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Finster, he does watch nick jr and playhouse disney to a limit.
NCN thank you. We do go to the library often but sometimes I wonder when he interacts with toddlers his age who have an extensive vocabulary that he is not up to par with them.
Our pediatrician says he is fine but when do you start to worry?
You are the child's mother and you will be the best one to decide what is best for him. I was just giving you the benefit of what I learned working with children for 28 years. I always enjoyed seeing the interaction of the parent and child when visiting the library. You sound like a very good mother and your child is so blessed to have you on his side.
I know a woman who's son was non-verbal past the age of 2. He understood words, but he wouldn't speak them. He just grunted and made noises, like a 13-month-old. This kid seemed pretty smart, and I saw him several times for short periods (an hour here, two hours there). I got the impression that the reason he didn't talk, was because his mom was loud, overbearing, caustic, and obnoxious. I felt bad for the little guy.
I'd say if your kid is non-verbal, but understands words past the age of two, it'd be cause for further investigation. Maybe he's just shy. Maybe you're the contender for "Bad Mom of the Year." Or maybe he just doesn't have much to say. But you say he already has plenty of words that he knows, recognizes, and repeats. So really I wouldn't worry about it at all. Let him learn organically.
Read to him stories - golden books, fables, Dr. Seuss, I don't know if Billy Bee is still in print but I got it at a county fair for my best friend's son when he was around 1, and he grew up reciting "A bizz a buzz a beez a bam, I'm Billy Bee, I am I am!" til he was 6. Great book. Lots of fun even for the parent
Hey found it! It's at billybee.net and it's now a series of 5 books. It's not mass-produced, I don't believe they're available at bookstores. As I said I bought one at a County Fair; the author was there selling them under the merchant tent.
I know a woman who's son was non-verbal past the age of 2. He understood words, but he wouldn't speak them. He just grunted and made noises, like a 13-month-old. This kid seemed pretty smart, and I saw him several times for short periods (an hour here, two hours there). I got the impression that the reason he didn't talk, was because his mom was loud, overbearing, caustic, and obnoxious. I felt bad for the little guy.
I'd say if your kid is non-verbal, but understands words past the age of two, it'd be cause for further investigation. Maybe he's just shy. Maybe you're the contender for "Bad Mom of the Year." Or maybe he just doesn't have much to say. But you say he already has plenty of words that he knows, recognizes, and repeats. So really I wouldn't worry about it at all. Let him learn organically.
Read to him stories - golden books, fables, Dr. Seuss, I don't know if Billy Bee is still in print but I got it at a county fair for my best friend's son when he was around 1, and he grew up reciting "A bizz a buzz a beez a bam, I'm Billy Bee, I am I am!" til he was 6. Great book. Lots of fun even for the parent
Thank you Anonchick! We have a ton of Little Golden Books and he doesn't take stock in them unlike his Mr.Men collection or Thomas the Tank. I will look up that Billy Bee book!
I know a woman who's son was non-verbal past the age of 2. He understood words, but he wouldn't speak them. He just grunted and made noises, like a 13-month-old. This kid seemed pretty smart, and I saw him several times for short periods (an hour here, two hours there). I got the impression that the reason he didn't talk, was because his mom was loud, overbearing, caustic, and obnoxious. I felt bad for the little guy.
I don't know, I am like this and my son was speaking in full sentences by the time he was 18 months Just kidding - I am like that but he was merely stringing words together for partial sentences.
Some kids don't talk until later and as long as your pediatrician isn't worried, you shouldn't be either. Don't compare your son to other toddlers that you run into. I can guarantee your son has some developmental traits that are further along than the those 'advanced' talkers.
Every kid develops skills at a different rate and even if he starts later than some it doesn't mean he will be deficient in that area. My son didn't start decoding words until he was five and didn't really have reading fluency until he was six. Now, at almost nine, he's always got a book in his hands and has fantastic comprehension.
It helped me refrain from all the craziness when my son was young. There are a lot of people out to make money off of new parents for programs that have questionable merit.
My kids loved books with humor (Wacky Wednesday) and I kept a big stock of books with pictures of several things from household to mechanical items that named what they were. I let no opportunity pass to explain how things worked or something even minor I thought would get them thinking. I also normally use larger words in my regular communication which was reflected in their vocabulary when they began to speak.
Your child is probably just soaking things up at this point. I wouldn't worry. Kids are meant to have fun with. Music, science, and sports are good too. We had an extensive inexpensive and eclectic collection from giant bubble makers to penny whistles and hula hoops and a bit later microscopes and snorkeling gear. Never really bought those toys most other kids got. It's the interaction that's important.
It's been touched on briefly but I think singing with your children is a wonderful way to introduce new words, especially the little songs or rhymes that involve movement. I'm a Little Teapot, Thumbkin, Eensy Weensy Spider, Wheels on the Bus, etc.
Just a personal experience. My daughter spoke very early. She didn't walk until 15mths. Her best friend didn't say a word until 2 and was in speech until 4. He walked at 11mths.
They are both in 1st grade now and there is zero difference between them. Academically and physically they're the same. Don't worry too much
ETA: I was devastated when my daughter wouldn't walk. My friend was devastated when her son wouldn't speak. Seems a little silly now.
I've already responded to this post, but I wanted to post again after attending a conference on trends in early education today.
One of the speakers was an elementary school principal with a doctorate in early education. She said that kids are coming to kindergarten with more limited vocabularies than they did a generation ago. Many don't know their colors or how to count to 10. It's not uncommon for them not to know how to compare things such as big and small or tall and short.
She says this is happening b/c parents don't talk as much to their kids as they used to. They don't say, "Look at the blue sky," or "Look at how tall that tree is," as parents did a generation ago because they are often busy talking on their cell phones or posting on their Facebook pages. Plus, parents who work two jobs to support their kids are often too exhausted to spend a lot of time interacting with them, according to the principal.
She said the most important things parents can do to prepare their kids for school and increase their vocabulary is to talk to them constantly, even if you are just telling them about your day or pointing out the obvious while taking a walk. And, of course, reading to your kids is important, too.
It was interesting to me because my sister who is an art teacher once mentioned that a lot of her kindergarten students don't know their colors at the beginning of the school year (basic colors like blue, red, green, etc). I assumed it was because she teaches in a poor school district where English is a second language for some kids, but perhaps the factors that the principal mentioned are at work, too.
I guess this confirms the advice that so many people have posted on this thread about talking to and reading to your child.
I've already responded to this post, but I wanted to post again after attending a conference on trends in early education today.
One of the speakers was an elementary school principal with a doctorate in early education. She said that kids are coming to kindergarten with more limited vocabularies than they did a generation ago. Many don't know their colors or how to count to 10. It's not uncommon for them not to know how to compare things such as big and small or tall and short.
She says this is happening b/c parents don't talk as much to their kids as they used to. They don't say, "Look at the blue sky," or "Look at how tall that tree is," as parents did a generation ago because they are often busy talking on their cell phones or posting on their Facebook pages. Plus, parents who work two jobs to support their kids are often too exhausted to spend a lot of time interacting with them, according to the principal.
She said the most important things parents can do to prepare their kids for school and increase their vocabulary is to talk to them constantly, even if you are just telling them about your day or pointing out the obvious while taking a walk. And, of course, reading to your kids is important, too.
It was interesting to me because my sister who is an art teacher once mentioned that a lot of her kindergarten students don't know their colors at the beginning of the school year (basic colors like blue, red, green, etc). I assumed it was because she teaches in a poor school district where English is a second language for some kids, but perhaps the factors that the principal mentioned are at work, too.
I guess this confirms the advice that so many people have posted on this thread about talking to and reading to your child.
Agree with this as well with all of the other posters who said "just talk to your kids".
Turn off the cell phone when driving or walking or doing daily chores and talk. Talk to them as if they were adults. Baby talk is not needed.
Read to them daily.
When they start to read, don't limit their reading choices. I thought the post about being sent back downstairs to the "kids" section of the library was sad.
Mostly, though, try not to stress out. Children learn at their own pace. A calm happy parent is often a good parent.
LisaMc and Plaidmom I completely agree about talking. We talk every day about anything and everything under the sun that only a toddler would understand.
Its funny that you mentioned art and color as today I was making myself a crystal light pink lemonade drink and I was repeating over to him pink, pink. Later he came up to me with pink chalk and went "ink! ink!"
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Just kidding - I am like that but he was merely stringing words together for partial sentences. 
