How to entice your toddler to talk more or even start saying words is difficult. Many books state that an 18month baby/toddler should be saying up to 50 words! If your child is not at this stage, not to worry he/she will understand 3 or 4 times as many. Your child just might be a bit shy or needs a bit more practice.
All children start out with their own language called: baby language and do not say proper words. How to change all those lovely sounds into something that you can understand is not that easy.
Here are a few ways that you can help him/her to hear the sounds so that they can interpret them into words:
- have one-to-one time – take turns listening and responding to one another.
- reinforce eye contact when you have some one-to-one time.
- repetition – research shows: the repetition of words and phrases helps reinforce the neural pathways in their brains that link sound into speech. Repetition accelerates language development.
- talk to your child what are you doing. Especially when changing nappies, getting dressed or bathing. (Here you are practicing body parts.)
- sing nursery rhymes – this will improve their vocabulary and creativity
- try not to correct his/her words. If your child says a word which is almost the full word or does not say the syllables in the correct order - do not correct it. Praise instead. The more practice he/she gets with the beginning of the word the quicker the complete word will be said.
- Once you have established a word/sound (like “moo” for a cow) start to reinforce that a “cow” makes the moo sound. This shows that words are related to one another.
Research shows that once your child reaches 50 words their vocabulary will explode! However, this will only be true if you continue to talk to your toddler. The quantity of words addressed directly to children between 1 and 3 makes a difference to her vocabulary and verbal IQ.
A few suggested games which makes it fun for you both:
- Children love to play hide-and-seek games. Take their favourite toy (their cuddly toy or car) and hide it behind something and say ”Where’s bunny? Where’s bunny?” “Oh there is bunny hiding under your leg/behind your ear/behind Mummy’s head/behind the chair”. Let your child hide the bunny too. If you ask “Where’s bunny?” they will most probably show you and eventually say where!
- Read story books that are mostly pictures of animals. Children love the noises the animals make and often repeat them. (this also improves concentration)
- Make believe shopping games. Take fruit and vegetables (toy or real) and a shopping bag. Pretend to go shopping a put things in the bag, naming each item as you go. Go to the till and take them out again and beep them through (as if you are at the supermarket) and again naming them as you take them out of the bag.
- Have a play farm. You can create many scenario’s with the farmer and his animals. Either a farm where you paint yourself (boosts creativity) or one done for you! Practice the names and sounds of animals.
