Top 5 ways to encourage your toddler to speak

Milestones are often reached at different times by different children. Speech is one of them. If your young toddler is on the verge of speaking, starting to babble, and you want to help them along – try these tips

1. Talk 

A lot. You may not think this, but your child can already start taking language cues. They are listening to you. So describe what you are doing, point at objects and say their names  out loud. Verbalise as much as you possibly can. Just hearing you form words will get them to talk that much faster.

2. Make it fun 

When children are enjoying what they are doing, they learn so much more from it (this is really what the Toptots classes are built on too). When you are actively trying to teach them to say certain words, make them words they will enjoy. For example, if they love animals then the word dog or cat. 

3. Keep it simple

Don’t try to teach them more than two words at a time. They won’t be able to retain the information. Keep it short and sweet, and use repetition to help them remember the sounds. Keep to single syllable sounds so as to not overwhelm them.

4. Make them ask 

This is for toddlers that have the ability to talk but would rather point at things (this is very common). If your child can say the word water, but would rather point at the tap, then wait for them to say it before pouring it. This starts the ball rolling on language development and expression.

5. Use music. 

Children love music, and can often remember melodies better than words. When the two are combined, the music helps children decipher sounds better. Play songs they enjoy in the car, at home, and make it a fun experience to try and sing along!

Your toddler’s ability to speak depends largely on their environment and home life. Try to include as many spoken opportunities for them as possible, and commit to taking time each day to run through simple words with them.