I am wondering if any other Moms out there have verbally advanced little toddlers out there. My daughter is 18 months old and can speak to us in sentences, answer questions for us, follow instructions, and tell us how her day was. Sometimes she throws in jibberish with words when she doesn't know quite how to form the sentence, but for the most part we can really understand her. The problem is that none of the little kids in her class are speaking yet. They can make simple sounds like "dah, bah", etc. She has started to "digress" and say very simple baby talk. What options are available for me to keep her verbally stimulated during the day while I am at work? Montessouri school, working with her teachers to make sure she gets that interaction, any other ideas? She is such a gem to me and her daddy and we want the very best for her!
C.,
My daughter was the same way when I put her into daycare, she didn't adjust very well the first couple of days and then the director asked if we would mind if they moved her up to the next class, she did much better in there, she could speak so well and didn't interact very well with the ones her age. She fit in very well with the ones who spoke more on her level. It's something to think about, worked well for us.
H.
C. - You should talk to the daycare director - at my daycare, although children are primarily grouped by age, it is more important to be grouped by development - there is a very verbally gifted boy (that sounds very similar to your daughter) that was just moved into my son's room - he's in the older 2's room - and the boy is I think 20 months. He's doing great and the older kids readily accepted him.
So maybe a good talk with the director can lead to a more appropriate room assignment. The teachers of his current class will probably not be able to stimulate her in the way she needs, as their primary objectives for the room are more suited for the just learning to talk tots. If you can't get her moved, then perhaps just continue with the constant stimulation at home with lots of books and interaction.
Good luck!
S.
Congratulations! My son was verbally advanced as well, so don't panic. My guess is that you rarely, if ever, spoke to your daughter in 'baby-talk' and she has learned real language from you. Keep it up.
While you're at work, ask your caregivers to refrain from using cutesy words or voices when speaking with your daughter. Baby Einstein videos are good as are age appropriate books on tape.
When my son was that age he watched all sorts of movies and videos and developed appropriate langauge. In spite of my occasional sailor mouth, he never mimicked me or went through the 'bad words' phase. And,my husband actually watched endless hours of John Wayne Westerns with him (don't get me started).
Your daughter will continue to pick up advanced language skills and you only need to worry when she starts Kindergarten -- teachers don't like it when the kids can converse like adults! :)
C.
My daughter is the same way -- it's fun, isn't it?? She's been raised in a bilingual home (French/English) so she's using both languages and has also picked up Spanish from a neighbor friend and Dora videos.
We had a PT nanny for about 18 months, but when she left for a full-time job, we struggled to make a decision whether to put her in school or keep her home. My mother cares for her twice a week, so we decided to keep her home another year to have the one-on-one interaction and then attend playgroups in the neighborhood to get the social interaction.
We toured some Montessori schools and were impressed. I think that could be a good option if you can get in (they all had waiting lists).
On a side note -- Did you teach your daughter baby sign language? I'm wondering if there is any connection as my daughter has been communicating since an early age starting with sign language.
I had the same thing with both of my daughters, and I hate to say it, but it never slows down:) They are fabulous and very bright, but be warned that my ped. said that they could be more emotional also (which is true). It seems like montessori would be a good choice for you because they have children from 18 months to 3 in there, I think. That would allow her to work at her own pace, and be influenced by other children older than her. Also, a good home child care could work. I run an in home childcare, and I love the fact that I have such a variety in ages. The older children love to help out and are doing well with their preschool curriculum, and the younger ones are seeing examples and striving to do things. It also helps out with the fighting etc, because of various maturity levels. I think that is why day care has always been hard for me, it just seems alittle unnatural for 12-20 children the same ages to be stuck in one room all day together. Anyway, i hope you find just what you are looking for. I do have a spot open if you work up north, as I live in Corinth, but it wouldnt be worth the drive otherwise. Best of luck!!
Our daughter was the same way. She was in Montessori School too and the teachers always commented with amazement at her vocabulary. Rest assured that she's still learning valuable things. The opportunities for her to solve problems and learn independence are abundant in a Montessori program. She still gets verbal direction and input from her teachers, who should be encouraging her to use her words. She's just testing out the different ways the other kids communicate. She'll get tired of it eventually. As long as you keep doing what you've been doing at home (reading to her, answering her questions, etc.) she'll continue to thrive.
I have a two and a half year old boy that started speaking very clearly, but the reason why is different, and my advice to you. We switched him to at home day care. Since the ages in the home vary so much, he has picked up SO many language skills. My advice would be to find an at home day care in which there are different ages, especially a couple in the three, four or five age group. You'll be amazed!
Hi C.- my daughter is very verbally advanced as well. We started noticing at a year old that she was further advanced than our other children. Fortunately for us our school worked with us and they approached us last fall when it was time for her to move up. Rather than picking a class they picked the teacher that was best suited and who kept her verbally stimulated. Aside from her being verbally advanced she is also just further advanced in many things(potty training, motor skills etc.)so this teacher always took the extra step with her. This year she is with older kids due to her advancment. Usually your school will work with you if not then you may want to look at other schooling options. Hope this helps.
C.,
Our son is 19 months old and is very similar. People ask us all the time how old he is because he is big for his age and has great verbal ability. I have to say, though, that even he isn't quite at complete sentences yet though. We get very clear fragmented sentences, most of the ABC's, most numbers 1-10, and answers to questions, but not complete sentences! That is mighty impressive. For our son, we've had him in daycare since he was about 4 months old, but my husband (a student) has been able to stay at home with him during holidays and all summer, so I think that has helped him quite a bit. I figure if he is already at the stage he is at, as long as we keep talking to him (we point and discuss everything), he should be fine. However, if you are concerned that he your daughter isn't getting the stimulation that she needs, you might want to look at places like Creme de la Creme or other "special" schools that tend to focus on more academics (while still realizing they are young and need to do normal toddler things as well) rather than the usual daycare where the are essentially watching the kiddos play all day. There are also some special programs through the DMA and the Science Place at Fair Park for toddlers. Hope that helps a bit!
