If there had been times when you’ve wished your child could tell you what he needs and wants instead of throwing a tantrum and crying in frustration, then this article may help you encourage your child to communicate effectively.

Children typically start saying their first words by the age of one to one and a half years old[1]. This includes using the same sounds consistently to identify an object such as “baba” for bottle or “juju” for juice. Long before this, they would have been babbling and cooing and showing you signs that they want to communicate with you, such as throwing their arms up when they want to be carried or pointing to a certain object that they want you to get for them.

Some children are born babblers while some others may take a little longer to say their first words. Do remember though that each child is unique and may develop at their own pace. However, these general guidelines are for when we expect them to reach certain milestones. From one to two years old[2], children should be using many words with various sounds such as p, b, m, h and w, pointing to body parts, following simple directions and identifying familiar people. From two to three years old, they should be putting various words together such as “car go” or “want milk” or even longer sentences. They should be producing sounds like k, g, t, d and f and asking and answering simple questions.

To encourage your child to speak, here are a list of tips on how you can help develop his speech further and faster.

1: Simply Talk to Them

If your child isn’t speaking yet, it could be that you’re not talking to them enough. Expose them to language and talk to them, even if they are not responding back. Talk to them during diaper changes, when you’re bathing them, during mealtimes and so on. Have normal conversations with them even if it’s one-way or you think you’re using vocabulary that is too complex.

2: Narrate What you are Doing

To make conversation with your child, narrate what you’re doing. Since children are not talking back to us, we can be less inclined to talk to them. But don’t let the house go quiet. Talk about your day and what you are doing such as: “I am washing the dishes,” or “You’re playing with the ball.” Children are learning all the time, so make everyday activities become a learning experience. They love to hear the sound of your voice and hearing the dialogue is a great way for them to pick up words and new vocabulary.

3: Label Everything Verbally

When your child is playing, eating or just being around, label the objects they are holding, seeing or hearing. This is so that they can hear the words over and over again. Repetition is a key method for teaching a child to talk as it allows them to become familiar with the words and sounds. It helps them understand and eventually imitate those sounds. If you’re naming the foods they eat or the things they play with, they should start picking up the words very soon.

4: Have them Repeat what you Say

Once you’re labelling everything, have your child repeat the words back to you. Start with just one word or even the first sound of the word. If they say “muh” for milk, or “buh” for ball, that’s a great start! This shows they are getting the concept that all these objects have names but they just can’t make all the sounds correctly yet. Get excited and praise them when they make their first attempts at saying a word, to encourage them to keep trying.

5: Avoid Baby Talk

When you’re talking to your child, it is best to avoid excessive baby talk as it could impede language development. While baby talk is a great way to get their attention when they are very young, it does not expose them to proper grammar and word usage when they get older. Furthermore, using made-up words and distorted pronunciation can confuse a child and lead to incorrect speech patterns. Instead of baby talk, speak slowly and clearly and use full sentences in adult-like speech while still maintaining a playful and engaging tone of voice.

6: Use What Interests Them

Determine what your child likes and use that to pique their interest. If they like music, food, a character like Iron Man or Superman or a certain toy, provide them with plenty of opportunities to see, hear, taste or play with that item while also talking about it with them. If your child loves cars and trucks, play cars and trucks with him while making car sounds like “Vrooom,” “Beep Beep” or “Honk Honk” and talking about what the cars and trucks are doing. Use what works to get them interested. It would be a lot less of a struggle to open them up to new sounds if they show interest in that activity.

7: Stopping Short of a Familiar Song

While teaching a child to speak, don’t forget to have fun and sing songs or say rhymes. Children love a good rhythm and music so they are more likely to pick up words and gestures from a song. One of the easiest songs to try is “Old McDonald”. Children love to say “Oh” and it’s an easy sound to make.

Sing EIEIO several times and encourage your little one to sing together with you.

If he can’t do the EIEI yet, then sing “Old McDonald had a farm, EIEI”….(wait for the “Oh”).

“And on his farm he had a cow, EIEI”….(wait for the “Oh”).

“With a Moo Moo here and a Moo Moo there.

“Here a Moo, there a Moo

“Everywhere a Moo Moo

Old McDonald had a farm, EIEI”….(wait for the “Oh”).

Once your child gets the hang of this song, you can start getting them to fill in the other animal noises.

The same can be done with other nursery rhymes such as “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” or “The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round”, or “Baa Baa Black Sheep”. You can sing these songs along with the gestures and when they begin to imitate the movement and gestures, words should soon follow.

8: Use the Expectant Pause

An expectant pause is deliberately allowing some time to pass for your child to give you a response. In other words, it’s waiting time given to your child to process the question or comment and come up with an answer. Children’s processing speed is a lot slower than ours, especially when they are just learning to talk. If you’re asking them to name an object or repeat a sound, pause and give extra time for them to think and come up with a response. Say you are helping your child put on his red shoes, ask him: “Can you tell me the colour of your shoes?” This encourages him to recall what he has previously learnt (provided you have taught him colours), identify the name of the colour and to say the word. Looking directly at your child and wearing an expectant look to show them you are waiting for an answer, wait five to 10 seconds to see if they will respond. If there’s no response, simply say the answer and move on to the next word.

9: Guided Play

When children are not eating and sleeping, they are playing. Playing is the main way a child learns. Through play, they can learn new language and skills. While free play is crucial for children’s development as it fosters creativity and imagination, they shouldn’t always be left alone to play independently. Sit with your child while they play and guide their actions while also labelling and dictating everything they are doing. If they are playing with a shape sorter, for instance, you could talk to them about the objects they are holding. “This is a square. Where does the square block go?” Let them find the square hole and when they do, say: “The square drops down.” Or if they are colouring, say: “This is a crayon. This is a blue crayon. You are colouring. Draw a square.”

Use this time to ask questions and give them commands. All this extra language is so helpful for them to hear, pick up and practice instead of letting them play quietly by themselves.

10: Read Everyday

Books are a wonderful way to expose your child to new words, concepts and a love for reading. Try to set aside a few minutes a day to read to your little one. It can be a wonderful time of togetherness while you are also establishing a routine that will have lasting effects on your child for years to come. As you read to your child, point out the objects and pictures in the book and have them repeat the words back to you. Ask them what the picture is and what the action is happening on the page. This promotes dialogue between the both of you. Research has shown that that the more words a child hears from an actual live person (not the TV[3]), the easier they will acquire speech. Reading doesn’t only build language; it also promotes learning new information.

Morinaga Chil-kid

Children are at a stage of their growth trajectory when they are learning new skills and growing up fast. They need sustenance that can provide and support their everyday nutritional needs so they can pay attention, stay active yet calm, and absorb information. If you’re looking for a milk formula that can support their daily Recommended Nutrient Intake when complemented with food, Morinaga Chil-kid is such a milk.

Formulated with a subtle vanilla taste to appeal to children’s taste preference, the new and improved Morinaga Chil-kid features a balanced ratio of 45 essential nutrients[4] such as ARA, DHA, Inositol, Omega 3&6 LCPs, GOS, 5 Nucleotides, Protein, 27 vitamins and minerals, and no sucrose.

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[1]Donovan, L. (2024, November 8). Tips on Learning to Talk | ZERO TO THREE. ZERO TO THREE. https://www.zerotothree.org/resource/tips-on-learning-to-talk/?__cf_chl_tk=dfakLE_i2qoQqe8S1hZYU_JNZNuRv95CHIaSD_jpX1E-1738317521-1.0.1.1-XUxcfHcC_RSrNSh4dKBNE91T4PwxCVxrND2oG14G6Y4
[2]Lotr, A. W. M. (2022, March 30). 8 Tips and tricks to help encourage your toddler to talk - Sensory Solutions. Sensory Solutions. https://sensorysolutionstherapy.com/8-tips-and-tricks-to-help-encourage-your-toddler-to-talk/
[3]Dewar, G. (2024, March 25). The effects of television on speech development: Is it helpful or harmful? PARENTING SCIENCE. https://parentingscience.com/effects-of-television-on-children-learning-speech/
[4]Product - Morinaga Milk Formula | Morinaga Malaysia. (n.d.). Morinaga Malaysia. https://morinagamilk.com.my/product.php