Did you know that sounds and noises are important skills for babies and toddlers to not only hear but try and imitate! As they play and begin imitating sounds they hear in their world, they build confidence! Parents hear their attempts at animal noises or people sounds and reinforce those attempts by saying “yay! I hear you saying wuff, wuff just like the dog!” Or perhaps they say “uh-oh!” when they drop a toy off their high chair. This means they are listening and are attempting to use language. The more these sounds are encouraged and reinforced, the more they learn language is useful and meaningful.
Here is a link to a handout created for parents and early interventionists to use while they play with little ones. Sounds and noises are super-important to language development, so use this as a reminder and keep moooing and oooing! Free Handout of Sounds and Noises to Encourage in Toddlers