Kid talk: How to encourage junior’s first words
Your child’s first words are likely to happen after a few months of kid talk. It’s an exciting time for you both as your little one starts to verbalise their wonder at the world — just prepare yourself for the torrent of questions that will follow soon after! Here are some things you can do to help teach your child to talk.
Tips
- Try to teach your child to talk about the things you see and do.
- Describe things as you’re doing them (I’m cooking dinner, I’m calling daddy, I’m packing your bag).
- Aim to read to your child every day and describe pictures in books too.
- Sing and act out songs and nursery rhymes to make learning words fun.
- Try to expand on what your child is saying, for example if they say “dog” you can say “Yes it’s a black dog”.
- Let your toddler clearly see your face and mouth when you’re speaking so they can copy the shapes your lips and mouth make.
- Ask them to make choices like “apple or orange” to encourage them to speak rather than point.
- Repeat words back to them correctly, but don’t focus on their mistake.
- Turn off the radio, TV, or tablet so there are fewer distractions, and you can spend time focusing on talking to each other.
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