Memory And Language

As you know by now, talking to your child regularly will improve your little one’s language skills.  At this stage, your child’s memory is improving and she is able to start recalling events and experiences that are memorable.  With strong expressive language skills, your toddler will be able to share these memories and articulate her feelings about them. 

• Be sure to explain to your little one what your plan for that day is and wrap up your day by reflecting upon what you did and how much fun it was!  Recall the order of events and see if your toddler can repeat things you did or let her try to give her opinion of what she thought about the experience.  Was it fun going to the park?  What was her favorite part of the playdate she had that day?
• Another way to develop memory and language skills is through storytime.  Read a story to your little one and try to work together to make predictions in the middle of the story.  After it is over, can she tell you what happened or what was her favorite part?  Even if her language skills are still emerging, see if she can point to the page that her favorite part or picture was on.
• There are games you can play to strengthen memory also. Creating memory games out of index cards is an easy and fun game to work on memory- all cards are turned so that you can not see the picture and you need to find a match. I make memory cards with numbers, letters, shapes and colors on them. Of course, you can purchase those classic picture memory games too!                                                                                      

By incorporating language throughout your day and creating moments for recall, there are many opportunities for enhancing the cognitive and language development your toddler is ready for!