7 Ways To Help Your Older Toddler Build Up Their Language Sequencing
Daily collaborative conversations and interactions can help build new language, new language sequences and a love for getting to know things, thus provoking more vocabulary.
1. Speak In Big Toddler Words
Help your child form richer language and sentence structure by using the proper names for objects, sound pronunciations, and sentence structure when speaking with them. Rhea (1991) suggests that children start combining words into simple two-word sentences, often called telegraphic utterances. These telegraphic sounds usually encode a small range of meanings related to developing cognitive notions such as object performance and procession.
Use proper grammar techniques
Use clear, pronounced sounds of words.
Use action words, verbs, and adjectives within your sentences.
Use sentences that consist of 3-4 words.
Refer to yourself as the first person to model this grammatical structure.
Model good conversation habits
Engage in active listening when your child is talking.
Talk about interesting topics and also introduce new topics.
Ask open-ended questions.
Always use your child’s name and give them eye contact.
Have patience and flexibility.
Add new descriptive words and sentences as you talk with your child.
Foster independence
Offer practical choices between 2-3 things.
Use repetition when introducing new words to your child.
Provide more open-ended, realistic learning toys at home.
Praise your child for their efforts and successes. For example, “You're working hard on your painting today.”
2. Give Enough Thinking Time
Ensure that your child has enough time to process, think, and respond to questions and comments. Pause for a few seconds after asking a question so that your child can collect their thoughts before answering.
Your child needs time to
Collect their thoughts and words.
Connect mental images to what is being said.
Take a breath, think, and then respond.
Sort through their stored mental information.
Make new and present symbolic connections.
Think of ways to problem-solve.
Think about the most appropriate thing to say through their eyes.
3. Don't Criticize, But Correct Mildly
Instead of aggressively criticizing or correcting your child's language, there are better techniques that can help your child learn and be taught without hurting their self-esteem.
The repeating back technique
Please continue encouraging your child to use the correct names of objects, pronunciations, and sentences to the best of their abilities. If your child mispronounces a word, repeat it correctly; this can work for sentences and statements as well. To add more learning, parents can introduce new words to expand vocabulary.
The being descriptive technique
Be as detailed when you respond to your child. Incorporate daily word pairings, voice pitches, and other grammatical structures within each conversation. For example, the child said, “I drive my car fast.” The parent: “Yes, you are driving your small Blue car fast on the bridge.”
4. Encourage Using Sentences
Times to always encourage sentence usage
When your child is asking for things, they want or need.
When your child is talking about objects.
When your child is telling you about daycare or something.
When your child is talking about a book.
When your child is leading their play session.
When your child is asking questions.
Things parents can do to assist with sentence usage at home
Think about location. Place items in spots that force your child to make choices and ask questions.
Labels on things. Objects your child uses regularly in the home can have pictures and word labels. This can help your child be more independent and know the bins their toys go into.
Talk to your child. Ask your child open-ended questions about their actions, toys, interests, and anything else.
Time for self-talking. Give your child space and time to engage in independent play.
5. Encourage More Social Interactions
It is good to expose your child to peer context interactions and social opportunities. Your toddler can observe the actions and sounds of other children, which can help them learn about their differences and similarities. Events such as park days, playdates, library gatherings, after-school art clubs, birthday parties, sports teams, daycare, or neighborhood events are ways for your child to interact with other children their age.
1 When peer play does occur, it is socially motivated and directed; it stimulates more mature activity in both the physical and social worlds (Brownell & Brown, 1992).
6. Narrate What Is Happening
A great way to encourage more language is for parents to pretend they are narrators and talk about what they are doing while in their child's presence. Talk through the steps, label the objects used, and explain what's happening. For example, “I am taking down the sugar to put some in the cake.”
Teach new words each day
Choose five new words and use them while talking with your child.
Repetition is vital for continuing language and sequence growth.
Incorporate fun on-the-spot games, such as naming what objects are used for.
Leave room for your child to start conversations
Pause when speaking to your child.
Don't decline your child's comments or questions.
Find daily opportunities to talk with your child. A collaborative conversation is the best way to keep your child engaged.
Show respect when having conversations
Always make eye contact when talking, listening, or interacting with your child.
Take collaborative turns listening, talking, and asking open-ended questions with your child.
Get down to your child’s level when talking to them.
Some interactions might be non-verbal, but they are still meaningful.
Limit “testing” questions instead; talk with your child.
7. Offer Meaningful Comments
Praising your child can boost their self-worth and help them feel good about themselves. When done in a meaningful way, praise can help improve your child's efforts, trust, ego, and help them feel more in control. Offering praise to your child does not have to be done for everything. When praising, always state your child’s name and the actions they are performing. For example, instead of saying “good job, honey.” Say instead, “good job remembering that your bath is first before you play.”
Brownell & Brown. (1991). https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4899-0694-6_8