Every parent eagerly waits to hear their child’s first words, and supporting their language development is an exciting journey. Some children start talking quickly, while others need a little more guidance and encouragement.
This blog shares simple, practical strategies that can help your child talk more by strengthening their vocabulary, confidence, and communication skills in everyday situations. With the right techniques, you can turn daily routines into meaningful opportunities for language growth.
Four Strategies to Help Children Talk More
1. Select a Target Word
Choose one simple word as your target word and use it throughout the day. When children repeatedly hear the same word in different routines, they begin to understand it, remember it, and eventually use it.
Example target word: “Ball”
- “Take the ball and come.”
- “Hold the ball.”
- “Keep the ball on the shelf.”
- “We can play with the ball.”
Choosing one target word each day is a powerful technique to help your child talk more naturally and confidently.
2. Use Repetition
Repetition is one of the strongest tools for language learning. The more often your child hears a word, the easier it becomes for them to use it.
Examples:
- “Give the ball.”
- “The ball is mine.”
- “Where is your ball?”
Repeated exposure helps children understand, process, and speak the word confidently.
3. Model the Target Word
Modeling means you use the word naturally without forcing your child to repeat it. Children learn best by watching and listening, not by pressure.
Instead of saying, “Say chocolate,” try:
- “This chocolate is so sweet!”
- “You also like chocolate.”
- “Shall I open the chocolate, or will you open it?”
When words are modeled with meaning, children naturally feel motivated to use them.
4. Add Action Verbs to Target Words
Once your child understands single words, combine them with action verbs to help them move toward using short phrases. This expands vocabulary and improves sentence-building skills.
Example target word: “Apple”
- “Take the apple and come.”
- “We can cut the apple.”
- “Go and give the apple to all.”
- “Let’s make juice with the apple.”
- “We can drink apple juice.”
When you combine actions with words, you help your child talk more by giving them meaningful context for language.
Conclusion
These four simple strategies – selecting target words, repetition, modeling, and adding action verbs – can make a big difference in your child’s speech and language development. With daily practice and patience, your child will begin to express more words with confidence.
If your child continues to face challenges in talking or using words, a speech therapist can guide you with personalized techniques and structured communication support.
