It can be difficult to keep track of all the words your child can say. It can also feel stressful trying to remember on the spot when professionals ask how many words they can say to gauge their progress! To help make this an easier task you can track words as part of the Pippin app. It can be hard to know what counts as a word and whether it can be added to the tracker. To explain this more clearly, we have broken down different types of words and how your child uses them.
Words that can be added to the tracker:
- Sign language such as help and hungry
- Exclamatory words such as uh-oh and oops
- Words that aren’t pronounced correctly or ‘almost words’ e.g. ma for mama
- Animal sounds such as moo and baa
- Numbers such as one and two
- Full words such as cat, bag
We believe it is important to include sign language as a word since your child is trying to communicate whether or not it is verbally, these signs help build up your child’s understanding of language.
When your child is communicating try and keep track of the context such as whether they are responding to something you’ve said or if it’s an independent action. The best way to explain this is through three different types of language and using the word ‘shoes’ as an example:
Consistently – when your child is using word(s) regularly or more than once repeatedly e.g. repeating the word ‘shoes’
Independently – when your child says words that are isolated from any context e.g. saying ‘shoes’ outside of a context that would involve using shoes
Intentionally – when your child is replying and communicating with you and understanding the context of what they’re saying e.g. you mention about going on a walk with your child, they say ‘shoes’ and go to collect their shoes
Being able to constitute words will help you navigate your child’s progress and understand which areas may need more focus and development. Hopefully after reading this short blog you will have gained a better understanding on how to document your child’s communication habits.
Why not try our fun games and recommended nursery rhymes to encourage your child’s speech development!
To learn more, Find Pippin on Google Play and the Apple App Store.