Stage 2 : Staying Engaged & Learning Through Play

How Toddlers Learn to Talk Series

By Tamara Gonzalez-Scheulov, M.S. CCC-SLP

Before children begin using words, they learn to stay engaged with people, toys, and everyday activities for longer periods.

In Stage 2, children develop 1) sustained attention, 2) joint attention, and 3) functional play skills. These prelinguistic skills help children stay engaged and learn through play, building an important foundation for speech, language, and social communication.

1) Develops Sustained Attention

Attention in children doesn’t mean sitting still or staying quiet.

For toddlers and preschoolers, attention is about staying engaged in play or interaction long enough to learn from it. Some toddlers stay engaged with movement and active play, while others do better with slower, calmer activities. Watching how your child responds helps you choose what supports their attention best.

Sustained attention gives children more opportunities to listen, observe, imitate, and learn language during everyday routines.

Tip 1: Use Movement to Spark Engagement

Short bursts of movement like jumping, bouncing, spinning, can help “wake up” the body and brain before focused play. Try alternating movement with short play activities.

Tip 2: Build on Predictable Routines

Repetitive play routines (peek-a-boo, “ready, set, go!”) help toddlers feel regulated and engaged. Once familiar, add small variations - longer pauses, silly twists, or extra actions - to gently stretch attention.

Daily routines work too. During snack, sing a familiar phrase and pause to let your toddler respond with a sound, gesture, or word.

2) Joint Attention

Joint attention is one of the most important early communication skills for language development. It occurs when a child and caregiver share attention on the same toy, activity, or event. Think of it as a triangle of attention with three points: the child, the caregiver, and the object or event. True joint attention happens when all three are actively involved. 

Two Sides of Joint Attention

Joint attention has two parts:

Responding to Joint Attention: The child follows your gaze or point

Initiating Joint Attention: The child draws your attention to something interesting.

Tip 1: Create Opportunities for Eye Contact

• Get face-to-face and down at your child’s level

• Hold toys near your face so your child sees both you and the object

• Pause and wait to give your child time to look up

Tip 2: Help Your Child Respond to Their Name

• Call your child’s name during playful routines like peek-a-boo or singing

• Pair their name with something fun (“Emma… ready, set, go!”)

• Start in quiet spaces and gradually practice in busier settings

Tip 3: Encourage Early Gestures

• Model showing and pointing during play and books

• Celebrate reaching, waving, clapping, or showing

• Respond warmly so gestures feel meaningful

3) Engages in Functional Play

Functional play is when toddlers use toys and everyday objects the way they are intended. Examples include rolling a car, stacking blocks, feeding a doll, kicking a ball, or pushing a toy stroller.

Functional play is an important milestone because it creates natural opportunities for language learning during everyday play.

Tip 1: Join in and Play

The best learning happens when you play together.

• Follow your child’s lead and join what they’re already doing

• Observe, wait, and listen to see what interests your child.

• Play at their level using your own toy so you’re an active play partner.

• Add short language or sound effects (“go,” “boom,” “up”)

• Take turns to keep play going—every look, sound, or gesture counts

Tip 2: Get out and Play

Outdoor play naturally supports functional play and language—slides, balls, sand, buckets, and climbing all invite exploration.

Tip 3: Rotate Toys

You don’t need many toys. Rotating a few items keeps play fresh, and everyday objects often work best.

Why Early Communication Skills Matter

Early communication skills build the foundation for communication.

When children stay engaged, share attention with others, and participate in meaningful play, they create more opportunities to hear language, imitate others, and communicate during everyday routines. These experiences help build the foundation for speech, language, learning, and social interaction.

Signs Your Toddler May Need Extra Support

If your child is older than 12 months and not yet showing many of these early communication skills, consider reaching out to a speech-language pathologist for individualized guidance.

Continue the Learning to Talk Series

Every child learns to communicate one step at a time. Explore the next article in the Learning to Talk series for practical, evidence-based strategies you can start using during everyday routines and play.

Stage 3

About the Author

Tamara is the owner of Little Chatterbox, LLC and an SLP with experience across early Intervention, private practice, and school-based settings. Tamara's approach combines evidence-based practice with play, connection, and family-centered coaching.

References

Prelinguistic Skills

• Mize, L. (2017). Let’s talk about talking: Ways to strengthen the 11 skills all toddlers master before words emerge. Teach Me To Talk.

Sustained Attention and Sensory Integration

• Ayres, A. J., Parham, L. D., & Mailloux, Z. (2005). Sensory integration and the child: Understanding hidden sensory challenges (25th anniversary ed.). Western Psychological Services.

• Dunn, W. (2001). The sensory profile: User’s manual. Psychological Corporation.

Routines and Sensory Regulation

• Fiese, B. H., Tomcho, T. J., Douglas, M., Josephs, K., Poltrock, S., & Baker, T. (2002). A review of 50 years of research on naturally occurring family routines and rituals: Cause for celebration? Journal of Family Psychology, 16(4), 381–390.

• Parham, L. D., & Mailloux, Z. (2010). Sensory integration and the child: 25th anniversary edition. Western Psychological Services.

• Spagnola, M., & Fiese, B. H. (2007). Family routines and rituals: A context for development in the lives of young children. Infants & Young Children, 20(4), 284–299.

Joint Attention

• Bruner, J. (1975). The ontogenesis of speech acts. Journal of Child Language, 2(1), 1–19.

• Scaife, M., & Bruner, J. (1975). The capacity for joint visual attention in the infant. Nature, 253(5489), 265–266.

• Carpenter, M., Nagell, K., & Tomasello, M. (1998). Social cognition, joint attention, and communicative competence from 9 to 15 months of age. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 63(4), i–174.

Play

• Fromberg, D. P., & Bergen, D. (Eds.). (2015). Play from birth to twelve: Contexts, perspectives, and meanings (3rd ed.). Routledge.

• Pellegrini, A. D. (Ed.). (2011). The Oxford handbook of the development of play. Oxford University Press.

• Greenspan, S. (1999). Building Healthy Minds: The Six Experiences That Create Intelligence and Emotional Growth in Babies and Young Children. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press.