Developing Toddlers' Vocabulary

What joy the first words of a toddler bring to parents! But, what if the toddler continues to merely babble and doesn’t pick up enough words to communicate? Here’s why and how parents should involve themselves in their toddler’s vocabulary development.

- Lakshmi Naish and Susan Philip

Two-year-old Rose still says "inngga" for milk, and many other words which she has made up. Her parents enjoyed her baby babble initially, and didn’t try to correct her. But now, they find it difficult to get her to use proper words. It’s a common problem, but one that’s preventable. With just a little help from parents, toddlers can quickly acquire a wide vocabulary.

Before going into how parents can help in this regard, let us understand how toddlers begin speaking.

It would be interesting to note that children start ‘talking’ very soon after birth. Initially, only the parents and caregivers are able to understand them. But as they grow, they pick up the words of the language spoken around them. This process is almost unconscious, and amazingly fast. This is because the young, growing brain grasps things faster than an older one. However, parents and caregivers should play the important role of catalysts. With their active encouragement, toddlers can very quickly pick up an excellent vocabulary. Even infants understand and respond to cues. They follow the direction of an adult’s pointing finger, and begin to imitate actions and sounds. These abilities can be capitalised on to improve your toddler’s vocabulary. On the flip side, without parental encouragement, the process can remain stunted.

LONG-TERM GAINS

Why is it important to improve your child’s vocabulary?

The obvious answer is that it will help him communicate better.

There are other, less understood reasons too. Psychologists have linked oral proficiency to a child’s ability to think and learn. American psychologist Jerome Bruner, who has made a significant contribution to the field of education, said, “Proficiency in oral language provides children with a vital tool for thought. Without fluent and structured oral language, children will find it very difficult to think.”