- Prepare your child for play by describing different features of the toy as you and your child explore it together: what it feels/sounds like, what to do to make it work, and then what happens when it does.
- Keep your language simple and repeat words often. Realize that children understand short phrases before more complex sentences. And please, no “baby talk”!
- When you talk about playing with the toy, combine words with gestures and signs. Remember, there are lots of ways to communicate!
- Emphasize the sounds of words and objects.
- Encourage any of your child’s attempts to make sound-effects and approximations of words.
- Try to face your child when playing, or play in front of a mirror—it’s a fun way for both of you to see everything!
Toys/Features to Look For
- Toys that react to a simple touch
- Toys with realistic sounds and figures
- Toys that require your child to make sounds for something to happen
- Toys that label toy objects, offer related sounds and let your child practice over and over again
- Toys that relate words and letters to the sounds they make
- Toys that emphasize initial consonant sounds, rhyming words or other pre-literacy activities
Play Stages
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Experience Stage: Using senses to explore a toy
Tape recorders allow you to play back any sound, voice, noise or signal that you record. And vocalizing into the microphone amplifies any sound. Just slide the switch to choose a wacky voice, press the green button and speak into the microphone. This recorder’s wacky voice warping will motivate your child to sound like a chipmunk, monster, alien or robot! Any word, sound, vocalization or breathing pattern can be used; this feature works without a tape, so the fun is ready to go right out of the box!
Click here to find out what you can do to help your child play and learn with this toy.
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Discovery Stage: The toy guides your child's play
This toy can provide lots of opportunities to use and try out language, from deciding what’s on the menu to practicing manners. Four realistic sounds add to the many different ways this toy will assist with the natural development of language.
Click here to find out what you can do to help your child play and learn with this toy.
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Expanding Imagination Stage: Finding even more ways to play with a toy
The Smart Shopper Marketplace encourages language development by featuring objects, letters, words, phonics and real sounds that go along with grocery store experiences. For example, your child can touch a picture on the cash register to hear what it is, how it’s spelled and fun things about it. In addition, this toy provides lots of opportunities to imitate real world experiences through its realistic foods, baskets, scanner and cash register.
Click here to find out what you can do to help your child play and learn with this toy.
