This guide is about the little words in a sentence, like a and the. In the ideas below, you say your child's sentence back with the little words in.
They fit into play, jobs around the house and trips out. You can use the same ideas in any language.
Little words in sentences
When children learn this
- Little words are words like a and the. Learning to talk includes using all the words in a sentence, little words too.
- Children learn language skills at different ages.
Try this
While you play
Play with toy farm animals. Your child rolls the pig in a pretend mud puddle.
- Your child: Pig in mud.
- You: The pig is in the mud. The pig is rolling in the mud.
Around the house
Bake together. Your child stirs the cake mix in a bowl.
- Your child: Me stir cake.
- You: You are stirring the cake mix. Round and round goes the spoon.
When you go out
You wait at the bus stop. Your child sees your bus coming.
- Your child: Bus coming!
- You: The bus is coming. Our bus is coming to the stop.
Why it helps
- When you say your child's sentence back with the little words in, your child hears the whole sentence. Your child does not have to copy you.
When to get help
- Tell the speech pathologist or your GP if your child is between 3 and 4 and uses only one or two words at a time.
- Tell the speech pathologist or your GP if your child is between 4 and 5 and uses no more than three words at a time.
- Tell the speech pathologist or your GP if your child is 5 or older and has trouble telling a simple story or what happened, has trouble understanding what they hear or what is read to them, or has a lot of trouble following or remembering spoken instructions.
More help
Sources
- nsw.gov.au: childrens language
- journals.plos.org: CATALISE study (Bishop and others, 2016)
- cahs.health.wa.gov.au: If you have a concern
- health.nsw.gov.au: learn the signs
- raisingchildren.net.au: language 2 3 years
- childrens.health.qld.gov.au: Child development milestones, 0 to 18 months
- raisingchildren.net.au: language delay
- rch.org.au: Glue ear
- nsw.gov.au: stuttering
- childrens.health.qld.gov.au: swallowing difficulty dysphagia
- nsw.gov.au: paediatric feeding
- nsw.gov.au: childrens speech
- nsw.gov.au: multilingual resources
© State of New South Wales. For current information go to www.nsw.gov.au. CC BY 4.0.
Sources, last checked 12 October 2026: https://www.earlybloom.com.au/resources/guides/speech/little-words. © State of New South Wales. For current information go to www.nsw.gov.au. CC BY 4.0. General information, not medical advice.
Last checked 12 October 2026