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Building Your Toddler’s Vocabulary

The other day while we were at the playground, Dylan and I received a wonderful compliment. A woman who was playing with her little girl on the swing next to the swing where I was playing with Dylan remarked that he seemed to have quite a large vocabulary for someone who is two and a half years old. The woman is a day care provider, so she has a lot of experience with toddler talk. Her comment is very meaningful to me because I feel that one of the most important things that I can do for Dylan is to help him develop good communication skills.

Interestingly enough, although helping Dylan find the words to express himself is very important to me I realized that I have not actively been doing anything to build his vocabulary. Of course all of you parents out there know what happened next – in a gasp of panic I said to myself “Should I be doing something to build his vocabulary?” I mean, he seems to be building his vocabulary at an exemplary rate now, but shouldn’t I be doing something to help ensure that he continues to do so?

I did a little reading on the subject of toddler vocabulary and then breathed a sigh of relief. In order to help your toddler build his or her vocabulary and develop the communication skills that he or she needs, you do not have to implement extraordinary measures. No special educational programs, no vocabulary quizzes, no language lessons. The three most effective things that parents and caregivers can do to encourage language development in toddlers come naturally to most of us – talking, listening, and reading.

That’s right. Most of us are probably already doing all of the things that our toddlers need us to do to expand their communication horizons. The next time you catch yourself narrating what you are doing (like describing to your toddler how you wash the dishes) remember that although it may seem dull and boring to you, it is part of your toddler’s world. By describing what you see and do, you are helping your toddler to learn the words for the things that he or she sees and does. Listening encourages your toddler to talk because he can see that you are paying attention to what he is saying. Reading to your toddler adds another dimension to your toddler’s world as she sees pictures and hears words that the two of you do not experience in your day to day adventures. Language development in toddlers is both amazing to witness and fun to participate in. Enjoy the adventure.