Model and highlight language at your child’s stage
Talk to your child at their level of understanding.
Use short clear labels or sentences that give your child essential information.
Slow down your speech where necessary to give them time to understand what you’re saying and show them by pointing at what you’re talking about.
Repetition is important for children to learn new words, try and use the same word for the same thing for example when looking at a cat use the word “cat” each time, don’t change to “kitty” or “kitty cat”.
Mystery Bag
- Fill a bag with a few different resources or familiar objects e.g. plastic tea cup or pot, toy animals, toys cars or buses, plastic bottle – use your imagination to make it fun!
- Have your child pick an item from the bag. You can talk about the item repeating key words E.g. “it’s a Cup! A Cup of tea!” If you can, think of a rhyme to sing together e.g. I’m a little tea pot!
Other songs you could sing are:
- Old Macdonald – use any animals for this.
- Incy Wincy Spider – use something tickly if you don’t have a spider.
- Wheels on the bus – You could change this to wheels on the car or digger.
- 5 Green bottles – have you child knock the bottle down.
- Miss Polly had a dolly – Pretend to feed a baby with a bottle.
Tea Party
Set up a tea party with toys, cups, plates and cutlery. Comment on what your child does
“You’re pouring the tea”
Try and use I wonder statements…
e.g. “I wonder what Teddy would like to eat….”
Allow your child time to think about what you have said, if they don’t respond you can then provide an answer…
“I think Teddy would like some cake”
This page is part of our Super Six tips, providing you with some suggestions to help get your little one talking.
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