Teaching vocabulary and oral language to babies and toddlers

Oral language for babies and toddlers

AE Oral Language Developing oral language is the most important cognitive undertaking for young children. Strong vocabulary and oral language skills allow people to understand and do anything they want to. The foundation is built starting at birth. This time in a child's life is absolutely critical!

How to build vocabulary and language structure:

Engage the child in conversation--expect that the child will contribute to the conversation. Ask open-ended questions such as "What was your favorite thing that we saw today?"
As you do activities together, think of new words or new concepts that can be introduced through that hands-on activity. For example, if you are planting a seed together, you can talk about the soil, the pot, the seed, and the water. Later, as the sprout comes up, you can introduce the words sprout, stem, leaf, and roots. All of these will be easy for the child to grasp because of the concrete activity that shows their meaning. Make sure you use the new word or words several times and engage the child in conversation where he or she will have the opportunity to use the word also.
Continue building oral language skills by extending ideas in conversation with the child. In response to what the child has said, add in a new vocabulary word that is at a slightly higher level than what the child can currently use. For example: if the child says "It was really, really big." respond back "It must have been enormous!" (To see an example of this, watch the video below.)
Read picture books together and name the items in the book. Then, when the book is familiar, ask the child to name the items.

Picture books:

Any book by Sandra Boynton. We especially like Blue Hat, Green Hat and Barnyard Dance.
Big by Keith Haring
Animal Opposites by Alex Steele-Morgan

Young children can begin to develop a sense of what makes a story. Bit by bit, they can increase their listening comprehension to be able to listen to and enjoy longer stories. They also love to hear poetry, non-fiction, and other types of literature.

Read lots of books together. Start with books that just show items and name them. Then move to very simple, short (one short sentence per page) stories. Gradually increase the length and difficulty of the stories you are reading together. This will help the child's listening comprehension ability to grow.
With familiar stories, encourage the child to retell the story, even if it is only a couple of sentences.
Ask questions throughout the story, such as who different characters are or what they are doing.
Comment on things that the story reminds you of. For example, if you read a book about going to the park, talk about your recent time playing at the park. Talk about the things you did that were similar and different from the book.
Read books of children's poetry together. Talk about what the poems are depicting. Have fun with the rhythm and feel of the poems.
Read non-fiction books. Go slowly and look more indepth at the pictures. Talk about what you are learning.

Developing oral language in young babies:

Even before they are verbal, babies learn a lot from being read to. Read books with simple text on each page (one word or a short sentence). Point to familiar pictures and name the items in them. Keep the reading time short--only as long as the child is showing interest.
Don't get discouraged if the child does not seem to want to read. Keep trying often in very short sessions.
When you are carrying the baby, point out things around the house and name them. Name people also.
Sing nursery rhymes and little songs with the baby. Do little finger plays together.
The best way to develop oral language skills in babies is to talk to the baby often and tell about things that are happening. The baby is listening even if he or she can't respond verbally yet.

Books for young babies: