Your 15-month-old's language and cognitive development: Speaking volumes

小馨是late talker嗎？


New this month: Speaking volumes
By 15 months, the majority (about 75 percent) of children have a vocabulary that consists of "Mama" and "Dada" plus at least three other words, usually nouns, such as "cookie," "ball," and "dog." "More," and of course the all-time toddler favorite, "No!" are also common early words. A typical 15-month-old can also follow simple commands, such as "Bring me your shoes," or "Put the book down." She also understands the meanings of phrases such as "No," "Come here," "Show me," and "Look."

What you can do
One of the best ways you can encourage your chatterbox to keep on talking is to listen. Even if you don't understand all of what she's saying or asking, make eye contact when she's trying to communicate with you, and acknowledge or respond to her comments and questions whenever possible, which will motivate her to keep on trying.

If your child is taking her time learning to talk, spend a lot of time together reading. Even looking at picture books and pointing out familiar objects will help her store the information for future use. Try to avoid using baby talk, since it can be confusing. If your little one says "goggy" rather than doggy, simply say, "Yes, that's a doggy," rather than repeating her version of the word.

Up until now your child may have had difficulty sitting still to look at books, unless it was just before bedtime. But starting at about 15 months, children become interested in looking at picture books, either with Mom or Dad or alone. You may see your toddler pat the pictures in books, and books with different textures, like the classic Pat the Bunny, are often favorites at this age. And your toddler doesn't have to be sitting in your lap to enjoy a story; you can read to her while she's playing on the floor, too.

Your toddler now

果然沒錯！小馨最喜歡電話筒、拿爸爸口袋裡的筆、喜歡到媽媽梳妝台摸東摸西，她的小手忙個不停！只能像下面文字說的，拿一些塑膠類或沒有危險性的東西讓她把玩。

Keeping small hands busy
Keys, pencils, lipstick, phones: All may be fascinating to your toddler. These objects are fun to look at and manipulate, and when your toddler sees you using them, he wants to do the same.

The problem is, you might not want him demolishing your lipstick! (And many of these items, including lipstick, can be toxic or pose a choking hazard.) Your challenge is to find things he can safely use to satisfy his need to mimic – like a set of plastic keys, an old purse of yours with a hairbrush and comb, a cheap wallet.

There are plenty of other ways to keep your toddler's hands occupied for more than a minute or two. For example, fill a laundry basket with safe odds and ends, such as plastic containers and lids, scarves, hats, and wooden spoons and other big utensils. He'll love getting his hands on objects that look like they have a purpose and trying to figure out how to use them.