See-Show-Say

© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care (Jennifer Waddell photographer). All rights reserved.

"See-Show-Say" is a research-based technique that builds toddlers’ vocabularies and prepares them to be good readers. Most toddlers enjoy playing this game, especially when they can choose the books or pages. 

Play “See-Show-Say” as you share a book with one or two toddlers. Keep in mind that toddlers need time to process language, so be patient and wait for a response before moving on.

• Point to a picture. Say to children, See the                 .
• Then ask one toddler to Show you the                .
• Finally, see if he can Say the word or repeat it after you. 
• You can make the game more challenging by pointing to and describing details on the page, such as “a big red ball” or “a duck that is swimming.”

You can play this game with any picture book or album. The key is to follow the toddler’s lead and provide just enough of a challenge to keep him engaged and successful. Here are some ways you can adjust the game to fit each child’s level.

• For a child who is just learning to talk: Make sure the child is looking at the object when you introduce a new word.
• For a child who can put words together: Introduce descriptive and action words to expand his vocabulary.
• ​For a multilingual learner: Focus on the child's strongest language when you are teaching a new concept. Later, help him learn the same word in a weaker language. When he takes the lead, respond to whichever language he chooses to use.

As you play, remember that your enthusiastic response to a toddler’s words and ideas can help keep your conversation going!