As we all know that parents of children who are at young age use baby words thinking that it is easy for the young child to understand and respond. Baby words means for example for eating parents introduce the word ‘Num num’. Most of the times it is nice to hear the children talk in baby language, but it is not appropriate.

Sometimes parents and loved ones imitate how the child speaks. For example, if the child says ‘hungy’ for hungry, people around the child repeat the baby words but, these insignificant details can have an impact on a child’s oral speaking development.

How can I help my toddler.

It is necessary for a toddler to have a rich vocabulary by the time the child walks into a Montessori environment. A home environment is the first place that a child comes into contact. Home is the first place where the child hears a language. Every single word the child comes across with child grasps it. By now, you know what kind of a mind the child has. From the infant period educators recommend using the proper word when communicating with the child.

The child may not understand or may be the word the adult says is difficult for the child. It’s totally fine to keep using the correct word even he doesn’t understand you. Keep repeating the word and eventually the child will come to know that you use the word for this action or object. If the child uses the baby word or something similar, you can always correct the child without letting the child know that he is been corrected. For example, if the child says ‘Im hungy’ do not say ‘no, not hungy, its hungry’. You can just say ‘oh, are you hungry?’

Parents can assist their children in their pronunciation by using the correct term in communication. When a child hears difficult words, the child will learn how to pronounce them correctly. Listen to your youngster, and it’s better to let the child speak freely.

Importance of proper pictures.

Most people in the world are unaware of how to introduce words to a young child using the appropriate imagery. There are large picture books with wrong colors and strange pictures. The tree, for example, is red, and the vehicles have mouths. Yes, they attract children but we as adults should know the importance of giving the child the correct thing. People think these are small things, but these small things can affect the child in a big way.

Picture books can have a significant impact on a child’s life. A child’s first reading book is a picture book. The youngster learns the words by visually reading the illustrations. That is why it’s crucial to double-check that the book has accurate colors and no odd-looking pictures. Try to avoid books with cartoon pictures if your child is still a toddler. The reason is a child will be able to compare the picture in the book with real-world things and repeat the word. If the tree he sees in the book is red and looks weird, how can the child relate to the objects in the real world?

There is another necessary thing that most loved ones should know. Never underestimate the toddler. Always remember not to baby-talk the toddler. Baby talk means you talk to the toddler in a baby way. The child doesn’t need it. Be gentle there is no issue. Dr. Montessori states that it is necessary to talk clearly and slowly with the correct pronunciation. Here is what you can do at home. Use grace and courtesy. Use the words clearly and slowly. Then add other words to it and make a small sentence. You can do it step by step. Do not rush. You can go with the child’s pace.

To conclude this article, I will tell you a small story which happened between me and my niece. My niece is just 22 months old. She was introduced to my cousin sister who is her aunt. My niece repeated the word the way she heard. I said the word the way she said it and laughed. Which was so wrong. And from that day onwards my niece stopped calling my sister by the name she was once called.

Later another day my niece was saying ‘I Luppi’ which was meant to be ‘I love you’. Everyone repeated the word ‘I luppi’ because it sounds cute. Now even though she knows it is ‘I love you’ she keeps using ‘I luppi’.

These incidents made me write about this topic. So please be aware of these when you are handling your toddler. See you with another beautiful topic @ToddlersTownMontessori.