The Let’s Listen and Talk Toddler Programme provides information, advice and tailored guidance for parents and carers supporting deaf toddlers aged from around 18 months to 2½ years old.
You may have participated in our Baby Course. Now, you and your child are ready for new challenges as they become a toddler – full of energy to explore their surroundings.
As your baby grows into a toddler, there are many new ways you can promote their listening, language and speech skills.
We have specially designed the Toddler Programme to help you continue to build your child’s communication skills. This is an exciting journey and we will be at your side to provide help, information, guidance and support.
When you take part in the Toddler Programme you will receive expert support from your course leader at The Elizabeth Foundation, who will use your feedback to provide information and advice tailored to your child’s individual needs and stage of development.
Course Content
2. “I want that!” – Communicating without words- Tuning in to all your child’s communication
- The building blocks of communication
- Encouraging nonverbal communication
- Introducing the ‘Communicating without words’ activities
- Activity: Making a shelf of favourite toys
- Activity: Hiding things
- Activity: Creating a toy store
- Activity: Offering choices
- Activity: Getting things wrong!
- Activity: Forgetting things
- Your feedback on Toddler Lesson 2
- Tuning in to all your child’s communication
- The building blocks of communication
- Encouraging nonverbal communication
- Introducing the ‘Communicating without words’ activities
- Activity: Making a shelf of favourite toys
- Activity: Hiding things
- Activity: Creating a toy store
- Activity: Offering choices
- Activity: Getting things wrong!
- Activity: Forgetting things
- Your feedback on Toddler Lesson 2
3. “Let’s do this together!” – Shared attention- What is shared attention and why does it matter?
- How do we encourage shared attention?
- Introducing the ‘Shared attention’ activities
- Activity: Sharing books
- Activity: Fun with art and messy play
- Activity: Playing with puzzles
- Activity: Playing games together
- Activity: Going for a walk
- Activity: Show and tell
- Activity: Singing together
- Your feedback on Toddler Lesson 3
- What is shared attention and why does it matter?
- How do we encourage shared attention?
- Introducing the ‘Shared attention’ activities
- Activity: Sharing books
- Activity: Fun with art and messy play
- Activity: Playing with puzzles
- Activity: Playing games together
- Activity: Going for a walk
- Activity: Show and tell
- Activity: Singing together
- Your feedback on Toddler Lesson 3
4. “What’s that noise?” – Encouraging active listening- What is ‘active listening’ and why is it important?
- The vital role of your child’s hearing technology
- Troubleshooting your child’s hearing technology
- Introducing the ‘Active listening’ activities
- Activity: Music on, music off!
- Activity: “Let’s go to sleep”
- Activity: Listening to everyday sounds
- Activity: A box of sounds
- Activity: Books and toys that make a noise!
- Activity: A noisy walk
- Your feedback on Toddler Lesson 4
- What is ‘active listening’ and why is it important?
- The vital role of your child’s hearing technology
- Troubleshooting your child’s hearing technology
- Introducing the ‘Active listening’ activities
- Activity: Music on, music off!
- Activity: “Let’s go to sleep”
- Activity: Listening to everyday sounds
- Activity: A box of sounds
- Activity: Books and toys that make a noise!
- Activity: A noisy walk
- Your feedback on Toddler Lesson 4
5. “I know that sound!” – Developing discrimination- What is sound discrimination and why is it important?
- Repetition matters
- Introducing the ‘Sound discrimination’ activities
- Activity: Animals and their sounds
- Activity: Looking for sounds in books
- Activity: Imaginative play with toys
- Activity: Everyday routines – getting dressed
- Activity: Everyday routines – mealtimes
- Your feedback on Toddler Lesson 5
- What is sound discrimination and why is it important?
- Repetition matters
- Introducing the ‘Sound discrimination’ activities
- Activity: Animals and their sounds
- Activity: Looking for sounds in books
- Activity: Imaginative play with toys
- Activity: Everyday routines – getting dressed
- Activity: Everyday routines – mealtimes
- Your feedback on Toddler Lesson 5
6. “This is what I mean!” – Concentrating on useful language- What do we mean by ‘useful language’ – and why is it important?
- Some early ‘useful language’ words and phrases
- Introducing the ‘useful language’ activities
- Activity: Everyday games
- Activity: Providing opportunities for problem-solving
- Activity: Incorporating language into daily routines
- Activity: Having fun with imaginary play
- Your feedback on Toddler Lesson 6
- What do we mean by ‘useful language’ – and why is it important?
- Some early ‘useful language’ words and phrases
- Introducing the ‘useful language’ activities
- Activity: Everyday games
- Activity: Providing opportunities for problem-solving
- Activity: Incorporating language into daily routines
- Activity: Having fun with imaginary play
- Your feedback on Toddler Lesson 6
7. “This is interesting!” – Useful language topics- How to extend your child’s ‘useful language’ vocabulary
- Suggestions for vocabulary topics
- Introducing the ‘Vocabulary topics’ activities
- Activity: Books and puzzles
- Activity: Topic bags
- Activity: Imaginative play
- Activity: Using everyday routines
- Activity: Experience books and photos
- Activity: Music and singing
- Your feedback on Toddler Lesson 7
- How to extend your child’s ‘useful language’ vocabulary
- Suggestions for vocabulary topics
- Introducing the ‘Vocabulary topics’ activities
- Activity: Books and puzzles
- Activity: Topic bags
- Activity: Imaginative play
- Activity: Using everyday routines
- Activity: Experience books and photos
- Activity: Music and singing
- Your feedback on Toddler Lesson 7
8. “Imagine that!” – Encouraging imagination- Why is imagination so important for language?
- How to encourage imaginative play everyday
- Introduction to the ‘Encouraging imagination’ activities
- Activity: Having a tea party!
- Activity: Daily routines with dolly or teddy
- Activity: Dressing up
- Activity: Hide and seek
- Activity: Imaginative trips
- Activity: Familiar stories and nursery rhymes
- Your feedback on Toddler Lesson 8
- Why is imagination so important for language?
- How to encourage imaginative play everyday
- Introduction to the ‘Encouraging imagination’ activities
- Activity: Having a tea party!
- Activity: Daily routines with dolly or teddy
- Activity: Dressing up
- Activity: Hide and seek
- Activity: Imaginative trips
- Activity: Familiar stories and nursery rhymes
- Your feedback on Toddler Lesson 8
9. “Sing with me!” – The importance of music, rhythm and song- How can music help your child develop natural language?
- How to use music to develop natural language skills
- Introduction to the ‘Music, rhythm and song’ activities
- Activity: Nursery rhymes
- Activity: Fun with bubbles and blowing
- Activity: Dance together!
- Activity: Musical games
- Activity: More fun with your box of sounds
- Your feedback on Toddler Lesson 9
- How can music help your child develop natural language?
- How to use music to develop natural language skills
- Introduction to the ‘Music, rhythm and song’ activities
- Activity: Nursery rhymes
- Activity: Fun with bubbles and blowing
- Activity: Dance together!
- Activity: Musical games
- Activity: More fun with your box of sounds
- Your feedback on Toddler Lesson 9
10. “What are we doing?” – Learning the importance of verbs- The importance of learning about verbs – “doing” words
- Learning about verbs – all day and everyday
- Introducing the “Doing” words activities
- Activity: Do the actions!
- Activity: Describe your child’s actions
- Activity: Using props
- Activity: Giving and following instructions
- Your feedback on Toddler Lesson 10
- The importance of learning about verbs – “doing” words
- Learning about verbs – all day and everyday
- Introducing the “Doing” words activities
- Activity: Do the actions!
- Activity: Describe your child’s actions
- Activity: Using props
- Activity: Giving and following instructions
- Your feedback on Toddler Lesson 10
11. “I know what you mean!” – Reading social communication clues- The importance of social communication
- Ways to develop social communication skills
- Introduction to the ‘Social communication’ activities
- Activity: Getting things wrong and losing things!
- Activity: “Like / don’t like” – “Want / don’t want”
- Activity: “I don’t know!”
- Activity: Taking turns and negotiating
- Activity: Talking about feelings
- Activity: Looking for clues to understand situations
- Your feedback on Toddler Lesson 11
- The importance of social communication
- Ways to develop social communication skills
- Introduction to the ‘Social communication’ activities
- Activity: Getting things wrong and losing things!
- Activity: “Like / don’t like” – “Want / don’t want”
- Activity: “I don’t know!”
- Activity: Taking turns and negotiating
- Activity: Talking about feelings
- Activity: Looking for clues to understand situations
- Your feedback on Toddler Lesson 11