Tips4Toddlers Guide to Communicating with your Toddler

To begin with I want you to think of an occasion when someone has given you directions on how to get to a destination. Normally they have to repeat it two or three times before you actually remember where you need to go and often you remember a specific such as ‘turn right at the BIG TREE” or “turn left when you pass the FIELD OF POPPIES”. Either way your brain remembers specific words rather than “turn left, turn right then right again”

Now think of a toddler and how they are just starting out and how they are absorbing everything around them. It can sometimes be overwhelming when too many words are being said to them.

1. They might not have not learnt the vocabulary yet.

2. They might not have got the necessary concentration, listening and attention skills to understand what has been said.

Positive reinforcement is so important. An adult needs to show a toddler how to pronounce words by responding and repeating what they say in the correct way, rather than saying they are wrong.

It is paramount that as adults we try and set children up for success. By keeping language simple it helps toddlers to digest new language more easily and therefore understand what is being asked of them.

For example; an adult could say ‘put your coat and boots on and then we will go outside and play in the sandpit’. This for many toddlers is too complex and therefore the toddler may just ignore you. Instead try and simplify it: If the toddler needs to put their coat on, give the coat to the toddler and say ‘coat’ or ‘boots’. This way the toddler will begin to relate objects to particular words and over time the adult will only have to say a word and the toddler will then be able to recognise it and therefore begin to follow simple instructions.

Initially it is worth using nouns (ball, cup) and verbs (run, swim, walk) rather than adjectives (big, small) or prepositions (in front, behind) as it will help toddlers understand what they need to do.

Helping your toddler speak and say more

Using words and talking

When a child starts to talk they start with using single words and over time they gradually begin to put more words together.

The best way to encourage your toddler to learn is through play. It is important that your toddler understands what is said to them before they are expected to use them.

Tips4Toddlers Guide to supporting your child before they start talking.

• Try to avoid asking your child to ‘say this’ and ‘say that’ as this can discourage children from wanting to talk.

• Accept the sounds your child makes as the words they mean and say it back to them correctly (e.g. Child: “ta-ter”, adult: “yes, tractor”).

• Use actions and gestures to support what you say, sometimes learning an action for a word can help children learn the word itself.

• Wait and listen for your child to talk, sometimes we talk too much because we want to fill in the silences.

• Model words over and over and give your child a chance to try saying them for themselves.

Tips4Toddlers Guide to Encouraging your Toddler

• Role Model. Comment and repeat simple words and phrases, when playing favourite games or during everyday activities

  • (e.g. hanging the washing out). This will show your child the types of things they could say.

• If your child says a word, say it back to them. But add another word onto it to show them how to expand.

  • Child: ‘Dad’, Adult: ‘Dad gone’, or E.g. Child: dog eat’, Adult: ‘yes, dog eating dinner’.

Tips4Toddlers Types of words to use with your toddler

• Naming words (nouns)

  • e.g. banana milk eyes nose bus, plane horse lion coat.

• Doing Words (verbs)

  • e.g. run, jump, sit, sleep, wash, cry, dig, swim, brush.

• Describing words (adjectives)

  • e.g. big, little, hot, cold, wet, long, dirty, red, blue.

• Position words (prepositions)

  • e.g. in, on, under, in front, behind, next, to, in between.

All advice, care or help given by Tips4Toddlers is done so in good faith and trust and it is not medical advice. The information in this document is solely for the purpose of this recipient and should not be forwarded to friends and family who are seeking similar help in this area. It is entirely the responsibility of the person receiving such advice, care or help to decide whether to act upon it or not and they do so at their own risk. Tips4Toddlers are not to be held responsible in any way.