Tips for Speech Development in Babies

There are plenty of activities that you can do to help your child develop speech. The best way is to chat with your toddler in your soothing voice. The more you talk with your toddler, the more she will have the opportunity to learn how to talk. Don’t compare your child with other children. Since every child is different they may learn to talk at different rates. You should also make learning-new-words fun for your toddler. This will encourage her to use them and thereby she will learn talking quickly.

Tips to help your toddler learn

  1. Talk to your baby as much as possible. Your baby will watch your face attentively when you speak. Show yourself interested whenever your toddler tries to talk to you. Rather than focusing on how clearly your toddler pronounces the words, focus on what she is trying to say. This will make her confident and encourage her to speak more.
  2. Play and sing together. Young children love music and movement. When you sing lively songs such as "Old McDonald Had a Farm," your child will not only learn new words but will also learn about the world around them.
  3. Read with your child. It is never too early to read to your baby. In fact it is one good predictor to future reading success. Start with simple board books and graduate to picture books and then to longer stories as the child grows.
  4. If your toddler shows interest to specific picture in the book, talk more about the picture. For example if she is intrigued by a boat, show her more pictures about the boat and talk about them.
  5. Never ever criticize your child’s articulation or speech patterns. In order to correct your child, you can repeat back with correct pronouncing or word usage. But don’t do it forcefully, rather let your child take her own time to learn things. Give lot of praises to your child for her effort.
  6. Take your child to zoo, aquarium or a children’s museum. This will open a whole new world for your child. You will have the opportunity to teach your toddler the names of those fascinating creatures.
  7. Simplify your speech by using short sentences. Emphasize on key words when you are talking to your toddler. This will help her focus on important information. Don’t let your toddler spend time in front of TV. TV shows don't interact with or respond to children, both of which are critical for learning language.