DD won't speak at nursery

[medjool]

DD has an immense vocabulary. She's just 2 and has well over 100 words. She can pair words and sometimes put together 3 words.

She goes to nursery for 3 hours a day. She will say at most 'yes' and 'hello' and 'goodbye' but I am getting the impression that unless they sit down with her one-to-one to specifically get her talking, she doesn't volunteer to speak. She won't join in at song time, but knows all of the songs and sings them at home (in toddler speak).

She's a second child and she's very sociable, but also goes in her shell a bit if e.g. we have a lot of people in the house, although she usually warms up well before they go. When it's just her and DD1, they play beautifully together and there's lots of verbal communication.

Any similar experiences or any advice?

So it's not that she's saying nothing whatsoever, it's that she's picking and choosing when to speak? tbh I wouldn't worry too much at 2 - nursery is bound to be a bot overwhelming (has she been there long?) and as she gets that bit older, with a bit more maturity and self-confidence, she won't be able to stop herself from joining in.

medjool - how long has your dd been at the nursery? We moved about 10 mths ago and I remember the nursery saying that he hardly ever spoke at all at the start but gradually he came out of himself.

Have you spoken to the nursery about it? Do they have any suggestions? Maybe they could start trying the 'bring her out' with one to one chat, then perhaps 2 children to one member of staff so she gets comfortable talking with the other children a bit? And then perhaps build it from there? If they tried to make sure each time that she's there that they dedicate a bit of 'quality time' to her, she'll perhaps come out of herself gradually?

Errrr, 'he' being my DS!!

She's been there since October. Apparently she's lovely with the other children - kind, helpful and shares - but she won't sing and won't converse. She also won't really join in at one song time I take her to at the weekend despite knowing the songs although she will play with an instrument at another one we go to where she's not familiar with the words yet. I see these as good opportunities to bring her out of her shell but she gets rather clingy or clamps her thumb firmly in her mouth.

Not sure if maybe I'm just reacting to what one of her carers said to me today, that she barely talks and only to say yes etc. I know that she will talk to the other 2 one to one or when I am there and the carer who mentioned this today is a bit 'in your face' for want of a better expression so I'd understand if dd didn't really talk to her.

I hope she will grow out of it or get more comfortable. She adores nursery and can't wait to go - smiley when I leave and smiley when I pick her up.

I have a friend whose little sister and brother were both completely mute in front of strangers when they were little and they turned out fine, but I suppose when other people point it out and pull a funny face (in your face lady) it seems like more of a problem - and she mightvnot be aware of the one to one work another carer is doing.

When my DS1 started nursery aged 13 months he wouldn't walk. At all. Even though he had fully mastered walking some weeks before he joined. In fact once when he'd been there a good couple of months (3 days pw) I arrived to collect him and he stood up and ran over to me and the staff were astounded. I hadnt realised he wasn't walking.
Anyway he took his time with it but slowly and surely found his confidence at nursery as so will your DD I'm sure

I hope so! DD1 was completely different - took a while till she spoke but hasn't stopped since!