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Language Development & Communication
Promoting Communicating & Speaking
WiseTip: LD-COM-M1626-E01A

Place books in your toddler’s environment and read books with them. Get into the habit of asking them open-ended questions even if they are not able to respond yet, for example, “What is going to happen next?"

1, 2, 3, 4

  1. New Jersey Birth to Three Early Learning Standards. (2013). New Jersey Council for Young Children.

  2. Kupetz, B., & Green, E. (1997). Sharing books with infants and toddlers: Facing the challenge. Young Children, 52(2), 22–27.

  3. Mascarenhas SS, & Moorakonda R, Agarwal P, Lim SB, Sensaki S, Chong YS, Allen JC, & Daniel LM (2017). Characteristics and influence of home literacy environment in early childhood-centered literacy orientation. Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare, 26, 81–97.

  4. Massey, S. L. (2013). From the Reading Rug to the Play Center: Enhancing Vocabulary and Comprehensive Language Skills by Connecting Storybook Reading and Guided Play. Early Childhood Education Journal, 41(2), 125–131.

16-26 months
Environment
WHY IT MATTERS

Reading between the parent and child has been linked to children’s language and social-emotional development.

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  1. Fletcher, K. L., & Reese, E. (2005). Picture Book Reading with Young Children: A Conceptual Framework. Developmental Review, 25(1), 64–103.
It is beneficial to have a
print-rich environment

Print-Rich Environment - A print-rich environment with labels, signs, logos, and visual displays helps children construct knowledge about print. When the children understand that print has meaning, they learn about how the meanings of written language, and it will motivate them to read.

from infancy, with ongoing access to books and reading as this also helps to develop children’s language ability.
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  1. Lawhon, T. (2000). Creating Language and Print Awareness Environments for Young Children. Contemporary Education, 71(3), 5.
 Reading to infants stimulates listening and language skills.
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  1. Kupetz, B., & Green, E. (1997). Sharing books with infants and toddlers: Facing the challenge. Young Children, 52(2), 22–27.

A study carried out in Singapore on creating literacy-rich environments for children from infancy showed that children begin to benefit in early language and literacy skills, when regular reading begins as early as 8 months with reading routines that include sensitive and responsive language-rich interactions. Creating a literacy-rich home environment from infancy (e.g. exposing a child to be read to) helps children to be more interested in books and reading at 12 months.

4
  1. Mascarenhas, S. S., Moorakonda, R., Agarwal, P., Lim, S. B., Sensaki, S. & Chong, Y. S. (2017). Characteristics and influence of home literacy environment in early childhood-centered literacy orientation. Proceedings in Singapore Healthcare, 26 (2), 81-97.
This was found in a Singapore study of 523 infants in the Growing up towards Healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) studies, who were followed from 2010 to 2012. The study showed that a literacy-rich home environment impacts child-centred literacy orientation at 12 months. Hence, reading to children will help them communicate, speak and be motivated towards literacy.

Targeted questioning allows children to engage in the storybook reading experience by interacting and conversing with adults.

5
  1. Massey, S. L. (2013). From the Reading Rug to the Play Center: Enhancing Vocabulary and Comprehensive Language Skills by Connecting Storybook Reading and Guided Play. Early Childhood Education Journal, 41(2), 125–131.
Questions about what will happen next fosters prediction and curiosity on the children’s part and this helps their language and cognitive skills.
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  1. Honig, A. ed. (2014). Fostering Early Language with Infants and Toddlers. Montessori Life, 26(2), 28–31.