Communication and speaking also build self esteem in your child as she learns that her voice can be heard.
The ability of your child to communicate is important in relationships they will form with adults and peers. Communication in all its forms plays a key role in increasing her ability to use language effectively.
Keep in mind that you won’t understand all of your toddler’s words, at least at first. She still has trouble producing many sounds, so she may substitute the sound of “b” for “d,” and so on.
Your toddler might say, “Dat otay,” and that is appropriate at this age. What’s important, and worth celebrating, is her effort at being understood.
Just as your child needs nourishing food to build physical strength, she also needs linguistic nutrition (words for her vocabulary bank) for strong development of language, communication, and cognitive skills. The more you speak with your child the more she will learn to communicate with you.
Talk during daily routines about how you prepare the apple for snack by cut ting it in half and how you clean up by wiping of f the counter with a kitchen towel when you are done. Speak clearly, making face-to face contact with your child.
Remember that every toddler is different; some develop their language skills at a steady pace and others do so in spurts.
Sign Language
Sign language uses facial, hand, and body movements as a way to communicate with others and helps your child develop her social and emotional skills by giving her another way to communicate, especially when she becomes frustrated.
The biggest benefit to teaching your child sign language, especially if she is a visual learner (because it uses both hearing and seeing), is that it boosts your child’s cognitive development as she develops language and reasoning skills.
As you teach your child sign language, it is important not to focus on whether your child is producing the precise sign (exactly how it should look). The focus must be on celebrating that your child is communicating her needs to you when she otherwise would have used only verbal language, which is often not developed enough for her to communicate exactly what she wants.
