Some Tips for Parents on Language Development

By Mindy Hudon, M.S., CC-SLP, Certified Speech/Language Pathologist

Hudon recommends that parents continually talk to their toddlers, pointing out planes and cars as they pass by, or talking to the child as they prepare to cook in the kitchen, such as saying, "Mommy’s getting an egg out of the refrigerator," as she does so.

"Always talk about what you are doing, the sounds you hear," she says.

Sometimes older siblings of toddlers will often speak for the younger child. Hudon says parents should discourage this and try to get the information the toddler is trying to communicate from him directly.

She also recommends that parents use verbal communication at all times to "talk" with their toddlers. For example, if the toddler walks up to the parent and hands the parent a cup without saying anything, the parent should ask what the child wants, not assume the child wants more milk.

"If they say ‘more,’ say, ‘Tell Mommy more milk,'" Hudon says.

She also recommends correcting a child’s pronunciation, such as if a child says they want a "tookie," to say, "Oh, you want a COOKIE," carefully enunciating the word "cookie."