by Keelar

Created on: November 29, 2010   Last Updated: November 30, 2010

You may not realise it but your toddler is hanging off your every word, they may appear to be engrossed in their play, but actually they still have one ear on you.  So everything you say they are picking up on, including swear words!  So when they shout that naughty word at you and you wonder where they heard it, it was probably straight from your mouth.

What I’m getting at is that the way to increase your toddler’s vocabulary in everyday life is to talk to them as you would any other person – they are a human being after all.  You won’t help them by saying “you wan’ bok bok now?”  This will only set in their mind that the word (or words) for bottle is in fact ‘bok bok’.  So what you should say is “would you like your bottle now?”  This is only a minor example, but the theme should run across your entire day. 

If you speak to your toddler in proper clear English as you go about your day together, then they are going to pick up on this and copy you.  To be honest we all find certain things that children say amusing, and it is easy to mimic their tone of voice and the simple phrases they use.  For instance, my daughter often says “ma hungry, want tweet peas”, which translates as “I’m hungry I want something to eat please” and if I’m honest I do sometimes giggle and repeat what she says, but the sensible thing to do is repeat what she is trying to say but in the correct way, and eventually she will get it.

Another way to encourage your child’s vocabulary is just to talk to them constantly throughout the day.  They have very enquiring minds and are probably wondering what you are doing anyway, so tell them “mummy is washing up” or “mummy is going to do some cleaning” or “mummy is folding up trousers, t-shirts, dresses etc”.  When you are out and about point things out to them such as cars, trees, anything which you see, they will look and take in what you have said, they may not remember the first time but they are slowly learning.

Parents who are at home with their children every day have no excuse when it comes to helping their child and their speech.  If you are around your child you should be talking to them constantly, telling them about the objects around them, asking them questions about things such as “would you like the red beaker or the blue one?” or “what would you like to play with today?” or “how many teddies have you got?”  The more you ask questions that require an answer other than yes or no, the more likely your child is going to attempt to form more words, he will be trying to please you by thinking of ways to answer your questions.  You are giving him the opportunity to think and talk for himself. 

These constant questions are a great way to encourage an increased vocabulary in your child.  I’m not saying give him a barrage of questions, score each answer accordingly and give him a grade at the end of the day, but if you just incorporate simple questions such as these into your daily routine then it really will encourage more speech.

There is one final thing which is obvious but cannot be missed out, and that is books.  Books are an essential part of a toddler’s life; there are so many wonderful picture books out there that children love.  Just spending time each day looking through books with a child really encourages their imagination and ultimately their vocabulary.

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