Your little one is more likely to communicate with you about something that interests them. When you follow their lead, the words you use will match the things they are thinking about, helping them to learn the links between words and what they mean.
The kitchen can be a great place to put this into practice with so many fun foods to explore and talk about.
How following your child's lead helps them learn
It helps them to:
- Learn the words for things that interest them
- Learn to link the words they hear to their meanings
Cooking is a great way to introduce little ones to new words. Name the foods you are using, use describing words to talk about different textures and tastes.
If it's safe, try giving them a little of each ingredient you're using, like vegetables, so that they can explore the way they feel and taste.
See which ones they're most interested in and talk about what they're looking at or feeling. Use words for textures like 'smooth' or 'bumpy', 'hard' or soft.
You could offer them a choice of ingredients - 'do you want potatoes or leeks?'
