Your conversations about stories could get even more exciting when your toddler really understands doing words!
Have you noticed that your toddler is beginning to understand action words a bit more? When you ask them to run with you, they might do so, or you might see them follow the actions in some of their favourite rhymes and songs. Being able to spot and join in with action words can help jazz up daily activities and bring your toddler a great deal of enjoyment, especially during story times!
Take time to chat with your toddler about the ‘doing’ words you see and read about.
Where to find books for free
We often make book recommendations that are related to your child's development, skills they're learning or times of year. If you don't want to be buying more books, we thought you'd find this useful: it's a list of how and where you might find them for FREE!
Your local library – libraries are jam-packed full of wonderful books; you’ll probably end up leaving with way more than you planned.
“I goed park!” – why your toddler’s mistakes are more than just cute
As your toddler talks more and more, you probably notice some mistakes – they might say, ‘goed’ not ‘went’ or ‘blowed’ not ‘blew.’ These are adorable, but also show some really important grammatical knowledge, and learning. Here’s why these errors are so great to hear...
When your toddler makes a mistake, they are showing you that they have noticed a pattern in language.
Reading with your toddler – our tips to make it fun for you both
Sharing stories with your toddler can build a love of reading, start a conversation or simply be a good way to relax together. But sometimes your toddler might be eager to turn pages, so you find yourself trying to read as much of the story as you can before the next page turn, or they might listen briefly then notice a squirrel outside and you’ve lost them! We have a few tips that could keep story time relaxing for you both.
NO, that's not what I meant! How to navigate your toddler's changing understanding of 'no'
When your toddler first started using the word no, the meaning was probably clear: “I don’t want that,” or maybe “I don’t want to do that.” Now they are starting to use 'no’ with another word – and this is where you might need to take a moment to work out what they mean.
Your toddler might say, “No cup!”
Pointing it out – how pointing helps your baby learn to talk
Communication involves much more than talking, and just as your baby will learn different ways to use words as they talk more and more, they are also learning different ways to use gestures. 'One of these is pointing, and there are several types of point you'll see.
Pointing to ask for something (imperative pointing)
Your toddler learns verbs better when doing – pun intended
When learning verbs, involving your toddler by showing them what the actions mean hugely supports their understanding. Verbs can’t be linked to an object, like nouns, so when we are talking about cooking, running or, say, throwing, toddlers need to see the verb in action.
When your toddler hears a verb for the first time their brain processes its meaning and association to the world.[1]
Words just keep coming and coming...
Babies, toddlers and children need to hear and interact with language to help them learn.[1] Language is necessary for neuronal development. We know that children understand and learn words better when they talk with you and others and when they listen to familiar voices, so let’s delve into why it’s good to reflect on how children learn words.
During the early years, children learn lots of words, and language is important for brain development.
Fast mapping and fast learning – your toddler’s motoring when it comes to words
In the late 1970s, a research study into how children learn words became a lead paper within the field of psychology. According to the study done by psychologists Susan Carey and Elsa Bartlet, children can pick up words and their meanings even after hearing them just once. Yes, you know some of the words this covers! This process of learning was referred to as "fast mapping." The study holds weight today, with many studies stemming from the original paper.
Fast mapping means when a child hears a word, they’ll pick it up quickly, even if they are not familiar with its meaning.[1]
How progressive – your toddler's using grammar while talking!
Talking about toddlers and grammar in the same sentence might conjure up the old adage of running before you can walk. But, believe it or not, very soon your toddler will be getting to grips with the 'present progressive tense' (and yes, grammatical terms usually have a knack for sounding more complicated than they are!)
Why does grammar matter?
