Melinda’s first daughter Czarina was an early talker. Even at 14 months old she was already attempting to tell stories to us, albeit in an unintelligible way. But the effort was there and it paid off sooner than expected. Before she turned two she was already reciting short bedtime stories by rote. Though the delivery was jumbled a bit, we could make out which story she was narrating from the book.
One fellow mom asked her: "What's your secret?"
Melinda told her she merely chalked it up to the fact that everybody in the household was so damn talkative. Yup, Czarina grew up to a cacophony of chats, debates and opinions thrown around like water gushing out of a busted pipe. It also helped that they didn't use baby talk on her. Even when she was so small she could barely roll on her crib, they spoke plain, straight English when addressing her: "Would you like mama to carry you?" instead of some other truncated version. So in effect, they were mentoring her from the very beginning to construct full sentences, not to mention to be outspoken (which gets her in trouble with me and her dad, but that's for another article).
Nowadays, there are plenty of toddlers who aren't as talkative as parents expect them to be. While it could be attributed to shyness, there's also a chance that the child wasn't stimulated enough to develop his or her verbal skills. If this is so in your own child's case, you can help jumpstart him into talking by following these tips:
1. Talk a lot to your child. For children to learn a language, they must hear it spoken often. To get a child to talk, you have to talk. During the day, comment on things going on in your child's environment. Describe the colors and shapes of things, objects around them, and tasks you are doing. Point out people in the neighborhood like the mailman or bank clerk. Talk as long as your child shows interest. If he turns away or appears inattentive, stop. Don't give your toddler a case of auditory overload!
2. Read plenty of books. For toddlers, select picture and pop-up books. Take time to point out objects in the pictures and give simple commentary and explanations on what your child is seeing. Also get books with simple-to-follow stories and ear-catching rhymes. Re-read the books often. Repetition is a key to learning.
3. Sing. Children are naturally drawn to music and will pay attention to simple songs. Sing, play a musical instrument, or use a sing-along tape. Include hand-clapping and finger-play activities such as Pat-a-Cake or The Itsy-Bitsy Spider. Music helps children acquire the rhythm of spoken language. Pleas-ant jingles and repetitive lyrics are natural memory tools that help a child pick up new words and concepts.
4. Label things. Putting labels on commonly seen and used objects helps a child recognize written language, and make associations between words and things. Put labels on toys, clothes, furniture, eating utensils, your mailbox, etc. Reinforce the words by repeating them and then asking your toddler to say them too. ("This is your cup. Can you say cup?") Expand your child's experiences. Long before children speak, they acquire a receptive vocabulary — a storehouse of words and concepts they understand before they can speak. Taking them to a wide variety of places and talking in simple language about what you see, helps to build your toddler's storehouse of language. Go to the supermarket, doctor, playground, post office, bank, zoo, and mall. Reinforce what you experience with a follow-up book, drawing, song, or creative bedtime story.
5. Ask questions. Researchers have found that asking a child questions is a great way to jumpstart her language development. Even if your toddler can't give a verbal response, ask questions anyway, and give her opportunity to point, nod yes or no, or attempt a vocalization. Try simple questions like, "Do you want to have some milk now?" Be sure to pause and be attentive to encourage a response. As your toddler develops better communication skills, try asking questions that offer a choice. "Do you want your book or your ball?"
6. Keep it simple. Speak audibly, clearly and slowly. Use simple words and short sentences. Communicating in this manner makes it easier for your toddler to understand you and to parrot your words and speech patterns. Use adult words, not baby talk. Using cute mispronunciations that will need to be corrected later on will only confuse your child.
7. Keep up the dialogue. When your toddler speaks to you, reply in some fashion, even if you don't understand what he is saying. A response of "Is that so?" or "Isn't that interesting?" will keep a toddler engaged in the conversation and will motivate him keep trying to communicate. Give your child your full attention. Make eye contact. Listen, reply, and give him an opportunity to speak again. Oftentimes, children feel left out of conversations and slighted or ignored. Letting your child have the floor sometimes will encourage his self-expression and accelerate his language skills.
