Toys for early word learning

Are you choosing the right toys to support your child’s development of their first 50 words?

Recently, I had the opportunity to watch a fantastic speech and language therapist working in a one-to-one therapy session with a two-year-old. Watching someone else work is such a great way to learn. It encourages you to really think about each little step they take to support a child. I came away really inspired to fine tune some of the things I am doing. If you get the opportunity to watch a skilled professional in action – take it! Even if you have seen lots of sessions before, you may find that one little tip you take away makes a big difference. There is always room to improve and grow. This particular session was a timely reminder that young children need lots of opportunities to hear the same words over and over in order to learn and use them. 

Early language development is supported by a child’s experiences. The first words they use tend to be related to objects and people they see most often. By choosing toys which reinforce this vocabulary, we give children a better chance of learning these words. 

Types of words children learn first

Objects relating to home: house, light, table, chair bed, bath.

Animal names: cow, sheep, horse, rabbit, chicken, duck, bird, cat, dog, bear, elephant, zebra. No need to get too fancy and exotic, even David Attenborough had to grasp the basics first!

Mealtimes: milk, water, biscuit, banana, apple, orange, cheese, bowl, spoon, cup.

Vehicles: bike, car, train, aeroplane, boat. Again, keep this within their experience. What vehicles does your child see regularly? I would be surprised in submarine made it into the priority list… but I stand to be corrected. 

Parts of the body: head, arms, legs, mouth, eyes, nose, ears. 

Clothes: sock, hat, shoe, coat.

Toys which are great for supporting early word learning (as well as lots of other great skills):

Play food: a selection of play food makes for great role play. Feed teddy/ dolly, cook together or create a little shop

Dressing dolly: reinforce body parts and names for simple clothing. A Mr Potato Head is great for naming body parts too. 

Inset puzzles: Choose puzzles which reinforce this early vocabulary. Perhaps vehicles, animals or food. 

Doll’s house: Name household objects and model the dolls using them. 

Wind-up toys: Great for grabbing a child’s attention. You can get a wide selection of different wind up toys, vehicles or animals are a good starting point. 

 Here are a couple of tips to help you with supporting language development

- When children are playing support their language development by naming the objects the child is playing with and encouraging them to do the same. 

- Try to reduce the amount of language you use and stick to simple words

- Use the same words in different contexts so that your child understands that the meaning of the word stays the same. E.g. Naming a stuffed toy cat, pointing to a picture of a cat in a book, drawing a child’s attention to a cat you notice in the garden. 

- Encourage your child to use these words to ask for things they want. This works really well by offering choices. Snack time is perfect for this. ‘Would you like banana or orange?’ Show the choices to support the child’s understanding. Or perhaps when completing an inset puzzle ‘Shall we do the dog or cat next?’. 

For more tips and tools for supporting early development join the Confident Communicators Facebook group.