Language Building

How do the toddler teachers encourage language building with children 18 months to 26 months? With books, songs, and books that can turn into songs! 

Every year, a new group of toddlers come with their curious minds, ready to explore the world around them. In the first few years of life, it is extremely important to read, talk, and sing with your young child to help them build a strong foundation of words and phrases. In the Yellow Room, we love to use flannel board pieces that correspond with books such as:

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
Pete the Cat and his White Shoes by Eric Litwin
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

These books have simple words like animals and colors with repeating phrases such as, "But he was still hungry!" This type of literature encourages children to interact with the story as they call out animals and colors they recognize and are able to hold/touch each item to bring the book to life! It also encourages them to use words that they know without being formally prompted with statements like, "What color is the truck?"

We also love simple board books that are well read in many homes and interesting to all! As the children read these books independently or with a grown up, they contain familiar images that encourage them to say the words out loud or point to the pictures.

Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Tip, Tip, Dig, Dig by Emma Garcia
Where is Spot? by Eric Hill