It’s always a concern to parents when their child won’t talk, but it is perfectly normal for kids to begin speaking at different ages. If you are one of those concerned parents, then the list I’ve provided below might be helpful. I’ve gathered 7 ways to get your 1 year old to talk. Even if your child is already talking, these techniques will only help his/her speaking skills later on.
7 Use Repetition
Photo Credit: fensterbme
Being repetitive might be frustrating for adults, but kids learn a great deal from hearing the same thing over and over. Have you ever noticed that some kids’ shows base a lot of their actions on repetition? Kids don’t usually get tired from hearing or seeing the same thing multiple times, this is actually how many children learn to speak more clearly. If you’ve ever taken a foreign language, try to think back to the first time you heard a foreign word. Didn’t you listen to it a few times before you tried to pronounce it?
*7 Best Languages to Learn …
6 Start with Simple Word Combinations
Photo Credit: qthomasbower
Learning to string a bunch of words together into a complete sentence is something that needs to be worked up to. You can teach your child the names of basic items and then put together two or three words after a while. Eventually, your child will learn how to combine these words on his/her own.
5 Tell Stories
Photo Credit: Bibimorvarid
Hearing the spoken language will help your child to become more fluent. Telling stories is a great way to hold your child’s interest, while engaging him/her in conversation as well. Even if he/she doesn’t verbally respond, it’s still important for you to provide this story-telling time. You can make up your own stories or recall ones you were told as a child. This is also a way to inspire creativity in your child.
4 Sing Songs
Photo Credit: Zupao
Children love music. Songs don’t even have to make sense and sometimes the sillier ones are more interesting to kids. If you include repetition with the songs, then you might be surprised at how quickly your child starts to respond to them. Be encouraging with any type of response, even if the words aren’t completely understood. Kids need lots of encouragement when they are learning something new.
3 Use Descriptive Language when Playing
Photo Credit: piapest (studying)
Adjectives are a fabulous addition to language. There are so many ways to describe something. When children learn this at a young age, they are often able to better express themselves later on in life. Being descriptive when playing with toys will help your child to learn all sorts of new words. You can describe what the toy looks like, what type of clothes it might be wearing, or what it is doing.
2 Let Her Interact with Older Kids
Photo Credit: B℮n
Sometimes kids learn quicker from peers, rather than adults. This dates back to when school houses used to consist of many grades in a single room. The older kids were in charge of teaching skills to the younger ones. Smaller children will usually mimic an older child, even if they aren’t sure of what the action means. This holds true with speech as well.
1 Talk to Your Child
Photo Credit: *Iron Lace*
There’s no better way to get your child to speak then to talk to him/her. It doesn’t matter what you talk about; it can be about your new shoes or the dog out in the yard. Try to show things to your child and explain what is going on. It’s hard to remember what it was like to not know what everything is and what it is called. Providing information is the key to helping your child become more talkative.
Remember that boys and girls learn differently and at varying speeds as well. These 7 ways to get your 1 year old to talk might all work for one child, but maybe only a few work on another. Do you have methods you’ve used for your child in the past? How did this turn out?
Top Photo Credit: fuzzypeach