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.