime, place a few of his toys around the room and ask him to bring each one back to you.
Bundles of BooksBooks are excellent vehicles for teaching vocabulary. By pointing to pictures and saying the names, children learn to associate the sound with the visual image. Librarians and bookstore clerks can steer you toward books that are best for your child's developmental level. See Chapter 13, “Super Toddlers,” for tips on reading to youngsters.
Most adults feel discounted when the person they're talking to turns his or her back. The same goes for toddlers. Be a good listener and engage your child. Get down to her level, maintain eye contact, and ask questions to show you're interested.
Many routine grammar errors may actually show that toddlers correctly comprehend very complex grammar rules of the English language. For instance, the past tense in English is usually formed by adding -ed to the present tense of the verb, as in reach/reached; seat/seated; hope/hoped; jump/jumped. When toddlers say, “She teached me,” they demonstrate their grasp of this basic rule. The best way to teach the correct forms of irregular verbs is to correct the errors each time they occur by restating the sentence correctly.
Unlike trying to get toddlers to pronounce words properly, which may be impossible until they mature physically, correcting grammar is important to keep bad speech habits from developing. So, if your child says, “It's bended,” respond by saying, “Yes, it's bent.” You should respond to “I done it,” with, “Yes, you did it.”
