Toddler Language Milestones and Strategies

Many of our families, especially those with young toddlers, frequently wonder; does my child need speech therapy? With each child developing language in different ways and at different paces, it can be hard for parents to know if their child is “on track.” We are here to help!

One excellent resource for parents of younger children can be found at the American Speech and Hearing Associations’ website. This link provides information for speech and language milestones and development for various ages.  https://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/chart/

After looking at this link, if there are still concerns, feel free to contact us and we are happy to schedule a full speech and language evaluation for your child! In the meantime, the following are helpful strategies that parents can easily use at home to promote speech and language development for their younger children.

1. Reading: Read, read, read! Books provide great opportunities to label pictures, model short phrases, ask and answer questions, and introduce and/or review a variety of vocabulary words.
2. Sing Songs: songs are not only repetitive and predictable (which can help children practice using new words), but they are fun, attention grabbing, and can assist children in following routines.
3. Encourage imitation: Imitation is a key way young children learn new skills, depending on your child’s age, you can try the following techniques;
   • ​Use silly sounds – such as animal sounds, car noises, silly words (i.e. “boom.”) These types of sounds grab the attention of younger children, are typically easier to produce for kids just starting to learn words, and children are more likely to start imitating silly sounds before they imitate real words.
   • Play babbling games – If your child is not yet saying words, repeating their babbles can be a great way to encourage them to imitate you. Begin by imitating the sounds they are using and after a few rounds of “back and forth” play, change up the sounds you are using to see if they will change too!
4. Use multi-modal means of communication: There are three main ways children learn; visually, auditory, and kinesthetic. To help promote speech and language learning for children who are more visual or kinesthetic learners you can try the following techniques;
   • Use signs: Signs can help teach children vocabulary, visually, verbally, and kinesthetically model words, and give them a way to make requests before verbal words appear. Signs are not used to replace words, but to give children a way to make their needs known and reduce their frustration. Typically, we like to see children imitate basic signs, use the signs independently, pair their signs with a close word approximation, and eventually say the word without using the sign.  
   • Use Visual Schedule/Picture Chart: Using pictures for communication can help visually and verbally model words for children. We recommend starting with a low-tech velcro chart that uses pictures of the items your child requests the most (favorite foods, toys, comfort items, etc). Begin by offering the child a choice between 2 items and once they learn how to request with the pictures, more choices can be introduced.
5. Use communication temptations: Children won't be motivated to communicate if they are given everything without putting in any effort! We suggest making them put in a little work to get what they desire. Therefore, we suggest putting favorite toys up on shelves, or in containers that the child can’t open. First, have them point toward an object, then perhaps use a sign to request the object (even if it is “help” or “open”), and then they can work on saying the name of the desired object.
6. Verbal models: Have something specific you wish your child would say? Provide them with models of the word/short phrase. Say the model 2-3 times and then pause and see if they will imitate it! Additionally, this is a great way to help teach your child specific sounds they may not say correctly. This link is a good resource to know what sounds your child should be saying at what ages: http://mommyspeechtherapy.com/wp-content/downloads/forms/sound_development_chart.pdf
7. Repetition: Repetition is a key way that kids learn. Read the same book and sing the same songs over and over. When your child makes a request, try to keep your expectations consistent (i.e. always asking for “more snack”). Also, the more times you complete an activity, the more familiar the child becomes with the words associated with that activity.
8. Enhancing understanding: To help promote correct understanding of language, the following tips are helpful!
   1. Get your child’s eye contact: To understand what you are saying, you and your child must be on the same page and looking at each other, or at the same object!
   2. Use a gesture to point toward the desired object: If your child doesn’t follow your point, help them by turning them in the right direction and using their own hand to point at the object.
   3. Use a short, consistent phrase: Repetition and consistency will enhance how well your child follows your directions (i.e. always say “brush your teeth” or “throw away”).
9. Direction of the week: If you have a specific direction you’d like your child to follow, make it your “direction of the week.” Practice the direction several times a day throughout the week. At the beginning of the week, give your child maximum support to follow the direction (i.e. hold their hand and walk them through the direction such as picking up the item to be thrown away and then walk with them toward the garbage can to throw it away). Slowly decrease your support throughout the week until your child can follow the direction with just your words alone.

These are just a few good starting strategies. If one doesn’t seem to be working, try another! Each child is different and will respond to different strategies. Additional strategies can be given to you specific to your child by a speech-language pathologist during a speech therapy session.

Concerned with your child’s articulation? Please check back for future blog posts regarding articulation strategies and developmental sound charts!