Tips for Encouraging Your Baby to Talk – Improve Language Skills in 0-3 Years

Talking to your baby or toddler is the best way to improve their language skills. Some other helpful aids like picture books will encourage better vocabulary. Try these tips to improve language skills in children.

Children upto 3-6 months:

Talk to your baby a lot when you are washing, dressing or feeding him.

When baby grows up to 1 year:

Talk about new places and experiences before you go, while you are there, and when you get home.

Expand on what the child says. For example, if the child says “dog”, you say “big dog”. Ask questions that encourage your child to talk. Sing songs to them.

For children between 1-2 years:

Continue to talk while doing things and going places. When taking a walk in the stroller, for example, point to familiar objects (eg: cars, trees and birds) and say their names. “I see a dog. The dog says ‘woof’. This is a big dog. This dog is brown.” Use simple but grammatical speech that is easy for your child to imitate. Encourage their attempts.

When out for a drive, show them moving things on roads like ‘a Truck’. When feeding them, point out and speak aloud the names of the foods, bowl, spoon, fork, bib etc.

Continue to sing songs, play finger games (“Daddy Finger, Mommy Finger”) and recite favorite nursery rhymes (“Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”). These songs and games introduce your child to the rhythm and sounds of language.

Creative Use of Books, Pictures etc

3-6 months of age:

Show your child picture books and talk about what you see.

1-3 years of age:

Spend time to read to your child everyday. Take time to name and describe the pictures on each page.

Have your child point to the pictures that you name. Ask your child to name pictures. He may not respond to your naming requests at first. Just name the pictures for him.

Encourage Efforts of Children

Ask questions that encourage your child to talk. Give full attention to your child when he is speaking and acknowledge, praise and encourage him.

Children of ages 1-2 years might start pointing towards things that catch their attention. Tell the names of the objects that they point towards and encourage them to repeat. Like “Fan”, “Lamp”.

Expand on Vocabulary

1-2 years:

Expand on what the child says. For example, if your child says “car’, you respond – “You’re right! That is a big car.”

2-3 years:

Be interested in what the child says to you by repeating what he has said and expanding on it. Introduce new vocabulary through reading books that have a simple sentence on each page. Continue to name objects and describe the picture on each page of the book. State synonyms for familiar words (example: mommy, woman, lady, grown up, adult) and use this new vocabulary in sentences to help your child learn it in context.