Today Tile Triggered Content

Do you feel like you hear, “MINE,” a million times a day? That could be an exaggeration but, “mine”, like “no”, can seem a powerful word to a toddler and might be one they use a lot as they seek to become more independent. This isn’t always easy, especially if your toddler lays claim to something that clearly isn’t theirs! But, did you know awareness of ownership might help your toddler learn new words?  

Learning new words is a complex process; your toddler will hear lots of words – but they won’t remember all of them.  

First words are magical. As your toddler learns to say more, they can share more of their thoughts and ideas with you. It can be tempting to look for ways to accelerate this amazing progress and you might be tempted by flashcards, word books or sitting them down and getting them to repeat what you say. STOP – you don’t need to do that – here are some things to think about instead.  

Your toddler is most likely to learn new words with people they love, in situations that are important and interesting to them.^[1]  

Using words to share their interests with you is a big step for your toddler – and might make it a bit easier for you to know what they want to show you! So, as well as reducing the guesswork for you, why is using words to share their interests important?  

Learning to talk involves not only understanding words and knowing how to say them, but also understanding the different reasons for talking. The same applies if your toddler is learning to communicate using signs.  

Researchers have found that in Western societies parents ask their children more questions as they get older.^[1] We've taken a look at how different types of questions offer an extra challenge to your toddler.  

A lot of research has been carried out in recent years into how hands move, and this is all thanks to the development of robotics! It shows there is much more to the human grasp than just the movement of hands.  

Different grasps for different tasks 

Research shows that social interactions with family members is a prime time for your toddler to pick up new skills, like using a spoon independently. 

Social interactions at mealtimes 

We often think we see something first, then our brain reacts to what happens around us, but neuroscientists suggest this isn’t quite how it works. Our brains are active all the time and constantly predicting what could happen next.^[1] 

Our brain could be described as, ‘a prediction machine.’^[2] 

Have you found yourself saying, “You have to share” to your toddler yet? If not, it might happen soon. Sharing is really complicated and involves some difficult skills, which your toddler probably hasn’t mastered yet. One of those skills is understanding ownership – so the “It’s mine,” phase of development might just be a step towards sharing.  

Why does sharing matter to us?  

Your toddler’s movement helps them learn about the world – so how does moving around link to your toddler’s schemas (and what even is a schema)? 

You might have heard people talking about schemas or schematic play and maybe even heard things about a particular schema – trajectory, enclosure, rotation and others.  

Toddlers love to move and soon after taking their first steps they often seem determined to unsteady themselves again. They will seek out opportunities to make themselves dizzy by spinning or tipping upside down, or to challenge their balance with swinging or rocking.  

Sensory systems