Parent's Guide: How to Teach your Toddler to Speak?

Every toddler is unique, developing in their individual way. We parents put in our best effort to help our babies achieve their developmental milestones on time. Their fine motor skills, gross motor, cognitive development and language and emotional development are of paramount importance, especially during toddlerhood.

Supporting your child’s language development involves tailoring each step to their growth and should be part pf your daily parenting. If your little one takes a bit longer to start speaking, don’t be sad; they’ll reach this milestone in their own time.

8 Effective strategies to help your toddlers speak

• Avoid Baby Talk

Limiting baby talk is crucial for their verbal advancement. Instead, simplify your speech, focusing on short sentences with clear words. For instance, say, "Get your toy" rather than "Where is your little doggy?" Also, emphasize statements over questions.

• Engage with Speech-Enhancing Activities

Encourage speech development through various activities:

1. Sing simple songs and recite nursery rhymes to help your child grasp the rhythm of speech.
2. Use familiar objects to prompt your child to name them and explain their use.
3. Read books aloud to introduce language patterns and new words.
4. Model correct language by saying words clearly.
5. Introduce music, which can aid in language processing and rhythm recognition.

• Incorporate Daily Conversations

Discuss routine activities throughout the day, such as explaining why you’re hanging clothes outside or narrating simple tasks. This exposes your toddler to practical vocabulary in context. Tell what things you put on the table while setting it for dinner.

• Commenting over questioning: 

I favour narrating and commenting on both my activities and my child's activities. Instead of continuously asking questions like 'What is this?' or 'Which colour is that?' I prefer to describe and acknowledge, saying something like, 'Oh! You are holding a blue block. It is huge and colourful.

• Encourage Pretend Play

Role-playing activities stimulate imagination and aid in vocabulary expansion. This could involve imitating everyday scenarios or taking on different roles. For example, you can pretend to be a chef baking a cake for their favourite toy or act as a carpenter fixing a broken chair for their little bears. Such activities significantly contribute to vocabulary expansion in children.

• Socialise more

Arrange playdates with other children to foster social skills and provide opportunities for communication. Interacting with peers can encourage speech development in a comfortable setting. When kids go out to gardens, or Playzones they tend to learn new words and express themselves with the same peer group.

• Praise them for saying words and sentences

Toddlers, like adults, thrive on encouragement. Even applauding their simple attempts at speech can boost their confidence to explore and expand their vocabulary.

• Repeat and Repeat

Repetitive chanting, reading, writing, or exposure to rhymes aids in enhancing listening skills, memory retention, and ultimately, speech development.

Remember, each child has their pace. Be patient, and supportive, and celebrate their progress along the way.

LOVE AND SUPPORT ALWAYS..!!