Twenty-three month old Brady is learning to communicate.  He knows and understands the word, “no” (“No.”  Brady shook his head.  “No, no, no.”).  He is beginning to put words together in two to four-word sentences.  (“No, no, like it. No like it.) Brady is learning language and its power by using his words to express his needs and wants.  His mother’s reaction supports his learning.  She models for Brady how language works (“Brady, you want banana bread?”).  She is helping him learn how to talk by using her words as a model (“Banana bread is yummy!”).  Brady is learning how to put the words together (“B bread, yummy.”). 

Our littlest talkers need models.  They learn to talk by talking and listening. Each time they encounter speech (talk), learning occurs.  They are beginning to put words together in phrases and sentences to communicate.  Littles at this stage like sameness, routines, and movement.  They love familiar stories, rhymes, and rhythm.  They want to hear the same story over and over again in exactly the same way.  NO CHANGES!  A page cannot be skipped!  All of this repetition provides an avenue for learning and talking.  So let’s use these opportunities to our advantage.

Consider…