Over the next six months your toddler will start to
replace her baby “babble” with real words to describe things. Her
ability to understand what you say will improve much more quickly and
you may be surprised to find how easily she follows basic instructions,
too.
“Your toddler may
get frustrated at times. Imagine if you did not have full control over
your mouth but were expected to speak clearly.”
“Toddlers love to do
things again and again. They get great joy from repetition because it
reinforces their learning and gives a great sense of
satisfaction—especially if it is drawing a response from you, too.”
Although your toddler’s
language skills will be improving, there won’t be an overnight
transformation and there will be times when it seems impossible to
interpret what she is trying to tell you. There may be a gap of 3–4
months after she says her first words before her growing vocabulary
takes off. By the time she is 18 months she will know about 20 words and
be able to link two words together at a time; this will increase
rapidly to between 50–300 words by 21–24 months. Unfortunately, the
choice of words may not always make sense to you, which is why this is
often known as telegraphic speech. Like an old-fashioned message by
telegraph (or modern-day text message), the style is so condensed that
you will have to fill in the gaps. However, your toddler will have a
clear idea of what she is trying to say, so watch her body language and
listen to her tone of voice.
Helping your child
The more you talk to your
child, the sooner she will learn the fundamentals of language. It is
important to sometimes repeat back to your child what she is saying to
reinforce the process of talking. It may feel patronizing, but it is
not. Reflecting your child’s style speech back to her by using her
phrases and simple adult words, will help her develop an understanding
of the to and fro of conversation, and recognize that her words will be
responded to by other people. For example, if she points at the cat and
says “Loo-, dat!”, reply “Yes, look, it is the cat!”
At other times,
by repeating and echoing back the corrected version of her words, you
can help your child to become familiar with pronunciation. However,
overcorrection may put her under undue pressure to get things right.
Trying to force early language development is generally ineffective
since a child’s vocal cords and control over the tongue have not yet
developed fully. As the voice box (larynx) gradually strengthens along
with other motor skills , so she will learn to speak more fluently.
Describe to your
toddler what you are doing while you are playing, washing, and dressing:
“Shall we wash your hands now?”, “This is your nose,” (touch your
child’s nose), “This is my nose,” (touch your nose), “Let’s make it go
‘beep’,” (press your nose and make a “beep” noise; then do the same to
your child). The combination of touch and sound will help to remind her
of where her nose is and will reinforce the similarity between you.
Introduce the idea of textures, sounds, colors, and smells: “The cat’s
fur is pretty and soft,” “This is a lovely crunchy apple,” “Have your
juice in the red cup”. Although children start to speak at different
ages, the general process of development differs very little. Children
learn mainly by listening to language and by imitation, rather than via
direct instruction.
Communication without words
Until your toddler can express herself through speech, she will use a whole range of other gestures to make her needs known.
Using body language
She is learning to talk, but using her hands and pointing may
still be the most comfortable and accurate way your toddler can show you
want she wants.
Pointing
Learning to point is
an important stage in learning to communicate. For your toddler to
decide “That’s what I want” and to reason that “If I point at it you
will understand and get it for me” takes immense concentration and
skill. Children of this age still want their needs fulfilled
immediately, so it is wise to respond to your toddler’s pointing and
then use words to reinforce her message. If you try to encourage your
child to use the correct words before responding, the resulting stress
may stop her memory from absorbing your language lesson.
Showing you
Your toddler will
enjoy using her newfound speed and skill to find things and to show you
what she wants. Let her explore and physically move around in order to
make her own choices, rather than helping her. Imagine how frustrating
it would be if you were browsing the shelves in a bookstore, only to
find you kept being removed to an armchair before you had reached the
section you wanted!
Facial expressions
Children are
extremely expressive and you will already know many of your toddler’s
mood cues. A simple glance at her face will tell you immediately how she
is experiencing something and, more importantly, whether she is happy,
worried, or anxious.
Keeping in tune with
your toddler’s evolving expressions can be a very useful way of helping
her to understand and cope with her feelings. Even if you cannot see or
sense an obvious explanation for the feeling you see written on your
child’s face—respond to her anyway. Your toddler will be sensing the
world in a way that is vastly different to you and without language, so
may need some help in learning to interpret her experiences and deal
with them.
Cooperating
Children love to mimic; it is
a natural instinct that enables them to learn new skills through play
and watching others. This evolves gradually into cooperation, and is a
useful way for a child to show her understanding without the need for
words. Watch out for your child reaching for her spoon to feed herself;
offering her foot when you reach for her socks; lifting up her arms when
it is time to take off her T-shirt. These are powerful signs that your
child is learning to understand, and is gradually developing the skills
required to help herself. Give her plenty of encouragement and follow
her leads promptly—for example, by putting on her socks rather than
ignoring her gesture.
If your child is
showing you that she understands what is needed, she is also telling you
that she is ready to “have a try.” Whenever you have time, let your
child try to do things for herself: such as putting on a shirt, feeding
herself, and brushing her teeth. With patience, encouragement, and quite
a bit of support, she will soon show you that she has the skills to
succeed, and is ready to learn more.
Language activities
Language development at
this stage should be about fun, not flash cards. Small children are
generally very ready to smile and laugh and love new and silly sounds.
The more lighthearted and fun you can make the process of learning for
your toddler, the more easily she will be able to grasp new words and
ideas.
Rhymes, songs, and word games
Singing songs and making
up silly rhymes will teach your toddler about sounds and rhythm; using
fingers and toes to tell a story will combine words and action—and can
be a fun way to help your child learn the parts of her body.
Traditional nursery
rhymes are still used the world over for the simple reason that they
work so effectively in helping children enjoy language and learn the
sounds of words. Itsy Bitsy Spider, This Little Piggy (went to market), and The Wheels on the Bus (go round and round) are reliable old favorites.
The same is true of
songs that combine words and gestures, although your toddler will be
following your movements rather than listening to the instructions on
the CD or tape at this stage. This is important since it helps children
learn the social side of interaction, including making eye contact,
sharing smiles, and giving attention; all of which are important for
building later friendships and reinforcing natural methods of
communication. Your toddler will absolutely love it if you make up word
games of your own, especially games that include a sense of anticipation
and surprise. These are especially good for encouraging interaction and
trust between playmate and child.
Picture books
These can be a lovely
way to get your toddler used to recognizing different shapes and
textures, as well as learning animal sounds and everyday noises, such as
car horns. Picture books play an especially important part in
encouraging your toddler to observe and learn new words, sounds, and the
context of things. She is too young to be able to imagine ideas and
storylines for herself, but will listen enraptured if you tell her a
tale—especially if it includes lots of actions and noises.
Bathtime fun
Playing at bathtime is an
easy way to get your child washed without her even noticing and
encourages her to feel at ease in water, too. If you have more than one
child, bathing them with each other is a nice way to enjoy some
togetherness—and saves you precious time.
Who is in charge?
By 18 months your
toddler will understand simple instructions such as, “Stop”; “No”; “Come
here”. As well as basic concepts such as “Time for lunch”; “Bathtime,”
and questions such as “Where is teddy bear?” she will also develop the
ability to mimic and pick up words that have been overheard. Parents
often wonder why children have an uncanny ability to pick up
inappropriate swear words at a very early age. This is because they tend
to be single syllable words that are used with emotion or emphasis—so
they stand out in conversation. It could also be due to the reaction
toddlers get when they use them: laughter, shock, and lots of attention
(good or bad). Toddlers love to mimic—so now would be a good time to
curb your language if you are likely to be embarrassed by your toddler
copying you!
Trying to communicate
At this age toddlers do not yet have enough words to make their meaning immediately clear.
Issie, age 18 months,
suddenly exclaims, “Big dog!” Issie’s Daddy responds, “Can you see a big
dog?” Issie excitedly says, “Big dog!” Daddy, determined, says “Are you
thinking about Grandma’s big dog?” Issie, even more excited, says, “Big
dog, big dog!” Daddy is none the wiser and will need some nonverbal
cues if he is to get to the root of the matter. He has no idea whether
Issie is saying, “I want my big toy dog,” “Remember that big dog we saw
three days ago”, “I want the book about the dog,” or just “I like the
sound of the words ‘big dog’!” While it is important to give your child
lots of encouragement with speech, there is not always obvious logic to
the words.
Try echoing the mood and
the phrase back to your child, ask her to show you what she means, or if
she is becoming frustrated, try changing the subject.
Common toddler-speak
Your toddler may omit or
change the sounds in words she finds difficult. If this happens, echo
the word back correctly, with slight emphasis on the corrected sound.
There is no need to ask her to copy or imitate you. She will gradually
take it in through experience and exposure to more words. Your toddler
may:
Drop the first sound from the beginnings or ends of words, especially ones starting or ending in consonants, such as b, d, or t.
Swap sounds, such as d and g.
Make generalizations and turn nouns into verbs, for example, “I songed,” rather than “I sang a song.”
Extend the meaning of words, so that all machines are called “car,” or all animals are called “cat.”
Reduce the meaning of words, so that only Daddy is a “man.”
Simplify
the rules of grammar, so that all plurals have an “s,” even “sheeps”;
and all words in the past tense end in “-ed,” so instead of “I ran” she
will say “I runned.”
Stammer
or stutter when trying to get her words out. This, too, is common at
this stage, so don’t worry.However, a persistent stutterer may need help
from a speech therapist .
