Chattering and babbling voices your child begins to slowly form the right words - fun! But the baby hasn't said anything yet. If you are interested in encouraging your baby to learn to speak early, read on to find out how you can help your child learn to speak.
# 1 Speak and speak
Make it a habit to teach new words every day by pointing to different objects in your toddler's environment. Also, talk to your child as you would another adult. This will encourage your baby to use the right words, instead of talking like children, even though it's cute. Talk a lot and often. Describe your baby's daily activities. Your baby doesn't seem paying attention to anything but rest assured, he's listening!
# 2 Use signals
As you help your child learn to speak, take advantage of the cues around you. If it's time to eat lunch, make a big gesture of bringing the plate to the table and smelling the food before saying "it's lunch time!" Your child may not understand the word “lunch” at first but will soon get that whenever you Say “lunch” in the middle of the hour, it means it's time to eat.
# 3 Give your child an opportunity to learn to speak
Build situations and provide opportunities for your child to respond. Ask your baby many simple questions throughout the day. You can start by asking "yes or no". As your baby becomes more sensitive, ask more complex questions like what he wants to eat or where he wants to go. Don't forget to pause for a few minutes after asking a question to give your child time to find words to answer.
# 4 Simplify
If possible, use simple words and short sentences to make it easier for your child to understand what you are saying.
# 5 Repeat words to correct
Sometimes your child may say 'no' instead of banana or 'prestige' instead of a cookie. Make sure you let your baby know the correct word whenever this happens to reinforce his knowledge. If your child says 'no' answer with "Yes, this is a banana".
# 6 Learning to speak is fun
Help your child learn to speak by making it fun. For example, introduce new words in the form of a song or childhood rhymes. All songs and actions will help your baby remember new words.
# 7 Continuous exposure
When your child starts to speak, don't stop teaching just simple words. Switch to polyphonic words and see if your child can handle them. Use different tools to keep your continuous exposure enjoyable, like flashcards, videos, and books.
# 8 Call your name
To help your child learn to speak, always mention his or her name before saying a sentence. Keep eye contact with your child when participating. Doing so will promote better understanding and help your child focus on what you are saying to them.
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