Questions and Answers to Teach Your 3-year-Old

My daughter, who is two and a half years old, attended speech therapy for several months because of a mild delay in her receptive language skills (her ability to comprehend and answer questions and statements). During her treatment, I participated eagerly in learning about speech-language pathology and toddler language development.

As a parent, there are about ten major questions that your toddler or preschooler should be able to answer at around age three. Teach your child to answer these questions whenever you feel he is ready to begin learning them. Children vary tremendously in the rate and speed at which they acquire language skills, but check with an expert if your toddler has persistent trouble answering questions at age three.

1. What is your name?

Teach your toddler to give his first and last name when asked. Most children can give their first name around age two; they can state their full name by two and a half to three years of age.

2. What's your phone number?

Between two and four years of age, your preschool-age child should know his phone number. This is very important because it would give him a way to contact you if you were separated from one another.

3. What's your address?

Children can learn to answer this question as early as age three or as late as age six. It is useful for a child to know her address, but be sure to let her know that she can not give it to strangers.

4. What's your favorite color?

It's a good idea to teach your child the concept of "favorite" colors, books, and activities, because it helps to give him a sense of independence and self-respect. Your three-year-old will have better self-esteem and more autonomy if he knows his own preferences and desires.

5. What's Mommy's/Daddy's name?

Teach your preschooler your name and your partner's. Your three-year-old will be able to understand that you have an identity outside fo "Mommy," and that other grown-ups call you by your first name. This is also an important question for a child to answer if he gets separated from his parents.

6. How do you spell your name?

Your child won't need to spell his name until he is at least kindergarten-age, but there's no harm in getting a head-start as early as age two or three. Teach your child to answer this simple question whenever you think he is ready. Try singing it as a song-- he'll memorize it much more quickly if it comes with a catchy tune.

7. How are you?

This can be a hard concept for toddlers and preschoolers to grasp, but this question is a critical component of early language acquisition. When your three-year-old can correctly identify how she feels, she can begin to express her feelings in words instead of tantrums. Make sure your child knows that there is no correct response to this question; "I'm angry," is just as appropriate as "Fine, thanks."