Boosting Your Child's Expressive Vocabulary: The "Toy Talk" Strategy

As a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), I'm often asked by parents how they can help improve their child's language development. While there are many strategies and techniques, one simple yet effective approach I often recommend is what I call "Toy Talk." This method can significantly enhance your child's expressive vocabulary and contribute to their overall language growth.

Unveiling the "Toy Talk" Concept

The underlying concept of "Toy Talk" is straightforward. It revolves around the essence of playtime, a crucial period where children are most receptive to learning. During this time, parents should be mindful of utilizing specific nouns to describe actions and objects. For instance, instead of generic statements like "he's drinking" or "it's flying," a more beneficial approach would be to name the noun and say, "the horse is drinking" or "the airplane is flying."

What the Research Has to Say

Research shows that integrating "Toy Talk," along with practices like modeling language related to the child’s interests, and expanding on their communication, can lead to significant advancements in language development. The efficacy of this strategy is attributed to two key elements:

1. Vocabulary Expansion: When parents identify the name of the subject in a sentence, it automatically encourages them to use more specific language. This practice exposes children to a diverse range of words and concepts, facilitating a richer vocabulary.
2. Diverse Sentence Structures: Using specific nouns instead of vague pronouns can also improve sentence diversity. Children are more likely to experiment with different sentence structures and verb tense markings when they hear clear and precise language models.

A Strategy for Crucial Developmental Stages

As children traverse through their transformative toddler years, the emphasis shifts from the sheer quantity of words they hear to the diversity and complexity of language input.

Fostering Connections and Learning

The "Toy Talk" strategy is a simple and enjoyable way to provide your child with the diverse and complex language input they need during this critical developmental stage. By incorporating this approach into your playtime routine, you're not only improving communication skills but also creating valuable opportunities for learning and bonding with your child.

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Digging Deeper into Research

For those interested in the research behind this technique, refer to the following:

• Hadley, P.A., Rispoli, M., Holt, J.K. (2017). "Input Subject Diversity Accelerates the Growth of Tense and Agreement: Indirect Benefits From a Parent-Implemented Intervention." Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research.
• Hadley, P.A., Rispoli, M., Holt, J.K., Papastratakos, T., Hsu, N., Kubalanza, M., McKenna, M.M. (2017). "Input Subject Diversity Enhances Early Grammatical Growth: Evidence from a Parent-Implemented Intervention." Language Learning and Development.

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