Your Clever Toddler in Week 101: Dialogue during Story Time Boosts Kids’ Vocabulary

Use praise: "You really know how to turn the pages!" "That's a good bear roar!"

Repeat what your child says: If your child says "clock," you respond, "Yes, that's the clock."

Imitate! If your child puts his finger to his mouth and says "shhh," do the same. (Remember, copying your child can deepen your relationship.

Follow your child's lead: If he loves to turn pages, going back and forth from front to back, let him. If he wants to skip ahead to the page on which the cow jumps over the moon, so be it.

Use verbal expansion: If your toddler says, "Lady," you say, "Yes, that's the old lady, she's rocking in the chair."

Ask open-ended (rather than yes or no) questions: "What do you see in your bedroom as you fall asleep?"

It's as easy as that to engage your child's interest—and his brain!

Coming soon, look forward to: Week 102: How Your Intentions Provoke Tantrums
Review the most recent accomplishments: Week 100: Why Possessiveness Is a Good Sign

Curious about how else your toddler might be developing right now? Learn more about her clever brain and her growing body here:

• What's happening in Month 24?
• Here's what our pediatrician says you might be worried about this month.