Children love to talk to adults

Materials You Need: None.

What You Can Do Together: Children enjoy talking to adults. Whenever you have the opportunity, initiate the conversation by repeating the sound your child has produced (whether it is a word, an exclamation, or an indefinite voice) and then wait to see if the child will imitate and repeat it again, and thus start the first-step conversation among you. Then you can introduce some more sounds or words, and with a smile or verbal encouragement invite them to participate - for example, "Muuuu", "Cow says muuu", "Come on, say muuuu!" Always support and praise the child's participation, and then explore further words when possible - as the wind sounds, as the rain sound, as the river sounds, as the water in the bathroom sounds, as daddy's slippers sounds, as the kindergarten door sounds...

You can use this activity in every life situation - during free play and free time, but also during daily routines - dressing, preparing meals, hygiene routine, shopping, walking, driving, waiting.  Also, be sure to make conversation an important part of your daily book-reading:  "Oooh, what is the girl doing?  What do you see?  I see the dog; I wonder what he is saying?"

What Your Child is Learning:  In communication with you, your child learns to use a combination of words and enrich her/his vocabulary while exploring words with you.