Stop the Chatter! How to Help Your Toddler Learn New Words! by Mindy Hudon, M.S., CCC-SLP

Parenting
7 years ago

Stop the Chatter! How to Help Your Toddler Learn New Words!

Life at home can be noisy! Research suggests that background noise from TV, computer games and talking can affect how your toddler learns new words. The noise can draw a toddler’s attention away from focusing on words and can impact future academic success. By the age of 6, a child can have a vocabulary of 14,000 words giving them a foundation for reading. Here's how parents can help:

  • Stop the noise! Shut off background noise including radios, TVs and computers. 
  • Spend alone time with your toddler reading, playing and talking while your other children are at school. 
  • Draw attention to words by over-exaggerating the sounds.
  • Introduce new words. If they know “big” introduce “huge."
  • Develop a quiet time for siblings to do their homework, read or play. 
  • Talk with your toddler while you cook, clean or snuggle!

Read more about this study here.

Donna John
Great advice, @mindy. I know lots of families who havev the TV blaring all day. There's a lot to be said for quiet.
Mindy Hudon, M.S., CCC-SLP
When my boys were young, we had a quiet time after school just to relax and quiet our minds. Playing and reading quietly with your children is a great way to increase language and create a special bond. Yes, shut the noise off!

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