Your toddler is learning new words every day! When she is exposed to words that belong to the same category, your toddler is extending her understanding of language. Here’s a fun way to turn an everyday routine, like riding in the car, into a powerful oral language experience!
- CD or playlist of familiar children’s songs about transportation
Step 1: Create a CD or Playlist on your music device that contains familiar children’s songs associated with transportation. Some examples include: A Bicycle Built for Two; Riding In My Car, Car; I’ve Been Working On The Railroad; Row, Row, Row Your Boat; The Wheels On The Bus; She’ll Be Coming ‘Round The Mountain; Surry With The Fringe On Top; or Let Me Take You On A Sea Cruise.
Step 2: Provide the opportunity for your toddler to hear the sounds, structure, and rhythm of oral language by playing the transportation themed songs while you are both routinely riding in the car. Be in the moment with your toddler by singing along!
Step 3: Your toddler will learn new words by listening to the songs many times. So, the more repetition, the better for her oral language learning!
Step 4: As she develops through this age level, your toddler may begin to sing along with some of the words she hears frequently. You can interact with her by singing along and then pausing, allowing her to fill in the familiar words. For example, you might sing along:
She’ll be coming ‘round the mountain when she comes… (pause and let your toddler finish the verse)…toot, toot!
Step 5: Play and sing along to the songs together often, giving your toddler lots of opportunities to hear and share language. You can also make additional playlists of songs that correspond to other daily routines. For example, you might create a playlist of songs that are water themed and sing along together during bath time!
