How You Can Bridge the Word Gap

Talking with your children is important! Trends in amount of talk, vocabulary growth, and style of interaction are established at a young age. Try these fun activities from the ASQ-3 Learning Activities™ with the children in your program or share them with parents.

0-2 months

Simple Stories

At quiet times and before sleep, talk to your baby in a soft, gentle voice. Tell her simple stories or talk about the day.

12-16 months

Big Talk

While you do housework or get a meal together, talk to your baby about what you’re doing. Encourage your little one to use two words together to make baby sentences, such as “help me.”

What’s Going On?

Then, listen carefully to your child’s interesting story.

Picture Books

With your baby cuddled on your lap, hold a book with simple, clear colorful pictures so that both of you can see. Talk softly about what you see as you point to the pictures.

16-20 months

Chatter Stretchers

Your toddler may use single words for requests, such as “juice” when he wants a drink. Help him stretch his sentence by saying it for him: “Would you like some juice? Say, ‘I want juice, please.”

Who’s the Person?

Little Explorer

Reading Fun

Now that baby is learning to crawl, she’ll want to explore the whole house: “What’s under the table? What’s behind the chair?” What good exercise for both of you!

20-24 months

Read to your baby every day. Cuddle up, get close, and make this a special time together. Point to pictures in books and ask her to find something. “Where’s the kitty? Where are baby’s socks?”

Your child will love learning songs such as “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” Teach your child simple songs you remember from childhood. Later, ask your child to sing for someone else in the family.

24-30 months

Adapted from ASQ 3™ Learning Activities by Elizabeth Twombly, M.S., & Ginger Fink. ©2013 Brookes Publishing. All rights reserved.

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