If you’ve spent any time with a toddler, there’s a good chance she (much like my own 18 month old daughter) has expressed frustration because you do not understand what she is saying. She knows what she wants, she’s trying to communicate, but you’re just not getting it. Let the temper tantrum begin!
At our house we are knee deep in that period of time where where my daughter loves to talk, demands to be heard but is having a hard time making herself understood. It is frustrating not just for her but also for my husband and I.
Recently I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to meet Dr. Alan Greene, MD, a renowned pediatrician and the timing was perfect. Dr. Greene mentioned he was developing an app, Kidglyphs, to help parents and children with this very problem better communicate.
As I expressed my frustration to Dr.Greene he patiently explained to me that at an early age, kids can understand more than 100 words than they can say. Kidglyphs helps bridge that language gap by helping kids build verbal skills while also providing them (and parents) with the visual cues to help identify what it is that they want.
Kidglyphs has arrived! It is also free and comes with 34 “glyphs” or illustrations of basic everyday needs and actions like “mommy,” “daddy,” “eat,” “drink,” “milk,” “ball” and more. When the image is touched, the word is narrated, helping solidify its pronunciation for your child. My little one particularly loves the built-in game that she can play to help her identify which pictures go with which words. I am astonished at how quickly she is picking the correct “glyph” on the first try after only a few days and she now even repeats the word. However, the most rewarding part is watching her face light up as the music cues she got the correct answer. Of course this is accompanied by her own little victory dance.
Parents can customize the app to add photos of themselves (and grandparents) to make it even more personalized for each child. Kidglyphs is a great way for you and your child to work on language building in a fun engaging way. Perhaps in the process maybe even avoid a temper tantrum or two.
Kidglyphs is available for free from iTunes
*Additional packs of 30 Glyphs can be purchased within the app for $.99
