Two things that make any parents are when their baby starts walking and when they start talking. It’s a whole new world when you hear the first word from your Toddler Talk. Here are some ways to encourage your little one to communicate faster.
- Talk—a lot!—to your toddler. Speak slowly and clearly, and use easy, simple, and short words & short sentences. Keep it conversational, with plenty of pauses to listen to your child and let him respond.
- Toddlers do so well imitating speech if it is paired with an action or gesture. This is our favorite way to encourage speech and the most effective also. For example Say “Jump, jump!” when jumping on the bed or ground or say Say “Up, up, up!” as the child climbs stairs at the playground.
- The more words you expose your child to, the more words they’ll learn. Here are a few ideas
- Point to and name body parts, or make it into a game – for example, ‘Where is your Nose?’
- Recite nursery rhymes and sing songs.
- Make two-way communication with your child. Also, add new words when your child is speaking. For example, if your child says it is a car, you can say ‘Yes, it’s a red car!
- Assist with the first sound. If you are teaching a new word to your child and your child is having difficulty speaking, then assist with the first sound. If they are trying to say the word “cat”, help them by saying “cccat” emphasizing the “C” sound
- Books are an amazing way to expose your toddlers to new words and develop a love of reading that will help them all throughout their life. Read to your little one every day.
- When your child makes a gesture or cries and you are aware of what your child wants, imitate the speech that you want your child to say. For example, if they are asking for water by crying, say, “Oh, you want water! Say ‘ water please!'”
