Parenting Club

9 - 18 Months: Help Them to Talk

Waiting for your child’s first words? We have ways of making him talk!

Keep nattering
Keep the noise down
Be a good listener
Hazard a guess
Watch TV selectively
Don't be too quick to correct him

Keep nattering

Talking to your child is the best way to help his speech development. Use simple language and try keeping up a running commentary as you do regular tasks. This will reinforce common words such as ‘cup’, ‘toy’ and ‘nappy’. Try blowing raspberries on his fingers or toes so he can get used to ‘feeling’ your sounds, too. When he reacts to a noise, tell him what it is: ‘That’s the doorbell,’ say, or ‘Daddy’s clapping’.

Keep the noise down

Studies have shown that constant background noise can distract children - and adults! - and slow their speech development. ‘Remember to switch off the radio and TV so you can talk and listen to each other,’ says Liz Attenborough of the National Literacy Trust’s Talk To Your Baby Campaign. ‘When it’s nice and quiet, get down to your baby’s level. Let him see your face and all your expressions. Help him by looking at him when you speak, and make sure you listen to his babbles.’

Be a good listener

When you talk, pause and leave space for him to gurgle and try to copy you. Use fun words such as ‘splash!’, ‘wheee!’ and ‘plop!’. Taking turns is the beginning of early conversation. Babies love to play with sounds, so copy him, too.

Hazard a guess

Your child’s attempts at words can all sound the same, but it’s worth trying to figure them out. Put into words for him what you think he may be trying to say: ‘You want more milk? You want a cuddle? Oh, you want the ball, do you?’ As you guess, you will see from his expression whether you’ve got it right or wrong. Every time you guess right, you are showing your child that communication works.

Watch TV selectively

We all know that the TV shouldn’t be on constantly, but some carefully selected viewing can actually help your child’s speech development. For very young children, choose easy-to-follow programmes that don’t over-stimulate them. ‘They should contain simple language, preferably with one adult voice,’ says Liz. She recommends videos because children like to watch them over and over again and repetition is the key to language learning. Watch together, so that you can point things out, and reinforce new words by using them again later, but limit your viewing to 20 minutes or so a day.

Don't be too quick to correct him

If your toddler has mispronounced a word - ‘gog’ for dog, for example - but you have understood, then he has managed to communicate with you successfully. ‘It doesn’t matter at all if he makes a mistake,’ says Liz. ‘If you recognise it as a word, then it counts as a word - and that makes it worth praising.’ But, remember, although baby talk may sound cute, it’s strictly for babies. ‘It’s fine if your child says “git” for biscuit,’ says Liz, ‘but always use the proper word when you reply: “Yes, biscuit.” If you don’t do this, he’ll only have to learn the proper word for it later - and that just creates more work for him.’

By Catherine Coulson