There are some things you can do to enhance your child’s language development when they are 1 year old. Give these ideas a try and see what happens.
- Talk. Talk. Talk. Pretend your child is another adult with you in the room and talk their ear off. Be that “chatty Kathy.” Talk about what you are doing, “Crack the egg in the bowl.” Talk about what your child is doing, “The car is going down the ramp.” Fill their brain with words, words, and more words until they are spilling over the edge. It’s okay to “get caught” talking to your baby even when they don’t talk back. Remember to give your child a turn to respond with words or with their body language (eye contact, facial expressions, gestures). Teach them early on the back and forth of conversation. They will thank you when they are older when they are superb conversationalists.
- Be interested in what your child is interested in. Think about when you are talking to someone else and they aren’t engaged in what you are saying. What do you do? Respond to your child’s communicative attempts by getting down to their level and notice what they are noticing. Talk about what they are seeing. Do what they are doing. Your child will focus on what you are saying, because you are joining their world. Experience life again looking through your child’s eyes. Your face will be lit up with a smile.
- Read books. Yes read books to your child from birth. Communication begins at birth. Your family will use a core set of vocabulary in their day, but it’s doubtful you talk about ducks wearing bright red boots or a spider too busy for play. You are introducing your child to a plethora of new words when you read books and talk about the pictures. Don’t forget about the added bonus of feeling connected to your child snuggled up beside each other. Add books to your daily routine, like scheduling a snack or brushing their teeth (tooth). Your efforts will pay off as your child grows.
You got this Mama and Dada. Easy peasy lemon squeezy! If not, Wildflowers can help you feel confident interacting with your child. That’s what we do!
