How to Encourage Speech Development in Late Talkers
Delayed speech in toddlers can be a major concern for parents. Parents wonder if their child has developmental problems or is just a late talker. Working with your child to encourage speech and vocabulary can help him learn while easing your mind. Simple exercises and activities can help a late talker's vocabulary blossom.
Other People Are Reading
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Books
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Reading books to children will help them focus on words while listening to a story. Books introduce new vocabulary to toddlers. Board books are ideal to work with speech development. They are usually short in length, which helps keep their attention. Try reading a book with your child that has a repetitive theme or word grouping. Enunciate the words slowly. Encourage your child to say it with you. Select a book that has action words in it. Have your child act out the words as you read. For example, he could jump every time you read the word jump. He will associate the word and will have a positive response when you ask him to say the word with you.
Play Games
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Most children love to play games. Even young toddlers like to play simple games with their parents. Turn the games into a learning time by incorporating sounds and words. Play a game of pretend where you are a farmer and your child is various animals. He will have to make animal sounds to identify himself. Ask him what other things start with that sound to build on the words. Try a simple scavenger hunt where you ask him to find familiar items that start with a certain sound. A game like this works well with visual learners since they can use their sight to identify the items and then say the name of the item.
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Speak to Your Child
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Words encourage speech development. Hearing your voice and listening to you speak can encourage your child to form words and build vocabulary. Explain everything you do to him. He will learn to associate words and actions by watching and listening. The more exposure children have to language, the more comfortable they will feel in speaking. By frequently speaking to your child, you can ensure that he understands you and your commands, which can help ease worried parents’ minds.
Singing
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Singing, like playing games, is an interactive way to get your child to speak while being entertained. Music inspires children to move, dance and sing. Try to sing songs with your child that requires her to change the volume of her voice and repeat lines of the song, which helps her retain the words. Songs like “BINGO”, “John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt” and “If You’re Happy and You Know It” will encourage movement, volume control and repetition. The child will have fun participating and possibly mimicking the song. Try to sing the song each day so they get used to the words and actions.
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