Building language skills in toddlers

Toddlers, or children from ages one to three-years-old, communicate in many ways. They make sounds, say words, use short sentences, or point to tell you what they need or want. Recognizing and encouraging all attempts toddlers make to communicate helps in building language skills. When you respond, toddlers realize that what they’ve done is important and are likely to do it again!

New words help toddlers talk about the things they see and do. Building their vocabulary can be achieved by talking about many kinds of words, including the names of things (e.g., spider, car), actions (e.g., painting, running), feelings (e.g., sad, happy) and words that describe things (e.g. soft, hot).

Here are ways you can draw attention to new words and help toddlers build their vocabulary:

• Use daily routines to introduce new words, ideas, feelings, and concepts. Routines such as dressing and mealtime are natural times to talk with your toddler. Use these routines to emphasize and repeat words that may be new for them. Talk with them about what’s happening in the moment.

• Talk slower and sound out the new word

• Talk about what you’re doing as you’re doing it. Hearing words combined with actions makes the new words easier to learn (e.g., “I’m mixing the cookie dough.

The cookie dough is very sticky. Let’s put them in the oven. The oven is very hot. I’ll be careful not to touch it.”)

• Talk about what the toddler is doing. This will help them learn words that describe activities or things that interest them (e.g., “That’s a nice red truck. It’s driving really fast. It’s going up the ramp and around the corner.”)

• Toddlers say many words, but not always clearly. You can help them speak clearly by repeating back the words they say, using correct pronunciation. Exaggerate the missing or mispronounced sound. Listening to these correct models will gradually help the toddler to improve their speech.

• Use new words many times throughout the day. To learn new words, most children need to hear the words spoken many times before they start to say them.

• Use short, simple sentences to help them learn to say a new word.

• Let them experience new things. Go on field trips to the zoo, museum, grocery store, and playground. Use educational videos, television, songs, and books to help them hear new words.

• Link new words to things and experiences the toddler already knows (“The dinosaur is very big. It’s huge! Remember the huge dinosaurs we saw in Drumheller?”)

From the moment they are born to five years of age is an important time for the development of speech, language, and hearing in children. Strong speech, language, and hearing skills are important for later learning and school success. Acting on concerns early is important.

For more information about how speech-language pathologists and audiologists can help, contact your doctor, public health nurse or other health provider, or visit your local health centre.