[Crazybean]

Can someone share suggestions for learning colors? We have multiple books that ask what color is on the page blah blah but he has seen us point each thing out so it's like automatic/routine for him. I tried over the past week to pick 2 colors (blue and yellow specifically) and show him every toy and item in the house that has either color. Should I just do one? What about animcal sounds- he doesn't know any or make any of the sounds even though we do try to point things out (we don't have pictures of several animals). I feel like he's behind or I'm just not doing things right.
Also, he's talks giberish ALL the time and says a few sentences when he wants but nothing really on command. Any ways to encourage him to tell me what he wants? He throws a fit if I don't give him what he wants. I've read happiest toddler on the block and I swear it doesn't apply to him.
He does say about 20+ words and a few sentences but that is it. He follows my directions most of the time and knows what the items are. If I say "go get your ball", he'll run and get it ect..

 

[mysticmomma]

Are you going to homeschool? You sound like you are suffering from what my friend calls super-excited-first-time-homeschooling syndrome. Anyway, I think just describing things with their color is sufficient. Kids this age are sponges and learning everything around them. IS there some reason you are concerned at this point with his development? He sounds completely on target to me.

 

[sbgrace]

Getting colors tends to come when a child is ready and for some kids that is much later than 19 months. One of my kids took an interest in colors very young and the other not until 2.5. The 2.5 year old is the typically developing one and the young color learner is on the autism spectrum! The only thing they look for before kindergarten is matching colors to make sure a child isn't colorblind. So don't press the colors is my advice. He'll get it when he wants to.

I'm not sure what you mean about talking. He has 20 spontaneous words and he speaks in sentences? That sounds good. They want two word combinations by two years old (like "more bubble" sort of combination). If your child is repeating things he's heard (like quoting a movie line out of context rather than speaking spontaneously) that is concerning but otherwise he sounds fine to me. The only thing that sounds concerning developmental wise is that he can't communicate what he wants to you. But based on what you said he's doing otherwise I think I misunderstood that or you're not clear on what is typical at that age. But if he really can't tell you what he watns it makes me wonder if his speech is spontaneous and if he communicates non-verbally. Does he point to things he wants and grunt? Does he shake his head yes/no when you try to ask him something? What types of things does he say and in what situations? Like does he point in the sky when he sees an airplane so you notice it too?

Usually kids do animal sounds before they start talking. So if he's spontaneously talking (say he's tell you what he wants and pointing out things for you to notice) I personally wouldn't worry about animal sounds. Maybe he isn't interested in animals. Does he make other environmental sounds like the sounds of trucks while he's playing?

Gibberish is good. No worries there. Understanding directions is right on target! I think (unless he can't communicate through pointing and nodding head type things) he's fine!

 

[ASusan]

Honestly? I would put aside the books that try to "teach" things at this point, and do what comes naturally in your everyday communications. I've set aside all but one or 2 ABC books (one with great art, and Dr. Seuss's ABC book, which has great rhythm). I have also set aside all books that "quiz" DS. He'll get enough of that later, and I cringe when I hear parents constantly quizzing their young children as a primary source of interaction.

Maybe I'm too cavalier about this, because I have no concerns about DS' development, and he seems on track. I'm a developmental psychologist - you think I would keep up with the milestones and the charts! - but I'm pretty laid back about our son. I think if he were delayed, we would pick up on it, or someone close to us would. (My sister, who has her Masters in Special Ed., visited us for T-giving, and assured me that DS was on track.)

I'm sure other mamas will post here and tell you your son is where he should be. He may not have yet hit his language explosion.

 

[readytobedone]

DD is the same age and has no real interest in learning colors. she knows her numbers, though, and several letters. she'll do it when she's ready, i guess. and i really don't think you can teach them how to talk--alas. mine is taking awhile to warm up to talking, too, and it's been difficult, but we've gotten a lot of mileage out of signing. i do also repeat words and ask her to try to say them. part of her issue is she seems to want to say them right and won't experiment with new words.

 

[Crazybean]

I'm sorry but the super excited homeschooling mom thing made me laugh.. I don't plan on homeschooling

I'm the breadwinner so I have to work BUT I do take an active role in teaching my son stuff on my time off- maybe it's too much.
I guess I was comparing him to what my mom has written about me. I also use to work in a daycare with 1.5-2 year olds and I remember many of them knew a lot more (or so I think that's what I remember).
My mom asks me things and I start to panic inside thinking "oh man, I haven't even though of that!".
He's 19 months and I just started giving him a spoon to eat with (didn't realize they were capable of holding a spoon much early on until I read it) so I feel like I'm not introducing him to things that he should know by now. If he attemps to eat with a spoon, he's lucky to get anything on the spoon and that's my fault for not giving him one earlier.
I hear other kids his age making animal sounds and again I panic thinking what didn't I do now?

He does grunt for things and point. If he wants something to eat, he opens the pantry door and points to the top shelf. If he wants to go outside, he brings me his shoes and coat. He brings me a book and goes to grab 4 more and says "these too"? If we are outside and he hears an airplane, he says "oohhhh" and points and looks to find it. I'll point it out and say "that's right that is an airplane". If a car passes by, he'll stop and say "car". If I say "dinner's read- go tell daddy" He'll run all over the house looking for his dad then give a bunch of gibberish when he finds him. If someone walks in the door, he'll run up and say "hey you".

He is fantastic with the soccer ball. He can dribble and use his legs to get the ball out of a hard to reach area. He doesn't really play by himself much but he does like to rough house with his dad. He is more interested in watching me cook or being read to.

 

[prettypixels]

I don't see anything wrong with including colors and talking about colors and all that stuff, but don't expect him to give it back to you yet. My daughter is 23 months and just recently started getting her colors consistently. (She got blue, first, for a long time only blue.) I always say "I'm putting on your left shoe," and right shoe, etc, when I'm dressing her... not because I expect her to GET IT now but just putting the info out there for whenever she wants to grab a hold of it. Does that make sense?

 

[sbgrace]

Crazybean, he sounds right on target or, actually, even maybe ahead.

If you forgot about spoons until he was 3 so what? He'd still be eating with utensils by kindergarten or at least college!

I'm kidding...my point though is that it doesn't matter. Kids learn what they need to naturally and anything "missed" isn't a big deal. He would have asked for a spoon when he was ready to be a big boy for example.

My suggestion is to drop all of the academic/development stuff you're doing with him. Let him be a kid and enjoy playing with him and reading stories or rhymes to him and all that-or just looking at picture books together, exploring the outside, etc. Don't be his teacher, be his mom and co-explorer. His best learning at this age is play and imagination and imitating you as you go about life. He'll do that naturally. I think the worst thing you could do for him at that age is spend your time together trying to teach him academic things and figuring out what he knows/doesn't know.

Just enjoy!

Oh, and read this article. It is from a homeschooling thingie and is for kids a bit older but the message I think would be really, really helpful for you and your son.

http://www.besthomeschooling.org/art..._ps_kdgtn.html

 

[Ruthla]

IMO. toddlers don't need to be "taught" anything. He'll talk when he's ready. He'll learn colors and shapes when he's ready. It sounds to me like he's on track developmentally, so he doesn't need any special services for speach or anything else.

Relax. Enjoy your baby. Talk to him, read him books if he's interested, and in general communicate with him. That's all you need to be doing "educationally" at this point.