Conversations Between Toddlers

Over the past couple of weeks, I have begun to notice more and more full conversations happening between the toddlers. I often try to write these conversations down, but my presence usually distracts them from the natural flow of their communication with each other. However, I was able to capture two different conversations that highlight the language we use with the children at TPH and how they use similar language with each other during play!

A couple of weeks ago I was getting lunch ready and TS asked, “Bee, can you read this?” She was holding a book out to me. I replied, “I'm not available to read it right now, but I can read it in a couple minutes.” TS replied, “Okay.” As I began to walk back toward the kitchen, I overheard something magical happen:

MR: “I can read a book to you.”

TS: “Can you read this?” (She was holding out two different books)

MR: “I don't know those books.”

TS gave MR the books and pointing at the “Shake my Sillies Out” book, said, “that's music.”

I watched as MR and TS went over to the rug by the cubbies and sat right next to each other with their backs up against the cubbies. MR held “Shake my Sillies Out,” open to the first page.

MR (Singing): “I'm gonna shake my sillies out...”

Then MR paused for a couple of seconds.

MR: “I don't know how the song goes.”

TS: “Oh.”

TS and MR looked at the book for a few more seconds before they separated to find other books and other objects to explore. This was the first time where I have heard any of the toddlers make themselves available when I have not been available. Not only did MR make herself available, but TS immediately accepted her offer, finding out what book MR could read to her. Even though MR didn't know the entire book, she attempted to read it (well, sing it), wanting to share the song with TS. TS smiled as MR offered to read the book, and lit up the entire time they were sitting together.

Last week while the preschoolers were outside and I was washing dishes, I noticed that JH, MR, TS, and SF were all sitting near each other, exploring the Unifix Cubes (small plastic cubes that stack on top of each other). I then heard a conversation begin:

MR: “Guys, you have to clean this all up. I'm not going to help.”

TS then gave MR a yellow cube.

MR: “I don't like yellow cause...”

MR had a short stack of cubes in her hand and began saying the color of each block, “orange, green, yellow, orange.”

  While pointing at the cubes in MR's hand, SF said, “That's mine, MR. That's mine!”

MR began pointing at each cube on her stack, one at a time and began to count, “one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, eleven, twelve, sixteen, eighteen...”

JH picked up two cubes and put one up to each eye, smiling and laughing as I moved closer to see.

 

MR noticed I was near and said, “hey Bee, this is a snake, sssssss....”

 

MR: “The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout...”

TS wanted some of the blocks MR had in her hand, so she told MR, “mine!”

MR: “No, I was using it!”

After a few seconds:

MR: “Guys, you can't do it cause you're not a tricky person.”

TS: “Using it!”

MR: “Hey TS, you want to use this,” giving TS a small stack of blocks.

TS: “Yeah!”

MR: “I don't want JH to look at the snake.”

  After a short amount of time, the group separated. JH and SF took their blocks to the couch, getting some space to explore the blocks in the calm reading area. TS and MR stayed near the bulk of the unifix cubes for a little longer. TS added a few more blocks to her stack, saying, “snake!” Then MR and TS took their cubes to the reading area.

During these conversations, the toddlers are developing language, gaining social skills, discovering the process of conversations, and learning different ways to communicate with each other. Not only are the toddlers communicating with each other through verbal cues, but also through nonverbal cues, such as eye contact, facial expressions, and body gestures. They are using phrases that we all encourage at TPH and TIH, such as "I'm using it" and "Mine." The toddlers are also finding ways to help each other when I am unavailable. They are learning to problem solve and explore new ways to share in experiences together through associative and cooperative play!