What You Can Do to Support Babies' Brain Development From 18 to 24 Months

Language 

Toddlers vary greatly in their paths to understanding and using language. Between 18 and 24 months, toddlers can usually say around 50 words. They then begin adding several new words to their spoken vocabulary every day, and begin putting two words together, such as “more milk.” If you are concerned about a language delay, talk with the child’s family and suggest an evaluation by a health care provider or child development specialist. Talk with your toddlers. This is one of the most important ways you can help children develop language skills! Talk as you play and go through your daily routines together. Take the time to listen to your toddlers. Toddlers' speech can be slow and difficult to understand. Be patient, and try to really understand what they are saying. Repeat, expand, or restate what the toddler says. This lets the child know that you are listening and trying to understand what he says, and encourages him to keep talking. Read to your toddlers every day. Also tell stories from your culture, history, and experiences. Sing and use rhymes, finger plays, and poems in your daily routines.

Thinking Skills

 Toddlers do a lot of imitating at this age. They learn a variety of skills by copying what they see you do. Imitation is especially important because it is a key step in understanding the use of symbols as stand-ins for the objects and things they experience. For example, they will pick up a toy phone and hold it to their ear and babble away. As toddlers near age 2, you might see them engage in pretend play like saying “hello” to a doll or pretending to eat a plastic apple. The ability to understand symbols depends on many areas of the brain maturing across the second year and beyond. Encourage imitation. You can do this by acting as a good role model, showing children how to be patient in working through a challenging task. Provide “hands on” experiences. These might include sand and water table play, lay dough, finger paints, and so on. Provide props that encourage imaginative play. Useful objects include: toy telephones, food, hats, and dress-up clothes. Resist pressure to “teach” toddlers specific academic skills such as colors and shapes. They will learn these concepts through their everyday play and interaction with you. For example, ask if they want a red or green apple, or point out shapes and colors as you take a walk around the house or outside: “Do you see the street sign shaped like a triangle?”

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