When reading a book with your toddler, you might find that they say the odd word or two for something that interests them in the story or on the page.
If they say a word or short phrase, repeat what they say and add a word or two. This will show them that you’ve understood them and it helps them learn how to build sentences.
Watch the video below to see how this can be done at story time.
How adding words helps children to learn
It helps them to:
- Know they have shared their ideas with you
- Learn new words
- Learn how to make their sentences longer
Picture books can spark children's imaginations as you turn through the pages and talk about different adventures and characters. They may say the odd word about what they see and hear.
If they say a word, build on the word by adding a few more words around it. So if they say 'apple', you could say 'yes, apples on the tree'.
