Babies learn the meaning of new words by us modelling (saying) them in context (in the place where they fit) and by using lots of repetition. We can't expect children to use words until they fully understand them so we have to grab these teachable moments to show them what things mean.

HOW: August was playing with some loose parts and found the @navybabynz rope. I jumped on the opportunity to play a tug of war game with him and model the word 'pull'. Can you hear how many times we say it? I'm also only saying it when we're both pulling on the rope, so he'a hearing the word REPEATED and IN CONTEXT of feeling what pull feels like and doing it himself. The opposite of this would be me repeating the word 'pull' to him randomly when he wasn't pulling anything - it just doesn't teach things as well! That's why I say no to flash cards, it's better to capture the moments and teach through play.

Other times we practice 'pull' that you could do too : pulling open cupboards, pulling on the strap that tightens the car seat, pulling on his trousers, pulling the clothes out of the dryer, pulling the curtains closed, the ribbon pull activity (see my feed), pulling up his nappy, pulling on socks, singing 'wind the bobbin up'.

How do you teach 'pull'?

Watch how here