Some children are a little bit slower to talk. Often females are more precocious in their language development when compared to same-age males. There are lots of ways to encourage your child’s language development at home. If you have questions or concerns about your child’s language it is always a good idea to consult a pediatric speech-language pathologist.
When at home you can encourage language development in the following ways:
1. Talk a lot to your toddler. It can and will be exhausting. Narrate all aspects of what you are doing and what your toddler is doing. The more language input your child receives the better!
2. When talking to your child use clear and direct language. At times you can use more complex wording and vocabulary to expose your child to new words and ideas. Generally keep things at a level that is appropriate for your child’s understanding.
3. Expand on your toddler’s speech. If your child says, “Mama car!” you can add a lot to this simple phrase. “Yes, that is a blue car. The car goes fast. The car goes down the ramp.” This is a great time to model new vocabulary and new concepts for your child.
4. Reading to your child is an amazing way to encourage language growth, especially vocabulary.
5. Ask your child questions about what she is seeing and what she is doing. Sometimes it is hard to understand toddler speech. You can ask them to show you what they mean with pointing or pick one word you did understand and comment that way.
6. Set up sabotage situations. Have toy parts go missing or have don’t have all the items available to complete an activity. Missing puzzle pieces or a coloring book without crayons is a great way to get a child to communicate.
If you have any questions about your child’s speech and language development, we can help! Call us at 651-636-4155.