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We are so happy you are joining us for Understanding Language Development. Please explore the information and activities for each age group. A brief survey is found at the end. Thank you!

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This video shows where students should be at this age group. It also shows ways for you work with your child on ways to enhance skills.

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Eastern Ontario Health Unit/Bureau de santé de l’est de l’Ontario

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While many of the posts below will give you research, information, or background, this brief video is perhaps the most helpful.

It provides some suggestions as to ways to engage with a baby to promote that early language development to the  best of your ability as a parent-- whether or not you can read or sing, they have suggestions for ways you can engage in these activities in a positive way for your child.

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Canadian Paediatric Society/Société canadienne de pédiatrie

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Read, Speak, Sing: Your baby and early literacy

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Links to Some Fun Kids Music For Language Development

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Links to Some Fun Kids Music For Language Development

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As the previous video mentions, it's great to be able to read or sing with your babies to promote language development, but not everyone knows a lot of songs or stories. Here are some links to songs and stories you can use to find some online,  and a link to the US Library finder if you want to go look for some stories in person.

Songs:
Wheels on the Bus | CoComelon Nursery Rhymes & Kids Songs - YouTube

Old MacDonald Had a Farm • Nursery Rhymes Song with Lyrics • Animated Cartoon for Kids - YouTube

Freeze Dance | Freeze Song | Freeze Dance for Kids | Music for Kids | The Kiboomers - YouTube

"The Goldfish (Let's Go Swimming)" by The Laurie Berkner Band (20th Anniversary Edition) - YouTube

Stories:
Storyline Online - Home

Library Finder:
Library Near Me: Locate your nearest U.S. libraries (libraryfinder.org)

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Speech Type Sounds, but no words yet

According to the Jalongo Text, Children at this age will
-Cry to communicate needs at birth
-Begin to make some gestures and vocalize at two weeks
-Make some vowel sounds at six weeks; vowel sounds include things like cooing and eee sounds
-At around two months of age, children begin to smile as a method of communicating
-From six  to nine months they will start to accidentally repeat sounds. This is when we will start to hear syllables, things like da or buh or ba, and these sounds will begin to show their emotions.
-At nine to eleven months, these sounds become purposeful, they show that they understand the repetition of sound.

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Link to ASHA (American Speech and Hearing Association) Timeline

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Link to ASHA (American Speech and Hearing Association) Timeline

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The information provided in this timeline corroborates the information above. What we can see here is another timeline that shows us clearly that over the course of the first year, children are slowly developing awareness of their ability to perform different skills, make different sounds, as well as perceive sound and meaning from others.

ASHA makes suggestions in coordination with this site as to some activities to do with kids this age to help promote this development, these are:

Say sound like "ma," "da," and "ba." Try to get your baby to say them back to you.

Look at your baby when he makes sounds. Talk back to him, and say what he says. Pretend to have a conversation.

Respond when your baby laughs or makes faces. Make the same faces back to her.

Teach your baby to do what you do, like clapping your hands and playing peek-a-boo.

Talk to your baby as you give him a bath, feed him, and get him dressed. Talk about what you are doing and where you are going. Tell him who or what you will see.

Point out colors and shapes.

Count what you see.

Use gestures, like waving and pointing.

Talk about animal sounds. This helps your baby connect the sound and the animal. Use words like "The dog says woof-woof."

Add on to what your baby says. When your baby says, "Mama," say, "Here is Mama. Mama loves you. Where is baby? Here is baby."

Read to your child. You don't have to read every word, but talk about the pictures. Choose books that are sturdy and have large colorful pictures. Ask your child, "What's this?" and try to get him to point to or name objects.

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TED Talk about Babies and Language Acquisition

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TED Talk about Babies and Language Acquisition

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This TED talk goes through some fascinating neuroscience as to why the first year of life is both so critically important, as well as why babies have such great skills in developing language during the first year of life.

In this discussion she talks about the ways that babies start out being able to hear and learn all different types of sounds and learn all types of languages, and then focus their learning and knowledge as they grow and use information. She demonstrates the ways babies are growing and thinking about language during this time of development.

Importantly she also demonstrates the way that human interaction and teaching through the individual helps to develop language learning.

"At TEDxRainier, Patricia Kuhl shares astonishing findings about how babies learn one language over another -- by listening to the humans around them and "taking statistics" on the sounds they need to know. Clever lab experiments (and brain scans) show how 6-month-old babies use sophisticated reasoning to understand their world."

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The linguistic genius of babies | Patricia Kuhl

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This site gives you what your child should be able to do by these ages. It also gives you ways you can work on these things and help your child if they are struggling. Four to Five Years Old (asha.org)

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Storynory- A free resource where children can listen to stories with an activity to go along with it. 

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Storynory- A free resource where children can listen to stories with an activity to go along with it. 

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Storynory - Audio Stories for Kids
An online treasure-trove of free audio stories. You can listen to a mixture of original stories, fairy tales, and specially adapted myths and histories. Storynory has published an episode every week since 2005, so there is plenty to love and something for everyone.

Activity to try: Have students write an original short story of their own. If students are not ready for writing a story on their own, they can illustrate pictures and tell about it.

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Storynory has over 1,000 free audio stories for children, including classic fairy tales, myths, world stories, poems, and brand new originals read by professional actors.

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The Language Tree - Child Language Development

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Stage 4: Using Complete Sentences (approximately 4–6 years)

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Stage 4: Using Complete Sentences (approximately 4–6 years)

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According to the Jalongo Text children in this age group will have the following skill or will show improvement in skills.

4 years:
*Pronunciation and grammar improve.
*Vocabulary: 1,400 to 1,600 words.
* Social: Child seeks ways to correct misunderstandings; begins to adjust speech to listener's information needs; disputes with peers can be resolved with words and invitations to play are more common.
* 5 to 6 years: Complex, grammatically correct sentences; uses pronouns; uses past, present, and future verb tenses; average sentence length per oral sentence increases to 6.8 words.
* Vocabulary: Uses approximately 2,500 words, understands about 6,000, responds to 25,000. • Social: Child has good control of elements of conversation.

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By 6 years old, your child has most likely been using language for years. But language is continuing to develop at a rapid rate for children in early grades. Your child might be beginning to read at 6 years old, and reading independently by 8 years old. Your child will also begin to master writing-- first with small words, but eventually with whole sentences. Your child will most likely still be more advanced in their receptive language development (listening and reading) than their productive (speaking and writing).

According to the Jalongo text (pp. 75, figure 3.4) your child is in Stage 5:
- 6-7 years: producing more complex sentences in speech, using more adjectives, uses conditional statements ("if... then")
- 7-8 years: continuing to advance their sentence complexity, using gerunds, adjectival clauses ("which"), and subordinate clauses

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This video gives a brief description of what to expect of your 6-7 year old child's language development.

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Age 6 & Age 7 Language Milestones | Child Development

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Here are some easy and fun suggestions to support your child's language development at home:

- Play games:
1. Smart Mouth- Two letters will be shown and players have to say a word that starts and ends with the appropriate letters. The whole family can play together! (https://www.amazon.com/Think-Fun-Smart-Mouth-Word/dp/B00005MP02)
2. Categories- For this game you just need paper and pens. Write a few categories on a piece of paper and then choose a letter, every player must write as many words beginning with that letter in each category. You can play timed or untimed.
3. Boggle Jr- Shake the box and all players must make as many words as possible with the letters. (https://www.amazon.com/Boggle-Junior-Game-Amazon-Exclusive/dp/B00000IWD4)
4. Blurt!- This game is great for reading, listening, and vocabulary building. One player reads the definition of a word on the card and the first player to say (or blurt) the correct answer gets to advance on the board. (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001QOGXPK?tag=mlb-blog-20)

-Read:
1. Designated Reading Time: Set out 20-30 minutes of family reading time every day, it could be after dinner or before bed. Everyone in the family gets a book, magazine, or newspaper and quietly read. It's great for your child to see you model reading positively!
2. Reading Journals: Create a reading journal for your child to complete as they read. Include: the date, the title of the book, your child's rating, and one word or sentence to describe it.
3. Read Alouds: No child is too old to be read to. Choose a book that might be a little above your child's reading capabilities but is still age-appropriate, and read to them.

-Talk to them:
This may seem obvious, but talking to your young child like an adult will help their language skills tremendously. Ask them about their day, their dreams, what they ate for lunch, etc. Encourage them to tell you detailed stories and respond with engaging questions.

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Buy Think Fun Smart Mouth Word Game: Board Games - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

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According to Jalongo (p. 75), children begin using 2-3 word phrases at around 2 years old.

At age 2, children:
-have a vocabulary of 50-200 words
-begin holding conversations but have difficulty sticking to a topic

At age 3, children:
-have a vocabulary of 200-300 words
-are more easily understood by familiar adults
-may become frustrated if not understood
This is the period of most rapid language growth.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) also shares that children in this age range:

-have words for most things
-can talk about things that are not in the same room
-use words that show spatial awareness (such as in, on, under)
-use 2-3 word phrases to comment on things or ask questions
-may repeat words or sounds
-can be understood by people familiar to them
-use k, g, f, t, d, and n sounds
-understand opposites
-can follow 2-part directions
-understand new words

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What does typical language development at this age look/sound like?

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What does typical language development at this age look/sound like?

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has brief video clips that show typical language and communication skills. View the clips below to see what you can expect from your 2 or 3 year old.

Age 2:
Identifying Familiar People and Body Parts
Speaks in 2-4 Word Sentences
Follows Simple Instructions

Age 3:
Names Familiar Objects
Intelligible Conversation
Holds 2-3 Sentence Conversations
Understands Spatial Words

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According to the Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL), finger plays are a fun, engaging way for your child to interact with language and motion. Finger plays are songs or rhymes that also incorporate movement. They encourage children to listen, speak, and pair words with actions.

Here are some popular children's songs and finger plays that can be used with them. English and Spanish versions are provided. Try them with your child!

One Little Finger:
English
Spanish

Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes:
English
Spanish

Itsy Bitsy Spider:
English
Spanish

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ASHA is an excellent resource for ways you can support your child's language growth and development at home. Listed below are suggestions for how you can promote language skills with your 2-3 year old at home.

Speak clearly to your child. Model good speech.

Repeat what your child says to show that you understand. Add on to what she says. Use words like, "Want juice? I have juice. I have apple juice. Do you want apple juice?"

It's okay to use baby talk sometimes. Be sure to use the adult word too. For example, "It is time for din-din. We will have dinner now."

Cut out pictures of favorite or familiar things. Put them into categories, like things to ride on, things to eat, and things to play with. Make silly pictures by mixing and matching pictures. Glue a picture of a dog behind the wheel of a car. Talk about what is wrong with the picture and ways to "fix" it.

Help your child understand and ask questions. Play the yes–no game. Ask questions such as, "Are you Marty?" and "Can a pig fly?" Have your child make up questions and try to fool you.

Ask questions that include a choice. "Do you want an apple or an orange?" "Do you want to wear your red shirt or your blue shirt?"

Help your child learn new words. Name body parts, and talk about what you do with them. "This is my nose. I can smell flowers, brownies, and soap."

Sing simple songs, and say nursery rhymes. This helps your child learn the rhythm of speech.

Place familiar objects in a box. Have your child take one out and tell you its name and how to use it. "This is my ball. I bounce it. I play with it."

Show pictures of familiar people and places. Talk about who they are and what happened. Try making up new stories.

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Activities to Encourage Speech and Language Development

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There are many ways you can help your child learn to understand and use words. See a speech-language pathologist if you have concerns.

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Top 5 Podcasts for Children to develop language. 

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Top 5 Podcasts for Children to develop language. 

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Below you can find the names of the podcasts and a description of each. The link you are able to access the website. You can then click on the name of the podcast and it will take you where you can listen.
Sesame Street (ages 18 months+)

The Sesame Street Podcast is actually a video podcast ). It is really the equivalent of short episodes of Sesame Street. This is a great first podcast because even very young children can recognize the familiar voices from the show and get down to the catchy music.

Disney Story Central (ages 2 years+)

In the Disney Story Central Podcast, a narrator reads through a familiar Disney story. There is a bit of music and the narrators keep it interesting with a lot of intonation changes and enthusiasm. Think about this like a really great storytime at your local library.

Story Pirates (ages 2.5 years+)

In Story Pirates, you will find stories written by kids, for kids. This translates into silly kid humor that can be appreciated by the whole family. The narrator reads the story written by a young child and then professional actors take over and do a longer "adaptation" based on the child's story. Be prepared, it's pretty silly. The writers thoughtfully throw in plenty of jokes for the grown-ups too.

Story Nory (ages 3 years+)

In Story Nory you will find a mixture of classic and modern children's stories. There isn't much in the way of music and the stories are read by a single narrator. Due to the fact that there is only one voice, listening  requires slightly more advanced skills (i.e. a good challenge). These advanced skills include differentiating between characters and carefully following the story line. This podcast will grow with your child and help to teach the basic format of a story.

Children's Fun Storytime Podcast (ages 4 years+)

The Children's Fun Story-time Podcast is also a single narrator without music. They do some excellent classic stories and often split up longer chapter books into different episodes. As children grow older they will be able to engage with longer stories like this--and will be able to stop after one chapter and pick up later where they left off.

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When it comes to entertainment for my young children, I keep things as low-tech as possible. We limit screen time. Our toys don't have batteries. We generally try to keep things simple.
Which is why I want to share with you the best podcasts for kids.
While television can be sensory overload, podcasts on the other hand demand that kids sit quietly, listen, and put their imaginations to use.

Want to subscribe to the Simple Families Podcast? Get it on iTunes or Stitcher--you can also follow along on the Simple Families site.

The Simple Families Podcast has just launched. I am very excited and we have been immersing ourselves in podcasts at our house. Although the Simple Families Podcast will be for grown-ups, my kids love podcasts too.

Despite our low-tech approach, I am happy to let my children listen to podcasts (and audiobooks) as frequently as they like. These activities help children learn vocabulary, enhance listening, and overall build early literacy skills.

Podcasts are excellent tools for developing lifelong learners. After some serious research and testing, here are our 5 favorite podcasts for children under 5 years old.

The Sesame Street Podcast is actually a video podcast (shhh...don't tell my kids). It is really the equivalent of short episodes of Sesame Street, but I only let my kids access the audio portion. This is a great first podcast because even very young children can recognize the familiar voices from the show and get down to the catchy music.

In the Disney Story Central Podcast, a narrator reads through a familiar Disney story. There is a bit of music and the narrators keep it interesting with a lot of intonation changes and enthusiasm. Think about this like a really great storytime at your local library.

In Story Pirates, you will find stories written by kids, for kids. This translates into silly kid humor that can be appreciated by the whole family. The narrator reads the story written by a young child and then professional actors take over and do a longer "adaptation" based on the child's story. Be prepared, it's pretty silly. The writers thoughtfully throw in plenty of jokes for the grown-ups too.

In Story Nory you will find a mixture of classic and modern children's stories. There isn't much in the way of music and the stories are read by a single narrator. Due to the fact that there is only one voice, listening requires slightly more advanced skills (i.e. a good challenge). These advanced skills include differentiating between characters and carefully following the story line. This podcast will grow with your child and help to teach the basic format of a story.

The Children's Fun Story-time Podcast is also a single narrator without music. They do some excellent classic stories and often split up longer chapter books into different episodes. As children grow older they will be able to engage with longer stories like this--and will be able to stop after one chapter and pick up later where they left off.

Have your kids listened to podcasts? Do they have any favorites?
Want to subscribe to the Simple Families Podcast? Get it on iTunes or Stitcher--you can also follow along on the Simple Families site.
Like this post? Pin it!

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The Top 5 Best Podcasts for Kids Under 5 - Simple Families

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When it comes to entertainment for my young children, I keep things as low-tech as possible. We limit screen time. Our toys don't have batteries. We generally try to keep things simple. Which is why I want to share with you the best podcasts for kids.

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 Information for Parents and Professionals on Children's Communication

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 Information for Parents and Professionals on Children's Communication

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General information to help understand language development

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Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives

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Skip to content

We give families the confidence and skills to help their children. If you're concerned about your child's speech and language development, we can help.

We know that it can be hard to know where to start if you are worried about your child's development. If you think your child is having challenges with talking and understanding words, we are here to help you.

Our free resources and services can help with understanding what to look out for, how to get support and even some simple ways you can help your child at home.

Share your experience

We want to know what life is like for the 1.9 million children and young people who face challenges with talking and understanding words.

Take our survey

Our progress checker will provide short questions you can answer to see how your baby or child is getting on with their talking and understanding of words.

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Help for families - Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives

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We give families the confidence and skills to help their children. Access our free resources and learn more about ways to encourage children's speech and language development.

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“ASHA.” American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, https://www.asha.org/.

Jalongo, Mary Renck. Early Childhood Language Arts. Pearson, 2014.

Kuhl, Patricia. “The Linguistic Genius of Babies.” Ted Talk.

Society, Canadian Paediatric. “Protecting and Promoting the Health and Well-Being of Children and Youth.” Canadian Paediatric Society, https://cps.ca/.

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Babble in a way that sounds like talking and try to “talk” with you

Recognize family members’ names and the words for common items (cup, ball, shoe)

Raise their arms when they want to be picked up, point at things they want, and shake their head no

Understand basic commands like stop

Say no, mama, and several other words

Express happiness, sadness, and frustration with different sounds or cries

can say one word by age one (mama, dada, and baba (bottle) do not count)

can say two words consecutively by age two

Milestones for 1-Year-Olds | Typical Development in the Second Year | Understood - For learning and thinking differences

Speech Milestones for a 1 Year Old - YouTube

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If you have a 1-year-old, you know how busy they can be! Every day, your growing child's life is filled with exploration and learning. Are you unsure what is typical for kids this age? Take a look at these developmental milestones and you'll have a better sense of what to expect.

Sit without leaning on anything or being held up

Belly crawl, scoot, or creep on hands and knees

Pull to standing and move, holding on to furniture

Between 12 and 24 months, children typically can:

Stand alone and walk, holding on to your hands

Stick out their arms, legs, and feet to help get dressed and undressed

Walk without help

Begin walking up stairs

As they approach age 2, children are typically able to:

Drink from a sippy cup (or a regular cup with help)

Use a spoon - clumsily - to eat

Pick up objects like Cheerios or raisins with thumb and one finger (known as "pincer grasp")

Point, poke, and maybe even pinch

Put things into a bucket and take them out again

Scribble with a thick crayon or marker

Cognitive milestones are the ways your child learns to think, explore, learn, and solve new problems. Children between 12 and 24 months will typically:

Know the use of everyday objects, such as a spoon, a toothbrush, or a phone

Start following simple directions such as "blow me a kiss" or "sit down"

Start simple pretend play, like feeding a stuffed animal

Point to their own head, eyes, ears, nose, or mouth

Make the connection between a word you say and a picture in a book

Show a reaction to familiar songs and stories

Start testing cause and effect, such as what happens when they throw a cup on the floor

Language at this age is not only about the sounds your child makes. It's also about how well your child understands what you say. And it's about how your child expresses wants and needs. Sometime between 12 and 24 months, children can typically:

Babble in a way that sounds like talking and try to "talk" with you

Recognize family members' names and the words for common items (cup, ball, shoe)

Raise their arms when they want to be picked up, point at things they want, and shake their head no

Understand basic commands like stop

Say no, mama, and several other words

Express happiness, sadness, and frustration with different sounds or cries

One-year-olds have limited social interactions with other children. But your child may learn many social skills and ways to express emotion this year. Most 1-year-olds can do these things:

Smile and laugh in reaction to somebody else or when playing

Cry when someone nearby is upset

Feel comfortable exploring the room when a caregiver is nearby

Show affection to familiar people

Have mild temper tantrums when frustrated

Be nervous around new people and clingy with caregivers

Keep in mind that kids develop at different rates. Your child might meet some of these milestones a little earlier or a little later. But if your child isn't meeting most of them, consider talking to your child's health care provider . It might be helpful to have an evaluation to look at skills. Once you have a better idea of your child's path of development, you can talk about early intervention strategies and other ways to help.

Kids develop at different rates - these milestones are just typical.

If you're concerned, talk with a health care provider about whether your child should have an evaluation.

Early intervention can make a huge difference if your child needs help.

Did you know?

About the Author

About the Author

worked as a classroom teacher and as an early intervention specialist for 10 years. She is the author of Amanda Morin The Everything Parent's Guide to Special Education. Two of her children have learning differences.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Molly Algermissen, PhD is an associate professor of medical psychology at Columbia University Medical Center and clinical director of PROMISE.

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If you have a 1-year-old, you know how busy they can be! Every day, your growing child's life is filled with exploration and learning. Are you unsure what is typical for kids this age? Take a look at these developmental milestones and you'll have a better sense of what to expect.

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-Building blocks: This provides you with the opportunity to play side by side with your child. You can introduce adjectives to your child and provide opportunities for new lexicon to be introduced, as well.

-Talk your way through the day: This activity will provide you and your child the opportunity to talk about what you are doing throughout the day. Your child will have the opportunity to learn what vocabulary is used during specific activities.

5 Language Development Activities for Toddlers & Children | NAPA Center

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NAPA Team

On this blog, NAPA pediatric speech pathologists list five great activities for language development that can be used for toddlers (2-3 years old), preschoolers, or any child ready to tackle some language development activities! Many children with diagnoses such as autism, cerebral palsy, TBI, and Down syndrome often experience delays or deficits in language development. Delays in language development make it more difficult for children to communicate with family members, teachers and therapists resulting in frustration, potential delays in social development, and difficulties in academic settings.

If your child has trouble learning new words, has problems stringing words together in sentences or has consistent trouble getting the message across verbally, there are things you can do to help.

Recognizing and treating language delays as early as possible will allow your child to communicate effectively and set the stage for greater independence in the future.

Here are 5 great activities for language development for preschoolers and toddlers you can start using today. These language development activities are perfect for 2-3 year olds, toddlers, or preschoolers.

1. Building Blocks

Building towers and similar structures isn't just a fun game to play; it also provides ample opportunity to work on language skills. You can introduce adjectives like "higher" and "up", verbs such as "build" and "fall down," as well as numbers and colors. As each block is added, take the time to explain to your child what is happening and ensure he or she uses the corresponding words to describe the action. Find more speech therapy toys we love here!

2. Role Play

Most children enjoy playing dress up games - role play will allow your child to explore his or her imagination without any restrictions. When you introduce different characters to the game, you can also introduce new words and help build your child's language skills. If there are specific words or concepts you've been instructed to teach by your child's therapist, create characters that allow you to work them in naturally.

3. Talk Your Way Through the Day

Since the goal is to have a child that is able to communicate with others using a wide and varied vocabulary, it makes sense to practice throughout the day in a range of situations. Point out things you see, hear, taste and smell and give your child an opportunity to respond and comprehend what you are saying. Talk about produce and products at the grocery store, what others are doing as you drive by them, different businesses and buildings and objects around your own house. Just remember to keep it simple and avoid "baby talk."

4. Listen to Music

Listening to music with your child is an effective activity to encourage language development. Music has a beat and focuses on intonation, which can help with syllable awareness and other aspects of verbal communication. For some songs, you can also use accompanying books to follow along and point to pictures, or act out the lyrics from the song, which will create links for your child between actions and words.

5. Explore Books Together

It's no secret that children love being told stories - you can use books to help develop language skills from an early age. Whether the books have pictures or not, make sure to focus on language and build associations in your child's mind to help develop his or her language. Feel free to stop and discuss what's happening as often as necessary, and always give your child the chance to talk about the story once the book is finished.

If you can incorporate these kinds of language development activities into your child's routine, you will be able to make progress without having it feel like a chore - for you or your child!

Looking for more speech therapy activities to try at home? We've got you covered!

Additional Resources:

About NAPA Center

NAPA Center is a world-renowned pediatric therapy clinic, offering speech therapy for children of all ages in traditional or intensive settings. With six clinic locations and intensive therapy pop-up sessions worldwide, NAPA is committed to helping children lead their happiest, healthiest lives. At NAPA, we take an individualized approach to therapy because we understand that each child is unique with very specific needs. For this reason, no two therapeutic programs are alike. If your child needs our services, we will work closely with you to select the best therapies for them, creating a customized program specific to your child's needs and your family's goals. Let your child's journey begin today by contacting us to learn more.

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5 Language Development Activities for Toddlers & Children | NAPA Center

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On this blog, NAPA pediatric speech pathologists list five great activities for language development that can be used for toddlers (2-3 years old), preschoolers, or any child ready to tackle some language development activities! Many children with diagnoses such as autism, cerebral palsy, TBI, and Down syndrome often experience delays or deficits in language development.

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Children at this age typically enjoy music and animals. This song is also a book, but it was turned into a song. This song provides opportunities to add colors and animals to your child's vocabulary.

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Please use the survey to provide your feedback on the workshop. You can use the Google Form link or the PDF version.

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Please complete the following survey when you have finished exploring the workshop training modules.

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Here is the PDF version of the survey if you are unable to use the Google Form.

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ED 565 Parent Workshop Works Cited (2-3 years section)

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If your child loves their screen time, why not make it educational and productive? Here are some recommendations of apps that promote language development:

-Reading Eggs
-ABC PocketPhonics
-Phonics Genius
-Starfall
-Reading Raven

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Jalongo, Mary Renck. Early Childhood Language Arts. Pearson, 2014.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkSmkMpjEGY&t=2s

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Reading to your child is a great way to help your child learn new words, and it provides an opportunity to bond with your child. Here is a list of books for you to enjoy with your child.

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412 books based on 265 votes: Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? ...

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ASHA is a creditable source that describes what milestones your child should be hitting during this time.

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5 Signs of a Speech Delay | Speech Therapist Explains - YouTube
This video provides you some information from a Speech Therapists on speech delays. As always, consult your child's pediatrician if you have any concerns.

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5 Signs of a Speech Delay | Speech Therapist Explains

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Let's talk: 12 to 18 Months - YouTube
This video provides you with an example of how a typically developing child would speak and interact at this age.

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Eastern Ontario Health Unit/Bureau de santé de l’est de l’Ontario

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Being able to communicate allows children to make connections in the world. It allows for friendships to be made and learning to be understood. It is a skill that enables enjoyment of life. As your child's first teacher,
encouraging communication is important. Many publications offer tips such as talking, reading and telling stories. Parents Magazine cautions using television and computers sparingly. They suggest going on field trips and treating medical issues, such as ear infections immediately. Most importantly, they suggest having fun. Above are some games to encourage that.

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Parents are all-too familiar with the competitive undertone of milestone stories. "She was reading at 3!" is subtly countered by, "He was walking at 1!" While parents may differ in how they choose to celebrate these milestones, what is universally true is that their involvement plays a large role in crossing these milestones, especially in the case of language development in early childhood; a child's vocabulary is directly proportionate to the number of words they're exposed to in the early months.

In a 2012 study, Harvard professor Meredith Rowe examined the vocabulary of 50 children from age 18- to 42-months, and the correlation between parental input a year earlier. Her study found that "diversity of vocabulary input plays more of a role in vocabulary growth when children get older, and sheer quantity plays a more important role when children are in the more initial stages of vocabulary acquisition." In layman's terms, this means we need to talk more to our toddlers and have adult conversations, including difficult words, with our preschoolers.

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Reading is a good way to do this, say pediatricians and educators alike. And, as it happens, the benefits go far beyond children's speech language development. A study published last year in Pediatrics explored the effects of a home reading environment on children by using an MRI machine to monitor kids' brain activity while listening to a story. The team discovered that higher reading exposure was positively correlated with neural activation in the brain's "hub" of semantic language processing. So while you might cringe at the plot lines in some classic fairy tales, your child isn't just learning about princes, princesses, and magic castles - these imaginatively descriptive tales are also contributing to cognitive development.

Reading isn't the only way to help your child with language development in early childhood. If nursery rhymes bore you and happily ever after leaves you cold, try playing one of these language games for kids ages 0 to 5. Trust us, you'll both have fun.

Language games for kids

Cricket commentator (3 to 11 months)

It's difficult to have a conversation with a 3-month-old, especially if you've never done it before. So don the hat of a narrator, and imagine your everyday life is an ongoing cricket or football match. In this earliest of kids games, tell your baby what you are doing and what is happening in short, simple sentences, like: " I am laying you down to sleep." "You woke up!" "Are you hungry? Let's feed you!" "The blanket makes you feel hot." This isn't so much of a game as an exercise to get you speaking to your baby, even if she doesn't seem to understand. It's these early interactions that help babies develop language and communication skills. And you don't have to sound like an adult. Gentle baby talk will do just fine. In fact, infants actually prefer ' Motherese '.

Sightsaying (1 to 2 years)

You've heard of sightseeing - this is sight say ing, and it can be done anywhere - in doctors' waiting rooms, at a friend's home, or even at the dining table. Have your toddler 'read' to you by flipping through a picture book or magazine. As you spot objects you know he is familiar with, point to them and ask him to name them. Remember: At this age, it's all about the number of words they're exposed to. Alternate between familiar and unfamiliar books and magazines. All babies will have their favourites, where the success of recognizing objects correctly is encouraging, but in new books they encounter objects they cannot name - and this is where the parent comes in: to introduce new words and turn the unfamiliar into the familiar.

You thought I Spy was just a silly game to keep kids occupied on long car trips, didn't you? Actually, I Spy is a great way to introduce words to your child by keeping a running game going at home. Pick an object in your surroundings that isn't too hard to spot and have your child guess what it is by describing it to her (for example, "I Spy something furry/brown/cuddly/soft," for a teddy bear). This game can also be played at the store, in the car, and anywhere else you go. Don't make the game too hard, though; the focus is on learning what objects are called and how to describe them, not on the challenge of guessing. Reinforce words when your child gets it right and correct her when she gets them wrong. (For older kids, you can switch roles so they're the ones 'spying' and describing and you're the one guessing.)

Talk to me (2 to 3 years)

When we were young, we used tin cans and string as pretend phones. Children today might have a hard time recognizing that concoction with the cell phones they know, so we leave it to you to get creative with this bit. (We suggest using a banana, which can double up as a snack afterwards.) Once you have your 'phone,' pretend you haven't seen your child all day and have a 'phone call' with him to catch up. You can get started with questions like "What did you play today" "What did you eat for lunch?" and then see where the conversation takes you. Children have started mimicking by this age, so don't be surprised if phrases you used in conversation a few days ago make an appearance to describe his day. (It's also wise to be careful, in general, about what you say around your kid at this age; no one likes to hear their toddler telling them to "get your ass back here this second!" ... Not that this has happened to us. We swear.)

Grocery store (2 to 4 years)

Kids at this age are very imaginative in a mundane way. Acting out an everyday situation your child has been exposed to, like a trip to the grocer's, may be boring to you, but it's just as exciting as the real thing for her. So pretend to be the owner of a small grocery store, with your kid as the customer. Greet her and wait patiently for her to look around the shelves and ask you for things she needs, with you prompting when necessary. Don't stop when she names each item; ask her why she needs those apples - is she planning to make apple pie? This develops conversational skills, while a variation of this game, for older kids, can introduce the concept of money, too. In this version, you switch roles, so your child is the store owner. You hand over the money, and she has to total the price of items and return your change.

Go fish with a twist (4 to 5 years)

Write out 3- or 4-letter words in a large font on flash cards. Make two copies of each word. Mix them in a basket, while you and your child each take at random a set number. The goal is to match the words with their counterparts. Once he finds the matching word either by asking you, or by going fishing in the basket, he must say the word out loud. A simpler version matches words to pictures, to reinforce the object, and a more advanced version matches words to definitions. As your child grows you can tweak the game accordingly; cat's counterpart can go from an image of the animal, to 'C-A-T,' to 'a furry animal that says meow.'

What's in the box? (4 to 5 years)

Fill a cardboard box with toys or small household objects familiar to your child. Put on a blindfold and hand the box to your child. Ask her to pick out items one at a time and help you identify them by describing the objects. Don't rush her, but allow her to describe the shape, colour, texture, use, etc. You can prompt with specific questions like, "What time of day do you use it?" "Where do we usually keep this in the house?" "Is it bigger than a watermelon?" to go beyond simple descriptions and exercise other, important skills, like comparison and location.

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Kids' Games that Support Language Development on the Sly

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Parents are all-too familiar with the competitive undertone of milestone stories. "She was reading at 3!" is subtly countered by, "He was walking at 1!"

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Gardephe,C. (2001, September 23). 9 Ways to Help Your Child's Language Development.  Parents. from https://www.parents.com

Quotes About Children's Languages. Quote Master. https://www.quotemaster.org