Early learning

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Your toddler is constantly learning and taking everything around them in. They love to chat, play and read with you. During this time your toddler will be learning new sounds and words, they do this by learning from you and those around them. On the Hungry Little minds website you’ll find short videos and simple, fun activities that you and your toddler can do together.

12-24 months 

 

Communication development starts with the motivation to communicate and is built through non-verbal and verbal interactions between your toddler and those around them, especially through play. Learn more about communication in these helpful resources.

NSPCC’s ‘Look, Say, Sing, Play’ campaign’ 

Vroom: Boost your child's learning with Vroom's fast and fun tips to your phone or via email.

Stamma: British Stammering Association- Information and advice on stammering.

Use the tree of talking to record your toddler’s first words.

If you are concerned about your toddler's communication development you can speak to your health visiting team for advice and information.

The CLCH speech and language team have developed a collection of videos that you can watch to help you to support your child’s speech and language development through everyday family activities.

Everyday Activity:  At the Park Intro

CLCH Speech and Language Therapy:  Learning During Everyday Activities.  An introduction video around learning new words when out and about

Everyday Activity:  Climbing on the Climbing Frame

CLCH Speech and Language Therapy:  Learning During Everyday Activities. When you are at home and out and about with your child it is a great time to help them learn action words.  See how you can teach the word ‘climbing’ in the playground

Everyday Activity:  On the Slide

CLCH Speech and Language Therapy:  Learning During Everyday Activities:  When you are at home and out and about with your child it is a great time to help them learn action words.  See how you can teach the word ‘sliding’ in the playground, and introduce the words ‘slow’ and ‘fast’

Everyday Activity:  Swinging at the Park

CLCH Speech and Language Therapy:  Learning During Everyday Activities.  When you are at home and out and about with your child it is a great time to help them learn action words.  See how you can teach the word ‘swing’ and  ‘push’ in the playground, and introduce the words ‘up’ and ‘down’ and ‘stop’

Everyday Activity:  Peekaboo in the Park

CLCH Speech and Language Therapy:  Learning During Everyday Activities.  When you are at the playground you can have fun by playing peekaboo with your child.  This will help them build their attention skills, and is a fun way to have an interaction and learn language.

Everyday Activity: Looking for the Bus

CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities.  When you are waiting for the bus, you can have a conversation with your child using Makaton signs.  This will help them understand what you are saying and help them learn new words

Everyday Activity:  At the Bus Stop

CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities.  While you are waiting for the bus, it is a great time to have a conversation.  Talk about what you can see around you, using Makaton signs to help your child understand and learn new words.

Everyday Activity:  ‘Creative Stupidity’ in the Shop

CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities.  When you do the ‘unexpected’ with your child in a fun way, it is a good opportunity to make them laugh and an opportunity for them to communicate with you.  Have fun being silly together!

Everyday Activity:  Offering Choices in the Shop

CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities.  When you are out shopping it is a great time to offer choices.  It gives your child an opportunity to have something to communicate about

Everyday Activity:  Singing in the Park

CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities.  When you are in the park you can sing to your child.  Singing helps children learn new words and is a great time to help them with their talking and communication

Everyday Activity:  Tickling

CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities.  Tickling is a good opportunity for your child to start an interaction and respond to you.  It can be a great time to learn body parts as well.  Have fun playing tickling games!

Everyday Activity:  Toys at Home- the Car Run

CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities.  A car run is a great toy that you can use at home to support attention and listening, taking turns and communication skills.  

Everyday Activity:  Sharing Books

CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities.  Sharing books is a great time to support language development.  You don’t have to read all the words, you can talk about what is happening in the pictures, and use Makaton signs to support your language. 

Everyday Activity:  Bath time

CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities.  Bath time is a great time to support language development.  You can introduce choices, name objects, and introduce action words.  Most importantly, have fun at bath time!

Everyday Activity:  Play Time

CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities.  ‘What’s in the bag?’ is a fun game to introduce new words to your child.  You can use a pillow case at home, and put some everyday objects into it.  You can name objects, and introduce action words and describing words.

Everyday Activity:  Playing with the Car Track

CLCH Speech and Language Therapy: Learning During Everyday Activities.  A car track is a great toy that can be used for lots of things. Lots of children love playing with a car track.  Watch the video to see how you can use it to help your child make requests.

 

What your toddler experiences when you interact with them helps shape their development. In the Zero to three resources you can learn how to nurture your toddler’s social emotional, intellectual, language and motor development.

Each child will develop as an individual with there being no ‘normal’ development . Your toddler will go through different stages of emotional development and although there is no ‘normal’ you can learn more about key stages here.

Play is how your toddler learns and processes the world. They love to play with you and others around them. You can learn more about play and your toddler here.

Technology is a big part of everyday lives, and children are spending more time looking at a screen.  Here is some information about the use of screen time:

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