Another installment of an episode that goes further into depth with ideas to help model language concepts away from toys, within routines.

I go into more depth regarding ways to model different language concepts on a walk around the neighborhood, to a park, or to a playground.

Your toddler is now using words, and that's really exciting! But some of their sounds are not coming out as would be expected- or they are leaving off sounds, or they are shy to try to talk. Does your child have a speech sound disorder? What diagnosis should they have? I provide education regarding the types of sound disorders, and general strategies to help your toddler tune in to speech sounds within your typical play. 

Resources: 

Speech Sound Disorders (asha.org)

Home - Apraxia Kids (apraxia-kids.org)

We typically notice when children are not talking as they get older, but comprehending language is the basis for building expressive language skills, and delays in following directions and showing understanding of the meaning of words is crucial to overall language development. I talk about ways to support building better language comprehension skills in this bonus episode.

This is a short one! I go over the places that offer free toys and where you can find used or recycled toys both online and locally. Remember that non-electronic toys are always less expensive than those with bells and whistles!

Nursery Rhymes and fingerplays (think 5 Little Monkeys) are a great way to help a child become a more active communicator and build skills needed to increase participation. I make a case for singing the songs yourself, rather than playing them on a screen, even if you are not an operatic singer!

I describe how children learn "book knowledge", how to foster literacy in the smallest "readers" before they ever read a word, and how to choose books to enhance their knowledge of pictures and text during reading. 

Some of my favorite books: 

The Napping House by Audrey Wood  (Rich text)

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (Rich text, action words)

First 100 Words by Bright Baby (common pictures with text)

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See? by Bill Martin Jr (Rhyming)

Please Baby Please by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis (Rhyming, action words, can be used with sign)

PeekaWho by Nina Laden (Rhyming, Flap Book)

If you've read this far- there are a few other books I'd love to share! All children, even readers, love books with complex pictures and no text that have lots to look at.  I would recommend these for children who are a little older and have the attention span to look at a busy page. Good Dog, Carl by Alexandra Day is a fabulous book in which the nanny dog takes his infant friend Madeline all over the city when her mother goes away. The illustrations are beautiful and there is a lot to talk about in each scene. Cars and Trucks and Things That Go by Richard Scarry also has a page full of pictures with lots going on- this one does have minimal text. 

The kids' toys market is full of toys with flashing lights and sounds. They play music, they talk about what they are, they seem to attract the attention of children who might not otherwise play with the toy- but are they helpful when you are trying to build language? This episode references a study about electronic toys that came out in 2015 and discusses the findings.

Visit my website at PlayTeachTalk for journal entries, YouTube videos, and short courses offered twice monthly to enhance language skills in young children.

Related Links:

Why chatty, flashy toys may not be best for babies - CBS News

Do Blinking, Singing Toys Really Teach Babies? | Parents

Building longer attention span for adult-led play and creating more instances in joint attention is crucial to establish prior to building language skills. I talk about attention for child-led and adult-led play, what joint attention is, how to set up your environment to encourage better attention, and a few activities to encourage joint attention. 

Links to attention-based articles: 

#281 Skills Toddlers Must Use Before Words Emerge - #4 Joint Attention - teachmetotalk.com

How to increase toddler attention span - Teach Your Toddler To Talk

15 Activities to Increase Your Toddler's Attention Span (mylifeandkids.com)  (This link has lots of pop-ups)

Simple Trick May Improve an Infant's Attention Span | Live Science  (an article about research related to increasing child attention)

I talk about the reasons why toys brought into the home seem to "work magic" in encouraging children to use language, and how to do that yourself at home.