Chatty Chickadees

Children perceive and understand so much more than we know starting between ages 0-2. Starting from a young age, it is important to label things for our children. Talk to them about everything they see and explain their world to them even when they cannot respond. Their inability to respond in language that we understand, does not mean that they cannot understand the language we use.

When children are around 2 years old, it will be beneficial to describe the things we label. Talk about different aspects of objects like their shapes, sizes, colors, and the differences between two or more objects. By labeling the world and describing it we not only strengthen their vocabulary, but also build their schemas for language and other academic skills.

Some beneficial vocabulary to begin to develop at this age are names of basic shapes like triangle, square, circle, and rectangle and the colors in the rainbow.