Toddlers do not pick up verbal skills at the same time. Some love making conversations while others do not talk very much. If your toddler belongs to the latter, here are some tips to help you get your toddler talking.

Talk

Spend plenty of time talking to your toddler. If your toddler says “ball”, give him the ball and say “Yes, this is a ball. A big, red, bouncy ball.”. This is called language expansion which helps your child learn more words. The more words he knows, the more motivated your toddler will talk. Describe what you are doing while you fix him a meal or give him a bath. Keep your sentences brief and simple. Talk slowly and clearly. Ask your little one simple questions such as “Do you want some milk?” or “What do you want for dinner?”. Every night before bed, ask him to rehash his day – what he did, who he was with, where he went and so on. Do not worry if your toddler still stutters while he speaks, this exercise will help him become a word expert sooner or later.

Listen

Do not just talk, but listen to your toddler. Research shows that it is important to let children have the floor. Listening and attention gives reassurance. So every time your toddler tries to talk to you whether he is babbling, singing or engaging in sound play, pause for a moment, face your toddler and listen to what he has to say.

Read

Read to your toddler every day. This activity is the most effective way to teach your little one new words and proper sentence structure. Go for pop-up books, touch and feel books and other short books filled with colorful illustrations to capture his attention. If he cannot sit through reading a whole book, focus more on describing the pictures rather than reading every word.

Or, once you start reading the story, pause occasionally and ask him to fill in the blanks. Have him repeat after you so he can work on the pronunciation of new words. Better yet, ask him to come up with his own ending of his favorite bedtime story.

Play Word Games

Play word games with your toddler. After you sing a song, ask him to slowly repeat the lyrics with you so he can hear each word clearly. Play “I Spy” whenever you and your toddler are out of the house. Point out fascinating things you see such as “I spy a big blue truck.”. Give your toddler a toy telephone to get him talking. Pretend to talk to grandma and then give the telephone to your toddler and encourage him to gab away.

Encourage Social Interaction

Toddlers are encouraged to talk more when they are with children their age. Plan a play date with your friend or neighbour’s toddlers. Enroll your little one in a class he is interested in. Put him in a daycare center. Not only will he be able to practice his conversation skills but he will also hone his social skills.

Toddlers love to gab. So do not worry too much if your toddler does not talk as much as his peers. Just keep it casual and do not pressure him. In time, your toddler will badger you with a million questions every minute of the day.

Stuttering in children is normal, especially those between two and five years old. This happens because they are still learning to talk and construct words. Stuttering is a form of dysfluency – a disruption in the flow of speech. Generally, it does not cause speech problems. But, it is essential for parents to know its causes as well as the treatments available to make sure that the stuttering does not affect the toddler’s self-esteem.

Causes

Genetics

Stuttering can run in families. If you, your husband, your mother or a close family member also stutters or stuttered, then most likely your toddler will acquire it.

Stress

A toddler’s childhood can greatly affect his development. Stammering can be caused by stressful events such as divorce, welcoming a new baby, moving to a new house, starting preschool or death.

Speech Problems

Another cause of stammering is speech and language problems. Young children may stumble over their words because their brains have a different way of processing words which results to a problem with the way the brain’s messages interact with the muscles and body parts necessary for talking.

Family Dynamics

Although not yet proven, it is commonly believed that stuttering is attributed to high family expectations and a fast-paced lifestyle.

Treatment

Create Opportunities For Talking

Most often, toddlers stutter because they are excited, angry or scared. Wait for your toddler to calm down and then engage him in conversations without distractions (no TV, computer, etc.). For example, you can talk with your little one during dinner, when giving him a bath or before tucking him to bed. Pleasant, stress-free conversations will help your toddler process his words better.

Do Not Be Too Critical

Pressuring your toddler with his speech will only make it worse. Avoid teasing, reacting pessimistically, correcting him or finishing his sentences every time your little one stutters. Instead, repeat the sentence fluently yourself so that he knows you understand him and hear how it is supposed to sound.

Speak Slowly

Each time you talk to your toddler, keep a calm, pleasant expression on your face, smile and then speak slowly and clearly. This will help him mimic your speech pattern, basically teaching him fluency and to slow down his own speech.

Do Fun Activities Together

Have fun together. Do enjoyable activities that focus on speech. Play charades. Build blocks. Read books. Role play. Sing a song. Your child may feel a little insecure because he is not able to talk straight. Thus, making him feel loved will give him reassurance that nothing is wrong with him, which is a very good confidence booster.

Speech Therapy

If you feel your toddler is a true stutterer (repetition of words become excessive, vocal tension, has facial and body movements along with the stammering and refuses to talk for fear of stuttering), it is best to talk to a speech therapist. A speech therapy program can help improve your toddler’s language while teaching techniques to stop the anxiety related with the condition.

Watching your toddler stammer is frustrating. But, do keep in mind that this is a normal phase in his speech development and he will outgrow it no time. As long as you are there to support him, everything will be fine.

A child’s first word is like music to the ears. Once your toddler utters his first word, another toddler development milestone begins. It is through language where your toddler can explore and discover the things beyond his little world. Your child’s brain is hereditary designed to absorb and learn language and as a parent, it is your responsibility to encourage speech development.

Think about it, your adorable tot may not know how to tie his shoes yet he can rattle off different words and can even carry a conversation like a young adult. Your toddler’s ability to grasp words and retain them on his mind is very strong. There are different easy yet useful techniques that can help improve your toddler’s verbal skills. You can try out these exercises for speedy toddler language development.

Read Aloud

At an early age, you start reading books to your child whether during his playtime or bedtime. Reading to your child is a very effective method to enhance speech centers in the brain to promote his language. Together with your tot, constantly read aloud in a clear and slow manner. See to it that you deliver every line in the book vividly. You can even try acting to make the story more alive allowing your child to interact with you. After every book you read him, make it a point to ask him questions. Start off by asking him his favorite scene or character, the moral lesson of the story or scenes that confused him. By doing this, your child can actively react.

Cut Down Baby Talks

Baby talks are for babies. Once your child hits the toddler phase, it is recommended that you minimize baby talks. Save it for cuddle time moments. In order to boost your toddler’s verbal communication, treat him like an intelligent and mature person. Converse with your child using clear and simple words and in complete sentences. Ask him about his day, his opinion with the things going on around him or the activities he wants to do tomorrow. Listen with full interest and this will encourage him to talk more. Repeat the words he utters to help improve his grammar and pronunciation.

Always Sing Together

Singing is another excellent method for developing your toddler’s words. Sing along to his favorite nursery rhymes and songs. Incorporate it with body movements to make it more fun. Once he has mastered them, introduce him to different songs. After which, you can try letting him fill in the blanks the missing words in the songs.

Inject More Words

When your child says “That is a car.”, repeat his words and add more words to it by saying “That is a bright shiny red car.” If he wants something, say for example he is thirsty, when he says water repeat it and say “Water, please.”. Reiterating and enhancing your child’s words and simple sentences can effectively stretch his vocabulary.

Make Up Your Own Stories

Your child’s imagination runs wild during the toddler stage. Take advantage of his creative mind by creating your own stories. Say for example you were out the whole morning and you went to the zoo and the park. Make up a story about your little adventure. You may start the topic and after a sentence, let him carry on with it. Even if what he says does not make sense, ride along with him. This provides your child confidence that gives him the idea that anything he says is important.

Repeat Words

Repetition is the key to boosting your toddler’s language skills. When talking to your tot, go over with the sentence you just said. Say the words one by one. Exaggerate your pronunciation if you need to in order for your child to catch the words correctly.

Place A Picture For Every Object

Toddlers identify with pictures most. Label basic things like a table, chair, teddy bear, spoon, fork, shoes, an apple or an orange with colorful images. Let your child say the name of every object and always cheer him for every correct word he utters. Once he gets the hang of it, move on to flash cards in different categories.

There are a number of simple ways that can effectively hone your child’s language development. Just be patient and guide him every step of the way. Always interact and play with him many times in a day and before you know it, you have an adorable chatterbox that loves to engage in conversations with different people.