How to Encourage Speech and Language at Home
As parents and caregivers, you play a critical role in your child’s speech and language development. The good news? You don’t need fancy tools or formal training—simple, everyday interactions can make a huge impact!
At Catalina Speech Therapy, we believe that learning happens through play and connection. Below, we’ll share practical tips, activities, and games to help your child build strong communication skills at home.
Everyday Strategies to Boost Speech & Language
1️⃣ Talk to Your Child—A Lot!
Your child learns by hearing you speak. Narrate your day, describe what you see, and respond to their sounds and gestures.
💬 Example: “Look at that big red truck! It’s driving fast! Beep beep!”
2️⃣ Follow Their Lead
Instead of directing the play, observe what interests your child and join in. Expand on what they are doing by adding words.
🧸 Example: If your child is playing with cars, say:
➡️ “Go car go!” (for younger kids)
➡️ “The blue car is going up the ramp!” (for older toddlers)
3️⃣ Use Simple, Repetitive Language
Repetition helps children understand and use words more easily. Try singing songs, reading books, and using predictable phrases.
🎶 Example: “Ready…set…GO!” (pause before “go” to encourage them to fill in the blank).
Games & Activities to Encourage Speech at Home
📚 1. Reading Together
Books expose children to new vocabulary and sentence structures. Choose books with simple, repetitive text and interactive elements.
📖 Great Books for Language Building:
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (Eric Carle)
Dear Zoo (Rod Campbell)
Where’s Spot? (Eric Hill)
The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle)
👂 How to Engage:
Point to pictures and name objects (“Look, a dog!”).
Ask simple questions (“What’s next?”).
Encourage your child to fill in words (“The caterpillar was very… [pause]…hungry!”).
🎈 2. Play-Based Speech Activities
Play is a powerful tool for speech and language learning!
🎭 Pretend Play (Ages 2-5+)
Play restaurant: “What would you like to eat? A pizza? A sandwich?”
Play doctor: “Oh no, the teddy bear is sick! What should we do?”
🚗 Vehicle Play (Ages 1-4+)
Roll cars and say “Ready…set…GO!”
Use action words: “The truck is driving! The car is stopping!”
🐷 Farm Animal Sounds (Ages 1-3+)
Show a toy cow and say “Moo!”—pause for your child to try.
Ask questions: “What does the pig say?”
🧩 Simple Puzzles (Ages 2-4+)
Hold a puzzle piece and say, “Where does this go? You want the dog? Say ‘dog!’”
🎈 Bubbles (Ages 1-4+)
Say “Pop! Pop! Pop!” as bubbles burst.
Hold the wand and wait for your child to request “More bubbles!”
Using Everyday Objects to Build Language
You don’t need fancy toys—household items can encourage speech!
🍌 Snack Time: Label foods, request items (“More apple?”), and describe flavors.
🧦 Laundry Time: Talk about clothing items (“Let’s find all the socks!”).
🚿 Bath Time: Use action words (“Wash, splash, pour!”).
🎶 Music Time: Sing simple songs (“The Wheels on the Bus”).
The Power of Pausing & Waiting
One of the best ways to encourage speech is by pausing and giving your child time to respond.
🔹 Instead of asking too many questions, try commenting: “Wow, that’s a big ball!”
🔹 Instead of giving everything right away, pause: “Oh, you want milk? Say ‘milk’!”
This encourages children to initiate communication instead of just listening.
When to Seek Help
If your child is struggling with speech and language development, early intervention is key. Here are some red flags:
🚩 No babbling or gestures by 12 months
🚩 No words by 18 months
🚩 Difficulty understanding or following directions by age 2
🚩 Limited speech or frustration when trying to communicate
If you have concerns, we’re here to help! Catalina Speech Therapy offers personalized speech therapy for children of all ages.
📞 Contact us today to schedule a consultation!
