At Keystone Childcare Center, we love listening to the happy sounds—from coos and babbles to those exciting first words—that fill our classrooms every day. Language development is a marathon, not a sprint, and these early years are crucial for building the skills your child will use for a lifetime of communication.
This week, let’s explore simple, powerful ways you can foster language growth in your babies and toddlers, turning everyday moments into learning opportunities.
For Our Littlest Learners (0-18 Months): The Power of Serve and Return
For babies, language learning starts with listening and connection. The concept of Serve and Return is foundational: your baby “serves” a cue (a sound, a gaze, a movement), and you “return” it with attention and a response.
- Narrate Everything: Talk about what you’re doing, even if it feels silly. “Mommy is putting on your red sock now.” “Look, the doggy is walking outside!” This connects words to objects and actions.
- Respond to Babbling: If your baby says “ba-ba,” respond with “Yes! That’s a ball!” or “Are you saying bottle?” This validates their attempts and models clearer sounds.
- Ask and Wait: When you show a baby a toy, ask a simple question like, “Do you want the bear?” and pause. This gives them time to process the language and respond, even if the response is just a kick or a reach.
- Sing and Read: Simple nursery rhymes and board books introduce rhythm, rhyme, and a wide variety of sounds.
For Our Emerging Talkers (18 Months+): Expanding Their World
As toddlers start putting words together, you can help them expand their vocabulary and sentence structure through these techniques:
- Expansion: When your toddler says a short phrase, you simply repeat and expand on it.
- The toddler says: “Dog run.”
- You say: “Yes, the doggy is running fast!”
- Self-Talk and Parallel Talk: Describe what you are doing and what they are doing. This connects language directly to their immediate experience.
- Self-Talk: “I am chopping the bananas for a snack.”
- Parallel Talk: “You are stacking the blue block on top of the yellow block!”
- Use Descriptive Words: Instead of just saying “big,” use words like huge, enormous, gigantic, or switch “happy” for joyful, cheerful, excited. This helps them build a nuanced vocabulary.
- Follow Their Lead: If your child is fascinated by a particular object (e.g., a truck), engage with them fully on that topic, using rich vocabulary related to it (tires, engine, dumping).
- Reminder: Don’t worry about perfect grammar right now! Focus on keeping the conversation fun, positive, and flowing. The goal is communication, not correction.
Bridging the Gap: Simple Baby Sign Language
Before your little one can articulate words, their hands are ready to communicate! Introducing simple Baby Sign Language can dramatically reduce frustration for both children and parents by giving toddlers and older babies a way to express basic needs.
- Start Simple: Focus on high-value words that they need frequently, like Mom, Dad, More, All Done, Eat, Milk, and Please.
- Sign and Say: Always say the word out loud while you are making the sign. This reinforces the spoken language alongside the movement. The sign is a temporary bridge, not a replacement for speech.
- Be Consistent: Use the sign every time you use the word (e.g., every time you offer milk, make the sign for Milk). Check out this video to start with the Basics!
Screens and Speech: A Careful Balance
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) currently recommends avoiding screen time (other than video chatting) for children younger than 18 months and limiting it to high-quality programming for one hour a day for children aged 2 to 5.
When considering screen time, remember that language is best learned through back-and-forth, real-time interaction.
- Prioritize Interaction: Passive screen viewing doesn’t allow for the critical “serve and return” loop. The brain learns language much better from an engaging person than from a 2D image.
- Co-View and Talk: If you choose to use screens for older toddlers, sit with them and talk about what you are watching. Pause the video and ask, “What color is the apple?” or “Where did the dog go?”
- Use it as a Tool, Not a Crutch: Screens are best used sparingly and intentionally, never as a primary source of language exposure.
We are here to support your child’s language journey every step of the way. We believe that language development thrives in a strong community, and we look forward to partnering with you to celebrate every milestone—big and small. Schedule a tour of our center today and consider joining the Keystone family!