Ideas For You and Your Toddler

You are already helping your baby learn every day! Here some more ideas and tips to enhance your time together.

 

Talk

  • Talk about what both of you are doing when you play together. Give your toddler new words and ask them simple questions.
  • Get down to your toddler’s level when they are trying to tell you something and expand what they are saying by adding descriptive words or using a short sentence.
  • Talk about everything: where you are going, what you are doing, noises you hear, things you see etc.

https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-teach-toddler-to-talk

https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/301-tips-on-learning-to-talk

https://playandlearn.healthhq.ca/en/toddlers/language

 

Sing

  • Continue singing your favourite children’s songs and nursery rhymes and make it exciting by using different voices, signing: loudly, quietly, fast, slow
  • Clap the rhythm to the songs you are singing. It will help them learn about the sounds and rhythm of the language they’re learning.
  • Bring out pots & pans or musical instruments to accompany your songs.

https://kids.tpl.ca/ready-for-reading/things-to-do/sing

https://www.whattoexpect.com/toddler/toddler-learning/the-best-toddler-songs.aspx

 

Write

  • Let your toddler see you writing. You are a writing model for your child. It will show them that writing is an important part of everyday life.
  • Give your toddler many opportunities to make marks on paper. Try different colours and many writing utensils: fingers, crayons, paint brushes.
  • Take the fun outside! Use chalk on the sidewalk, a shovel to make marks in the sand on the playground or on the beach or a stick to make marks in the snow.

https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/305-learning-to-write-and-draw

 

Play

  • Build a block tower with your toddler. Talk about the different shapes and sizes of the blocks, make patterns, and count what’s around you.
  • Talk about what both of you are doing when you play together. Give your child new words and ask them simple questions.

https://playandlearn.healthhq.ca/en

 

Read

  • Make story time part of every day.
  • Read the same story over and over. Your child will love the repetition and will memorize their favourite parts of the story. Ask your child to help you read the parts they remember.
  • Provide opportunities for your child to browse through many books to decide which one interests them most by going to your local library.

https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/1059-literacy-with-love