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Talk, Talk, Talk To Your Toddler

10/11/2013

I'll admit it.....I love to talk! I enjoy talking to my friends, my family, my husband, and my toddler twins. Maybe that's why I became a speech-language pathologist because I could talk for a living!

If you see my 20 month old twins, Sadie and Shea, with me, I'm always talking to them. Even my mother made a comment to one of her friends about it one day when we were with her at the grocery store. We talk about all kinds of things from what we see, what we hear, to what we're doing.

It's very important that you start talking as much as you can to your toddler, too. Why? Because it builds your child's speech and language skills. Your toddler pays attention to everything you say, so expose him or her to as much language as possible.

So, what should you talk about with your toddler? Use the communication technique called “self talk”. Talk about everything you see, describe everything you do, and use simple language and descriptive words. For example you can say, “Mommy is cooking dinner. I’m stirring the pot. The food is hot.” Your toddler will begin to hear familiar, routine words which will build his or her vocabulary if you make this a habit.

Use every opportunity throughout your day to talk to your toddler about anything and everything. Use the self-talk technique during playtime, errands, mealtime, or anytime during your toddler’s routines. The most important point to remember is that you are talking to your toddler regularly throughout the day. You are your child’s best teacher!

To learn even more easy and practical speech and language tips to help your toddler talk and communicate faster, be sure to check out my book on Amazon Kindle, Talking With Toddlers - 52 Tips to Boost Speech and Language Skills.

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Summertime Speech Activities for Toddlers

6/22/2013

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Its summertime, the days are longer, the kids are out of school, and everyone wants to be outside. Although your toddler may or may not be getting speech therapy over the summer, there are still many things you can do as a parent to continue stimulating his or her speech and language skills until school and therapy begin again in the fall. The number one way to do this is through play. Why play? Because children learn through play. Play is fun and is a natural part of a child’s development. Not only is play entertaining for your child, it can also be fun for you. What better time to help your toddler and let out your inner child than the dog days of summer?

Here are some fun things you can do that will develop and build upon your toddler’s current speech and language skills:

Take a walk with your toddler through your neighborhood, downtown, or local park. Talk about everything you see such as cars, trees, birds, etc. while using simple language. For example you can say, “Look at the little red car. It’s going fast.” You can also have your toddler identify common objects you name by gesturing or pointing toward that object.

Blow bubbles outside. Have your toddler request “more” or “bubble” to get you to blow more bubbles. If he/she is beginning to put words together have him/her say, “more bubble” or “want more bubble.” He/she can also repeat “pop” or “pop bubble” when popping the bubbles. If pronunciation is an issue, have him/her say “buh” or “buh-buh” for bubbles or “pah” for pop until he can say the word correctly.

Swim with your toddler at your community pool. Work on receptive language skills (what your child understands) by having him/her perform simple actions on command in the pool such as jump, kick, and run. Target expressive language skills (what your child says) when jumping in and out from the side of the pool by having your toddler repeat words such as “go”, “in”, and “out”. Pool time is also a great opportunity to work on identifying basic body parts such as eyes, nose, mouth, feet, and hands.

Finger paint in the backyard. Name the colors as your toddler is painting them. Have him or her recognize colors by asking him or her to show you specific colors as he/she is painting (for example say, “Show me blue” and he/she can paint with the blue color). Have your toddler verbally name the colors if he/she is able. Draw basic shapes such as circle, square, and triangle as you’re painting with your child. Again, have him/her recognize the shapes by pointing and verbally say their names if he can.

What other activities and games does your toddler like? Follow the same process of identifying and requesting by incorporating it into your toddler’s favorite activity. Be creative, and take it outside this summer!

To learn more speech and language tips to help your toddler talk and communicate faster, be sure to check out my book on Amazon Kindle, Talking With Todders - 52 Tips to Boost Speech and Language Skills.

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Colors? Stick To The Basics!

6/13/2013

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A few weeks ago, my sister called me with a toddler speech therapy question. She was worried because a friend asked her if her two year old little boy knew his colors yet. Her friend said that her two year old little girl knew all of her colors, shapes, and was able to name pictures from flashcards. My sister asked me if this is something her little boy should know at this age. Yes, it’s important for your child to eventually learn his or her colors; however, your toddler should first be able to express his or her wants and needs by communicating with you and his or her caregivers throughout the day.

Many times when I’ve gone to a home to do a toddler speech-language evaluation the parents are so happy to tell me that they’re helping their toddler learn colors, but the child can’t tell them that he/she wants a cookie or a favorite toy. I explain to them that it’s important for their toddler to learn how to communicate his or her basic wants and needs first and build their receptive (what your toddler understands) and expressive (what your toddler says) vocabulary before naming colors.

Colors are adjectives. Once your toddler is able to say at least fifty single words, you can start adding in colors if he or she is ready to make two word phrases (which is the next stage of speech and language development). Just make sure your child is ready for colors. Do not push them on your toddler. There are many other two word combinations you can emphasize until your toddler is ready for colors.

Please keep in mind that I’m not saying colors are unimportant. They have their time and place! It’s crucial that your toddler know his or her colors eventually, but in the beginning you should stick to the basics. I think most early intervention speech-language pathologists would agree with me too!

To learn how you can help your toddler talk and communicate faster, be sure to check out my book on Amazon Kindle, Talking With Todders - 52 Tips to Boost Speech and Language Skills.

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Sensory Play - A Fun Speech Activity for Toddlers

5/23/2013

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One of my most favorite speech activities for toddlers is sensory play. It is a relatively new term in the world of child development. As children, my generation (I'm in my mid 30's) often played outside for hours on a regular basis. I can remember playing in the neighborhood with my sister all day long and hearing my mom yell for us to tell us it was time to come home. Unfortunately those days are few and far between. Our children's generation doesn't get that opportunity like we did. Thanks to television, technology, video games, and even crime and violence rates, children don't play outside like they should. So, we've got to come up with other ways to bring those sensory experiences to them.

But, what is sensory play? It allows a toddler to use one or more of the five senses (touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing) to learn more about his or her environment. By stimulating the senses you are helping your toddler improve language and basic motor skills. It also helps toddlers develop cognitively, linguistically, socially and emotionally, physically and creatively. Some parents may refer to sensory play as messy play, but you can make it as messy or less messy as you would like!

To improve toddler language development through sensory play let your toddler touch and feel various textures such as soft, rough, and wet.   Include as many textures as you can. Examples of these textures include putting your toddler’s hands in a bowl of dry rice, sand, and water. You can also have your toddler paint with finger paints and shaving cream or search for small toys in a bowl of water or rice. Talk about the textures and what you’re toddler is doing with them. For example when playing in a sand box you can say, “The sand is rough and wet. Oh look, you're pouring the sand into the bucket.”

Here is a list of several sensory activities for babies and toddlers. Don't forget that you can use these activities to build toddler speech and language skills!

5 Sensory Play Ideas For Toddlers
9 Simple Sensory Play Ideas
Activities for toddlers: sensory play
15 Quick Sensory Activities from Hands on Moms
56 Sensory Play Activities for Babies

To learn more speech and language tips to help your toddler talk and communicate faster, be sure to check out my book on Amazon Kindle, Talking With Toddlers - 52 Tips to Boost Speech and Language Skills.

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Help! My Toddler Is Not Talking

5/9/2013

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Are you worried that your your young child is not reaching the typical toddler speech and language developmental milestones? Do you feel your toddler is not saying as many words and phrases that he or she should be saying? If you think your toddler may be delayed in speech and language then this blog post will help!

Keep in mind that every toddler is different. Each child develops at his or her own pace, but some toddlers may not reach developmental milestones as expected. So, what should you do as a parent if you suspect your toddler may have a speech or language delay?

Contact your toddler's pediatrician
Talk to your pediatrician about your concerns regarding your toddler's speech and language development. Ask what he or she thinks and determine if speech therapy may be necessary.

Research speech therapists in your area
A speech-language pathologist provides speech therapy for their clients and patients, and this includes both adults and children. The overall goal for those who are getting speech therapy is to develop and/or regain speech and communication skills to the best possible level. The length of therapy mostly depends on the severity of the communication disorder and the motivation of the child. You can find a licensed speech therapist in your area by visiting www.asha.org or by doing an internet search on your favorite search engine.

Ask about early intervention services
Your toddler may be eligible for speech therapy services provided by your state’s early intervention program. These programs are federal programs under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that provide services to children age birth to three and their families. Children are also entitled to a free developmental evaluation by the program. To find out more information about Part C of IDEA and your state’s program check out the following website http://nichcy.org/babies/services. You do not need a referral from your pediatrician to participate in early intervention services.

I am very partial to early intervention services. I contracted with Georgia's early intervention program, Babies Can't Wait, the past eight years through my business. I am now contracting with Mississippi's program, First Steps. All speech-language pathologists are licensed and certified and go through the same licensing process as speech-language pathologists who work in hospitals and private practices.

Early intervention provides services in a toddler's natural environment and teaches parents and caregivers how to implement communication strategies to use at home between therapy sessions. I highly recommend that you take advantage of your state's early intervention program. Toddler speech and language evaluations are free, and they will work with you on the cost of therapy. A toddler will not be denied services based on a family’s inability to pay.

If you have any questions about early intervention please don't hesitate to ask me. Feel free to email me at talkingwithtoddlers@gmail.com or leave a comment below.

To learn how you can help your toddler talk and communicate faster, be sure to check out my book on Amazon Kindle, Talking With Todders - 52 Tips to Boost Speech and Language Skills.

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The Power of Play-How to Play With Your Child to Boost Toddler Speech Skills

4/18/2013

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Last week I wrote a blog post called, The Power of Play-The Best Way to Teach Your Toddler to Talk. This week I'm going to talk about how to play with your child to increase toddler speech development.

Now that you have learned why play is important and the different levels of play, let’s talk about how you can play with your child to help him talk and communicate faster.

The first way to play with your toddler, and probably what comes to mind for most parents, is by playing with toys. Most children love to play with toys because they are fun and toys are something that he/she finds interesting. Just make sure the toys that your toddler plays with are age-appropriate.

Some age-appropriate educational toys for toddlers include stacking blocks, baby dolls, wooden peg puzzles, toy trains, and toy cars. There are a variety of words to target with these toys. Have your child repeat them or attempt to repeat them and make sure he/she understands them.   Some of these words include: “up”, “more” (when playing with stacking blocks), “eat”, “drink” (when playing with baby dolls), “in”, “out” (when playing with peg puzzles), “go”, “stop” (when playing with toy trains and toy cars). While a Vtech Laptop is a really great educational toy for older children, it won't do much good for a toddler!

The second way to play with your child is through creative play. Children up to age three will benefit greatly from creative play. Creative play can again involve toys or just imaginative play between you and your toddler. Examples of creative play include dressing up in costumes of your toddler’s favorite characters, making up songs, and pretending you and your toddler are his/her favorite animals. Also, try to find toys and other items that can help with creative play. Use your imagination!

Keep in mind that in order to make play work you must make time to play with your toddler every day. Make play activities fun and engaging. Sit down on the floor with him or her, play dress up, or play your child’s favorite game. Just play with your toddler to help develop his/her creativity, imagination, thinking and speech and language skills! Most importantly remember to praise your toddler when he/she tries to communicate with you while playing.

To learn more speech and language tips to help your toddler talk and communicate faster, be sure to check out my book on Amazon Kindle, Talking With Todders - 52 Tips to Boost Speech and Language Skills.

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The Power of Play-The Best Way to Teach Your Toddler to Talk

4/11/2013

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The number one way to get your toddler talking and communicating is through play. Why play? Because all children and toddlers learn through play. Play creates the desire for your toddler to talk and communicate. Play is fun and is a natural part of a child’s development. It helps develop a child’s cognitive, physical, social, and emotional skills. Through play, parents are also able to connect with their children and devote that special one-on-one time that all children enjoy.   Not only is play entertaining for your toddler, it can also be fun for you! You can play peek-a-boo, go to the park, do an activity, or play with toys. The possibilities are endless!

Play is considered to be a developmental skill because it is a natural activity that children do. If a child does not play then it can be a sign that his or her language skills are delayed. The reason is because play is a representation of a child’s language skills. This is just one of the many reasons why play is important. Some research also suggests that play and cognition are interrelated. The more advanced a child’s play skills are, the more developed his cognitive skills may be.

Since toddlers love one on one time with parents and family members, try to make it a priority to include a fun activity for at least 30 minutes each day. If 30 minutes is too much due to busy schedules, break it up into smaller chunks of time. Get the entire family involved in play to make your efforts at increasing your toddler’s speech and language skills effective. Be sure to introduce your toddler to new vocabulary words, action words, and teach him or her about taking turns. This is how you can build your toddler's speech and language skills.

Check back next week to find out how to play with your child to build toddler speech and language skills. He will never know you're trying to help him learn. Play is a powerful strategy!

To learn more speech and language tips to help your toddler talk and communicate faster, be sure to check out my book on Amazon Kindle, Talking With Todders - 52 Tips to Boost Speech and Language Skills.
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Praise for Your Toddler

4/9/2013

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All children, from toddlers to teenagers, love to be praised when they've done a great job. Praise encourages your child to continue doing good things, and children thrive on positive reinforcement. Sometimes verbal praise is much better and longer lasting than receiving objects and things as a reward (however, they do have their place and time!).

Make sure to give your toddler lots of praise when he or she makes attempts at communicating. Clap and celebrate when your child tries to talk, uses gestures, or takes you to a wanted item. Be specific with your praise. For example, say “Good job talking.” or “Great job telling me you want more juice.” Once you give your toddler praise you’ll notice that he or she will continue to try to communicate with you which will get your toddler talking and communicating even faster!

Here are some other things you can say to verbally praise your toddler when he or she tries to communicate with you:

I knew you could do it!

Good for you!

Excellent!

I like the way you said that!

Sounding great!

You've got it!

You're on your way!

You tried very hard!

Now you've got it!

I'm very proud of you!

Don't forget to make your praise specific to your child. Add a high five or big hug to your verbal praises. Praise will go a long way!

To learn more speech and language tips to help your toddler talk and communicate faster, be sure to check out my book on Amazon Kindle, Talking With Todders - 52 Tips to Boost Speech and Language Skills.
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Talk, Talk, Talk To Your Toddler

Summertime Speech Activities for Toddlers

Colors? Stick To The Basics!

Sensory Play - A Fun Speech Activity for Toddlers

Help! My Toddler Is Not Talking

The Power of Play-How to Play With Your Child to Boost Toddler Speech Skills

The Power of Play-The Best Way to Teach Your Toddler to Talk

Praise for Your Toddler

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