Talk to them. Include your baby in everyday routines by talking to them during activities like changing, feeding, bathing, and errands. Describe what you are doing.
Step by step. As you go about daily activities with your child, talk about the steps involved. When starting up the bath, say “First, we turn on the warm water. Then we add some cold water until it’s just right.”
Connect face-to-face. Smile and look into your baby’s eyes. Exaggerate the sounds of words. Young babies love that high-pitched, sing-song voice. Notice which ways of talking or singing keep their attention.
Follow their interests. Your baby shows you what they’re interested in by looking or reaching. Move those objects closer so your baby can examine them. Name them and describe their features.
Go back and forth. Expand on your baby’s sounds and efforts to use words in ways that fit the situation. “Dah! You want your duck?” See how long you can keep the “conversation” going back and forth.
Ask and answer questions. Engage your baby by asking and answering questions about the things that interest them. “Does the ball fit in the tube? No, it’s too big.” How do they participate in the conversation?
Imitation games. Get nice and close to your baby and give them a big smile. Around 6-8 weeks old, they will start to smile back. Give them time to respond. Show your pleasure and go back and forth imitating their expressions.
Name body parts. When changing or dressing your baby, make a game of naming and pointing to body parts. ”Where’s Fiona’s nose? There it is. Here’s my nose.” Try singing a round of “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.”
Hands on. Point to objects and name them—especially things that interest your baby like body parts and
familiar objects around your home. Older infants will start to communicate by pointing.
Sing. Your baby’s favorite songs might be those that repeat words or have rhyming sounds. Sing special songs for special parts of your routine, like bath time or bedtime.
Rhyme time. Make up rhyming chants for daily routines starring your baby. A bath rhyme might go like this: “Soapy Samantha in the tub/ Rub-a-dub–dub-rub-a-dub-dub.”
Describe life. Talk about the everyday things you see and do together to build your child’s knowledge of the world. Most things are new and interesting to a toddler!
Step by step. As you go about daily activities with your child, talk about the steps involved. When starting up the bath, say “First, we turn on the warm water. Then we add some cold water until it’s just right.”
Remember the day. In the evening, get cozy and talk to your child about what happened during the day. Remember what you did and people you saw. What was fun? What was hard?
Listen and respond. Show your child that you are interested in their thoughts. Respond to their gestures (like pointing or shaking head) and comments. If you aren’t sure what they mean, make your best guess.
Expand on what your child says. For example, if they point to a dog and say, “Doggie,” you can reply, “Yes, that is a doggie. It’s brown and soft.”
Ask questions. Get your toddler to think and show them that you value their ideas. Ask questions that start with “Who…?” “What…?” or “Why…?” For example, “Why do you think the boy is sad?” Show interest in their answers.
Follow their fingers. Young toddlers communicate with gestures, especially pointing. Label and talk about the things they point to. Encourage your child to point to objects that you name. “Where is the pig? There it is.”
I Spy. Play “I Spy.” For example, say “I spy a bird. Can you find it?’ If your child has trouble finding it, give a hint about where to look. You can play I Spy almost anywhere.
Out and about. Errands—from the post office to the pharmacy—teach your child about their community and the people in it. Talk about the tasks involved. If you’re not in much of a hurry, lift your child up to see behind the counter.
Photo album. Sit with your child and look at photos of family members or friends (or pets!). Talk about the people in the pictures and special details or memories.
Rhyme time. Make up rhyming chants for daily routines starring your child. A bath rhyme might go like this: “Soapy Samantha in the tub/ Rub-a-dub-dub-rub-a-dub-dub.”
Sing. Sing songs and recite nursery rhymes from your childhood, from books, or make up new ones. Your toddler may especially enjoy ones with rhyming sounds or hand motions.
Fill in the blank. When you sing your child’s favorite songs, leave out words for them to fill in. Or you can say the wrong word and see if they catch you.
Make a pretend phone call. Ask your child what they would like to do today. Give two choices. ‘Would you like to go to the library or the park?’ Keep the back-and-forth going as you plan for the day.
Ask questions. Ask your child questions about things that interest them. Show interest in their answers and ask follow-up questions to keep the conversation going. See if you can go back and forth 2-3 times on the same topic.
Review the day. Ask your child about their “high” and “low” for the day. They can share their memorable moments from the day and practice using new words.
Learn how they see the world. Ask your child “What do you know about ______?” before telling them about something you’re doing. If you’re taking the bus together, ask, “What do you know about buses?”
Weather check. Before your child gets dressed in the morning, check the weather together and talk about the forecast. See if they can choose an appropriate outfit.
Expand on what they say. When your child notices something, expand on what they say and introduce new words. For example, if they find a shell, talk about the kinds of animals that might live in a shell like that.
Talk around town. When you do errands, involve your child and talk to them about what you’re doing. Look for opportunities to introduce new words.
Get moving. When you sing, add hand or body motions. This makes songs extra fun and gives your child more to remember. Try “If you’re happy and you know it (Clap Your Hands).”
Fill in the blank. When you sing your child’s favorite songs, leave out words for them to fill in. Or you can say the wrong word and see if they catch you.
All about me. Help your child learn their full name, address, and phone number. You can teach it to the tune of one of their favorite songs.
