Using Routines to Maximize Language in Toddlers

Think about your toddlers day to day routines. Dressing, changing diapers, breakfast time, bath time, walking the dog! There are countless routines in our everyday life, and we typically breeze through them without thinking twice.

Routines are incredibly helpful in practicing language because they provide consistency, structure, and repetition, which are key elements in language learning for toddlers. Here are a few reasons why routines can get children talking:

1. Predictable Contexts for Learning

  • Why it helps: Routines create predictable environments, allowing children to anticipate what will happen next. This repetition helps toddlers understand and eventually use the same words or phrases they hear regularly.

  • How it gets kids talking: When a child hears the same words associated with certain activities (e.g., "wash hands," "brush teeth"), they begin to associate those words with actions and start to imitate them. This builds vocabulary in a natural, low-pressure way.

2. Opportunities for Repetition

  • Why it helps: Daily routines provide frequent opportunities to repeat the same language patterns, which is essential for toddlers to learn new words and concepts. Hearing language in context multiple times strengthens their understanding.

  • How it gets kids talking: As children hear the same phrases during routine activities, they are more likely to try saying those words themselves. For example, during mealtime, you might say "more please" each time you offer more food, encouraging your child to eventually say it on their own.

3. Structured Turn-Taking

  • Why it helps: Many routines (e.g., getting dressed, meal prep, bath time) naturally involve back-and-forth interactions, which teach turn-taking and conversational skills.

  • How it gets kids talking: By incorporating simple questions ("What do we do next?") and pausing for your child to respond, you create an opportunity for them to use language. These structured moments make it easier for toddlers to learn how to take turns in a conversation

My challenge for your today:  Try and think of one routine you do daily with your little one. Think about the language you use with them, and ways in which you can slow it down a bit! As children become more comfortable, they will naturally begin to express themselves verbally within these consistent, meaningful interactions! 

 

Want to learn more? We will be diving deeper into routines in my course, The Tiny Talker Playbook. Doors open soon! 

Nicole Dobranski