Teaching Toddlers To Use Verbs Ending In -ing

January 15, 2021 Stephanie Keffer

In everyday life, we frequently use the present progressive tense, or -ing, to talk about what is happening right now. Children usually begin to utilize this tense at around 2 ½ years old.

Toddlers typically learn present verb tenses and markers because it’s easiest to talk about what is happening here and now. We don’t expect children to begin using past and future tenses until a little later in their development.

3 tips for teaching toddlers to use verbs ending in -ing

Tip 1 - Practice during daily activities

Now that your child knows many verbs or action words, you can help them talk about things that are happening NOW by adding the -ing verb ending. As you go about your daily activities, talk about what you are doing. I find it easiest to choose one activity to focus on per week.

So the first week, you might focus on bathtime and narrate “I am filling the tub with water. You are playing with toys. I am washing your hair, and you are helping. Now we are rinsing your hair...” After you have modeled the -ing ending for your child, allow time for them to imitate or repeat back. Try repeating the same verb many times, like “washing” during bath time, and see if your toddler will imitate. It may take a few days for them to learn this new way of talking about activities, and that’s okay. Just keep providing them with models and giving them space to respond. Don’t tell them to “say” an -ing word outright, as tempting as it may be.

Tip 2 - Practice while playing

Next, focus on talking about what you’re doing during play. You can simply comment on what’s happening — for example, “We are hopping,” “We are painting,” etc. If your child enjoys imaginary play with animals, characters, or dolls, talk about what the toys are doing. “Spiderman is eating. Superman is sleeping. Catwoman is drinking water.” Follow your child’s lead, and let the practice revolve around what they are doing.

Tip 3 - Ask about what people are doing

The third strategy is to ask about what other people are doing. It would be helpful for any parent if your child could answer the question, “What are you doing?” Getting there takes practice. As you sit in the park, you might look at the other park-goers and ask, “What are they doing?” If your child doesn’t respond, you can say the answer and wait to see if they repeat your response. If they do respond, get excited! Your child might respond using a single word, which is great. They could simply say “walking,” “dancing,” or “eating.” Then, you can model back a response with a few extra words that make a sentence, such as, “You’re right! They are walking.” This is a great way to model for your child what they could say in the future.

When you notice that your child is using many verbs with “-ing” endings, you can try asking THEM “What are you doing?” Give them 5-10 seconds of wait time to try and answer before you answer for them, and be careful to not overuse the question so your child doesn’t feel tested. Try to limit this question to one time per activity, or even better, just once per day.

Teaching toddlers to use the -ing verb ending - 3 at home speech therapy activities ↓

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At home activity for teaching toddlers to use verbs ending in -ing

“Meal Time” with Toys

Materials:

Action figures/ animals/ baby dolls (whatever your child is into) that could potentially “eat.” Aim for no more that 5 animals
Toy food/drinks
Empty bowls/plates/cups/utensils

Set-up:

Set up your baby dolls (or whatever your child is into) with some play food and dishes. You can start by having just a few food items available and bring out more as you go along to keep it fresh.

What to do:

In this activity you will be helping your child learn to say short sentences with action words ending in “-ing” while talking about their toys.

You can start the game by feeding your baby and talking about it with “-ing” words (“My baby is eating a sandwich. My baby is drinking his milk.”) Your child will start playing too. Wait until your child is doing an obvious action with their baby, such as making it eat or drink. This is when you say, “what about YOUR baby?” If your child answers by using an “-ing” verb, keep the conversation going by commenting on their toy. If they don’t, you can make a comment using an “-ing” verb (Your baby is eating. She is eating a strawberry!”) You can use your voice to emphasize the action word ending in “-ing.”

Although you are working on answering questions, make sure that you don’t ask too many. Aim to have only about 25% of what you say be questions, and the rest should be just talking about your play. Don’t forget to use “-ing” words a lot to talk about your own play!

What to say:

Here’s what it might sound like as you practice at home:

You: Look, my baby is drinking milk. What about YOUR baby? [waits up to 5 seconds)

Child: [says nothing or says something else]

You: Looks like your baby is drinking. She’s drinking juice!

You: Look, my baby is eating French fries! What about YOUR baby? [waits up to 5 seconds)

Child: Carrot.

You: Yes, your baby is eating carrots! She’s eating a lot. She looks so hungry. Now my baby’s eating carrots too, nom nom nom.

Teaching toddlers to use the -ing verb ending - 3 at home speech therapy activities (this activity + 2 more) ↓