Most children will have a vocabulary of between five and 20 words by the time they are 18 months old, according to the Child Development Institute. While that figure is typical, it is by no means normal. Some children gain language very early, while other children are working on walking or feeding or music. There are ways to enhance your child's development of language, but ultimately it's up to your child to know when he is going to speak.
Step 1
Read to your child from infancy. Children learn language by hearing it. The more you read to your child, the more language he will acquire. The American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) suggests using large board books with colorful pictures. You don't need to read the story as written, either. You can make up our own story or simply point to items on the page and name them for your child.
Step 2
Talk to your child. Babies younger than 6 months old see best in an 8- to 14-inch range, so talk to your baby while you are feeding her or snuggling with her. Engage her in eye contact and simply tell her about your day. When your child is older, you can point out colors and shapes and items at the supermarket.
Step 3
Teach your child some simple sign language. Babycenter.com reports that while some parents were worried that sign language would impede language development, vocabulary is actually enhanced by signing. In addition to lowering a child's frustration level, learning signs will also teach her that language means something. There are many programs available to teach a child simple signs. If you both learn them you'll be able to have a short sign language conversation, teaching your child that communication is a back and forth activity.
Step 4
Work on specific sounds with your child. The ASHA suggests beginning with simple consonant/vowel combinations, such as "ma," "ba" and "da." Make sure your child is looking at you and put some of the sounds together to see if he'll imitate you.
Step 5
Play language games. Most children understand language before they can talk, so encourage that development by having your child play some simple games with you. For instance, ask your child to point to something orange on a page. Another game is to play peek-a-boo or teach your child to throw kisses or clap. These games teach children that language and actions sometimes go together.
Things You'll Need
- Board books
- Sign language program
