When children start to communicate their thoughts and feelings, it can be a rewarding experience for both the child and the parents. However, when the little one has trouble communicating, they can become frustrated. If your toddler seems slow to talk, there are several strategies, including enrolling them in a preschool program, that can help strengthen their communication skills.

How to Increase Your Toddler’s Communication Skills

1. Comment & Describe

During playtime, comment on and describe what they’re doing. If they’re playing with a car toy, narrate how they maneuver the toy around the floor so they can become familiar with certain words. For example, you can say, “You’re driving the car in circles.” This helps children associate words with the actions they describe, as well as models strong sentence structure. If your toddler comments in response, be sure to praise them for their words.

2. Interpret Actions

Before they have many words, children learn to indicate what they want with gestures. Respond to this communication with words so they begin to learn names for items they want. For example, if they’re cold, you can say, “Blanket—you want your blanket.”

3. Read Together

Reading aloud with a child is a great way to help them learn new words. Following along and repeating sentences allows them to learn word order and simple sentence structure, as well as giving them the opportunity to begin to understand the reading process. Sharing a book with you is likely a positive experience for the toddler, as they get to be close and cuddle—and this helps them feel positive about learning words.

4. Enroll in a Preschool Program

Giving children an opportunity to learn and play with other kids is an excellent way to foster language and social skills. Preschools are focused on language and other learning, and offer a stimulating environment that your toddler can then share with you at the end of their day. Choose a center with trained teaching staff and a small teacher-to-child ratio that emphasizes learning and play.

Helping a toddler increase communication can be fun for both of you. Imagination Childcare Academy, Inc., in Rochester, NY, offers preschool programs, kindergarten, and before- and after-school programs. They couple quality childcare with a learning-based curriculum for children aged 2 to 12. Call (585) 413-3948 to ask about enrollment or visit their website to learn more about their programs.