5 techniques to help your child say more words
As you might expect, most parents will approach me to help improve the communication skills of their child, say specific words that have meaning in their families, or better understand their child’s preferences and needs.
Therapy will always help to achieve those goals, but here are a few more tips and tricks you can work on at home.
Talk in simple, short, repetitive phrases (like “get ball” or “green ball” or “ball up”). When your child is only saying 1-word phrases and you talk in 4- or 5-word phrases (ie, “go get the ball please”), your child may have difficulties differentiating between the words. This may lead to your child not attempting to say any words at all! When you talk in simple phrases, she/he is more willing to attempt to imitate you.
Expansion technique (1+1). When your child says 1 word, try to add just 1 MORE word to it. For example, if your child says “ball,” then have the communication partner say “BIG ball.” This will help increase your child’s expressive vocabulary skills.
Use exaggerated facial expressions and tone of voice. This increases interest, motivation, and overall enjoyment. When communicating with your child, show excitement in your voice to engage him/her motivate your child to respond verbally.
Speak your child’s language by imitating him/her. If your child is stating jargon/unintelligible phrases, attempt to imitate the child to show you are interested and listening, even if you do not comprehend what she/he is saying. This will encourage your child to keep attempting verbal phrases and to increase his/her overall motivation to verbally communicate. As the child continues to attempt to talk, you can slowly shape these unintelligible phrases into real words over time.
Label, label, label. The more exposure to vocabulary you give to your child, the more likely you will build his/her vocabulary. In general, adults are quick to ask a child a question (ie, “what’s that” or “do you want an apple?”) rather than teach or name items. Avoid saying “what’s that?” when reading a book and simply label all items using 1-word phrases. Be sure to point to each item in the picture as you label it to further increase your child’s comprehension skills. He/She must first understanding the word and being able to express his/her thoughts.