As your child's speaking ability combines with her thirst for knowledge, you may become very tired of the 'Why?' word.

Your toddler's favourite word is 'Why?' As her thinking becomes a little more abstract, your child wants to know the meaning behind everything. She is constantly demanding to know how and why everything works - from the coffee-maker to the rain clouds in a storm.

'Tell me why... ?'
How you react to her desire for greater understanding will influence her curiosity and desire for knowledge. Encourage a lively and questioning approach to learning. Always answer her questions, however trying it is.

Read her simple books that explain how things happen. Let her sit on your knee to watch educational children's TV programs or videos. Occasionally, set up simple experiments to demonstrate what you are saying.

Numbers
Your child can count 3 or 4 items correctly and recite more numbers by rote. She enjoys counting games and is gaining a rudimentary understanding of sequence. She knows that 2 comes after 1, in the same way that she understands she will go to bed after her bath.

Shapes
She is also beginning to sort things by shape and can probably say and match some colours. Give her games that involve simple sorting and matching of cards, like 'Snap!'. Let her help to choose the clothes she will wear, matching them by colour or patterns.

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