HOW TO TEACH A TODDLER TO TALK
Toddler talks are always fun and joyful. Some children start to speak very early between 9 to 12 months, whereas others take some time to exercise their tongue. Hearing the first word from your toddler is the blissful feeling that parents cherish forever. Children hear people around them and adapt their accents and styles of speech. It is very important for parents to speak properly with the child, to make him an affluent speaker.
Toddlers between 0 to 6 months can only make cooing and babbling sounds, they don’t understand what you speak but follow the direction of voices and sounds and try to mimic those sounds.
From 7 to 12 months, they anticipate expressions and understand common gestures such as ‘yes’ or ‘no’; they might use those gestures and expressions to communicate with you.
From 12 to 18 months, the vocabulary expands to 20 words, and the toddler can repeat what you say to them. They also understand the commands during this phase and can verbalize to request for something.
From 19 to 36 months, the toddler’s vocabulary enhances up to 50 to 100+ words, they are likely able to name various body parts and familiar people.
Being a 2-year-old, your toddler starts to improve their vocabulary and by reaching 3 years of age, their vocabulary can enhance up to 250 to 300 words. At this stage, they can follow directions, request for their needs, and ask questions. They may also be able to speak clear words, some short phrases, or sentences.
Your toddler learns a lot by imitating you, and it’s important for you as a parent to use appropriate language and words in front of your child. You can talk to them a lot about everything that you do, or explain to them whatever you so while they are around, they may not be able to understand everything but they will learn a lot from your descriptions.
When your toddler reaches the age of 3, you can start teaching more things to talk about.
Talk to them as much as often, focus on what they are trying to say, praise them every time they try to say a new word, repetition will bring perfection. Do not imitate them, let them imitate you, this will help them to speak words more clearly.
Ask them their names, or the names of family members.
Teach shapes and numbers, show them several things and ask accordingly about the shape, size, and numbers.
Involve more open-ended questions in your conversation, so that your child may give more answers except ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
You can involve them in pretend play, ask them to tell their favorite stories, and imitate different characters of that story with them. This will be much helpful to learn and use language richly.
Involving your child in speaking activities is the only way to boost their confidence. Give them opportunities to interact with others, this will be a great chance for them to enhance their vocabulary as well as their speaking skills.