You don’t need a toy shelf full of materials to teach nouns and verbs—your daily routines are full of opportunities to model functional, meaningful language. These moments can feel less overwhelming for parents because they’re already happening—no setup required.
During mealtime, you might say:
- “Eat banana.”
- “More milk?”
- “Cut sandwich.”
- “Mom eats. You eat!”
In the bathroom or at bath time:
- “Wash hands.”
- “Dry feet.”
- “Brush teeth.”
- “Water splashes!”
Getting dressed or doing laundry can also become a learning moment:
- “Shirt on.”
- “Socks off.”
- “Fold pants.”
- “I zip. You try!”
Even transitions like getting in the car, feeding the pet, or going outside provide space to model phrases like:
- “Open door.”
- “Dog eats.”
- “Shoes on. Go outside.”
These real-life moments are powerful because they’re predictable, functional, and full of context. With consistent modeling, children begin to pair the action or item with the words they hear—leading to increased understanding, and eventually, expression.
