Here are some simple things you can do to support your child’s language development from 1-2 years of age.

Feel free, especially if these ideas are new to you, to choose a specific routine or time of day to try these techniques. You could choose snack time, getting dressed, taking a walk, or another time to talk about what you see. Keep it simple and natural!

• Talk about what you see. I like to think of Pooh’s game of “Say What You See” from the movie Christopher Robin, but feel free to use short sentences instead of single words. Note: this is the time to talk to your children about what you see, not ask your children questions. That’s another point 🙂
• Use correct grammar. We want our children to learn correct language, so they need to hear it from you – their language models. We can keep it playful and fun while still using good grammar.
• Make sounds during play like “v-v-v-v-vvvvv” or “r-r-r-r-r-r” for plane or car sounds, or “p-p-p-p-p-pop!” when popping bubbles.
• Ask your child to name pictures as you point to them. They may not answer and that’s fine – you can just name the pictures like you practiced in the first point.
• Add words to what your child says. If they say “dog”, you can say, “you’re right! That is a little white dog”.
• Keep reading to your child regularly!

You may find that some of these things come to you intuitively – they are often things parents and caregivers do without thinking, but if they aren’t part of your routine it’s never too late to add them in!

For a more complete list and resources from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) visit their website (which is also my source for this post): https://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/12/