It's hard not to be concerned about speech delays in toddlers, especially when every toddler at playschool seems to be speaking in full sentences and yours is not. While we all know, intellectually, that comparing kids isn't wise, it's hard to resist (especially when there's such a hard-to-ignore sample right in front of you).
But of course, as with everything else in toddler development, children learn to talk at different rates, and not only is that normal, there's usually good reason for it. Sometimes toddlers who develop early in other areas (like climbing and jumping and other physical tasks) master language more slowly because they're so busy concentrating on those other skills. And sometimes children whose parents (or older siblings) are quick to anticipate their needs are slower to speak up, too — because there is less of a need to. And in cases where children are exposed to two languages early on, they may not speak as early as single language tots. In all of these cases, children typically catch up in their language development without intervention. In fact, most late talkers go on to speak beautifully and do just as well in school as the early talker tots.
Support Your Toddler’s Language Development
Whether your child is a late talker or an early one, you can help build his/her language skills and toddler vocabulary with simple language of your own. A few timely tips:
Don’t be a baby. Avoid baby talk. Speak clearly and simply, using real words and complete sentences.
Narrate. As you go about your day with your child, talk about what he/she and you are doing: “I’m going to cut up this apple so we can share it for lunch.”
Stretch the truth. Repeat your child’s words and expand on them. If he/she replies “App-uh!” to your remark about slicing one, answer “Yes, this is an apple! We’re going to eat this shiny red apple for lunch.” Add those adjectives!
Read all about it. Spend lots of time reading to your toddler. Books with rhyming words are ideal for a toddler's language development, because rhymes help young children distinguish individual sounds and parts of words. (Songs — classic, modern, or made-up by Mom — are wonderful as well.)
Ask away. A recent study showed that two-sided conversations are a good way to boost language development, because they help toddlers practice their new skills. So pose questions that require more than a yes or no answer so your toddler can use his vocabulary (but avoid pressuring your tot for a reply if he’s not ready or able to give one).