Moving past the single word stage!
If your child is beginning to say lots of words, you may be wondering, “When will they start combining words?” Before your child starts combining words, they need to have some basic building blocks. This does not mean they HAVE to have these skills, but they are more likely to put words together with these foundations in place!
Building blocks for combining words:
⭐️ Has 35-50 words. While it may seem like your child should be able to put words together at any time, it really helps your toddler to have a fair amount of words in their vocabulary.
⭐️ Uses words with more than one syllable (pancake, baby). When you think about it, the ability to combine words requires saying multiple syllables. This can be a challenge if your little one hasn’t developed the motor skills needed to move from sound-to-sound and syllable-to-syllable. Usually, as your child’s expressive vocabulary grows, so does their sound development. All of this development leads to a greater likelihood of being able to say more complex words.
⭐️ Using different types of words (nouns, verbs, prepositions, adjectives). Think about it, when you say a sentence, you are using different types of words! You don’t just say a list of nouns; you have to use other words WITH the labels. Sooooo, if your child is going to combine words, they need to have a variety of words in their vocabulary!
⭐️ Copying short phrases that you say. We often talk about the importance of imitation (read more about it here). It’s a skill your child needs to be able to attempt almost anything new! After all, imitation is how so many of us learn to do things on our own! We see/hear, and then we copy! For your child to be able to put words together, it helps if they are able to copy some of the short phrases. This is one way they learn to say longer strings of sounds and words.
If your child is ready to combine words, you can try some of the strategies below! These strategies will provide a model and encourage your child to expand their language!
Ways you can help your child learn to combine words:
🌈 Expand on their words, using correct grammar. One of the most effective ways to help your child expand their language is to model! You can do this a couple of ways. 1) When your child says a word to you, you repeat it back to them and ADD one more! For example, if your child holds up a cup and says, “more!” you could respond by saying, “More milk!” This shows them how to put words in their vocabulary together, while also providing a model for them to imitate.
🌈 Read! (We can never say this one enough). Reading books is amazing for language development regardless of the age of your child! It’s the perfect opportunity to talk about what you see on the pages! Try using 2-3 word phrases, so that your child can attempt to imitate what you say. For an extra boost of motivation, read books you know your child loves, or books about topics that motivate them!
🌈 Play. Play provides so many opportunities to use expressive language and add to your little one's words! You can either talk about what you are doing using simple, two-word phrases, or you can talk about what your child is doing! This is the perfect opportunity to use language about what your child is interested in!
🌈 Sing songs! Not only are songs fun, but they are also predictable! If your child knows the song well, let them sing different parts! You can start a line and then pause! This will prompt them to finish the words!
🌈 TALK ABOUT EVERYTHING!
