Back to Back Issues Page
like to help your toddler’s speech development?
April 01, 2011

NB: If you can't see the Toddler Ideas header above, set your email provider to allow images from clever-toddler-activities.com

Helping Your Child's Speech Development


Toddler Ideas is the insightful ezine delivered to your inbox monthly from clever-toddler-activities.com

April 2011 Issue 18

Featuring:

  1. Opening Thoughts – The Power Of Signing With Toddlers
    2.
  2. Tip of the Month - Teach Rather Than Test
    3.
  3. Wise Words – When Are the Best Teachable Moments?

  4. Featured Page – How to Encourage Your Child’s Speech
    5.

Opening Thoughts

The Power Of Signing With Toddlers

I’ve cared for hundreds of toddlers with the normal barrier of having little two-way communication until they can talk fluently. Can't this be so frustrating for us all?!

For the past few months I have been a mother's help for a couple of families who sign with their babies and toddlers. I'm valuing the use of sign language which enables communication to blossom sooner. I am thrilled at how teaching little ones sign language can make caring for them easier and more pleasant for all of us!

Why do I Recommend Signing with Toddlers?

I have researched and experienced that:
  • Older babies and toddlers can effectively communicate their needs and thoughts before speech can physically develop (that age varies from child to child).
  • Signing toddlers appreciate the value of communication so much that they generally learn to speak sooner and build their vocabulary faster than non-signing toddlers.
  • Signing can be really helpful in clarifying those ambiguous early words.
  • Signs drastically reduce temper tantrums that stem from frustration at being misunderstood, so more interactions remain positive.
  • Creates multiple opportunities to be amazed at your tiny one’s knowledge, understanding, preferences and interests of the moment all before they talk!
  • Toddlers can direct their parents and carers to open or extend optimal learning opportunities that they’re interested in, making the most of the fast development of their brain at this stage.

Feeling inspired to look into signing with your toddler? It's easy to sign a few signs as we talk with toddlers. One secret to success is to teach an equal amount of signs of interesting things (ball, music, plane etc) and purposeful signs (milk, more, sleep etc). Like some more tried and tested tips plus activities to teach signs to toddlers? Through research I chose and am really impressed by Signing Smart with Babies and Toddlers : A Parent's Strategy and Activity Guide.

I hope you find the other tips useful in helping your toddler in learning to talk through this issue of Toddler Ideas. By the way, I have placed the quotes in italics and bolded parts myself.

Tip of the Month

Teach Rather Than Test

Finding out what toddlers know is thrilling, isn’t it? However I’ve found when we ask toddlers to display knowledge, their answers rarely reflect how much they know. Well, does your knowledge flow through you easily when asked many closed (one-word answer) questions? Then how do you feel afterwards?

Personally I have always sounded much more intelligent in a relaxed conversation with a good listener who has an open mind and a receptive heart. Then I feel great afterwards too. Have you ever felt resentful towards a teacher for testing you on something that wasn’t taught? I have.

In How To Multiply Your Baby's Intelligence, pioneers in child brain development, Glenn Doman and Janet Doman wrote: Everybody loves to learn and everybody hates to be tested. We like to test ourselves - privately. So do little kids.

… Testing does not help a child to learn. Instead, a steady diet of testing slowly, but surely eats away at the child’s natural love of learning. The teacher’s job is to teach, not test. The child’s job is to learn.

I’ve found if we spend enough time being there for children in a calm manner, they’ll naturally show us their knowledge as they grow. Aren't those surprises even more exciting?

Wise Words

When Are the Best Teachable Moments?

Because we cannot really be certain what the child experiences when she contemplates an object, it is best to leave the toddler in peace until there is a natural break in her activities, or she comes to you with something.

That quote was written by a Waldorf Early Childhood Educator and mother of four, Rahima Baldwin Dancy in the book You Are Your Child's First Teacher: What Parents Can Do With and For Their Chlldren from Birth to Age Six.

Featured Page

How to Encourage Your Child’s Speech

Like activities and more tips on promoting your child’s speech while they’re learning to talk? This page of tips and learning activities for toddlers was written by Clever Toddler Activities co-writer Patrica Hope who is a mother of two, trained in teaching the early years.

What Do You Think?

If you liked this ezine please do a friend and me a big favour and tell them about Toddler Ideas. If a friend DID forward this to you and if you like what you read, click here to subscribe. When you subscribe, you'll receive a FREE download of 'On the Spot' Toddler Activities that can be done anywhere with whatever is around you.

I would be happy to answer any questions you have about toddlers. I'd also love to read a cute/funny story about young children, a parenting tip, a great toddler activity or a comment you have about Toddler Ideas at our Contact Form.


Back to Back Issues Page