How to Teach Your Baby to Talk

Here are some things that you can do to teach a baby to talk. If you believe that your child may be developmentally delayed, please call your pediatrician to arrange a hearing test and/or evaluation with an Early Intervention.

1. Get him to look at you while you speak.
Have him look at your face while you say words. For instance, hold up his toy car next to your face so that he can see the way your mouth looks when you say the word "car". Use this method during one on one playtime with your toddler. Watching the way your mouth moves while saying these words can help your baby learn to talk.

2. Use simple words
When you play with him use simple easy to pronounce words. For example, you might say things like "go, car, go" when playing with a car. This will help him stay focused on easy words that he can imitate without feeling overwhelmed.

3. Try a higher pitch
Using a sing-song voice adds interest to what you are saying. He'll pay more attention and might try to imitate your words.

4. Repetition.
The more he hears you say a word, the more likely he will be to try it on his own. So, when you are playing ball, use the word "ball" often. Use phrases like "get the ball" "roll ball" "give ball to mama" "baby catch ball" over and over again, focusing on using the word "ball" in every sentence.

5. Use sound effects.
This will help him practice sounds. Take a crayon and some paper and draw loops, making sound effects as you draw loops, zig zags, and other shapes. Push a car and say "vroom, vroom" or show him toy farm animals and make their sounds.

6. Teach him sign language
Babies who sign have better verbal skills, so teaching him sign language will help teach him to talk. Start with a few simple signs for objects or actions he might need on a daily basis like "milk", "more", "eat", "drink". At first your baby won't sign on his own, so when appropriate, take his hands and help him do it and then praise him for signing. Eventually he'll do the sign on his own. Speech therapists recommend withholding items for which baby is asking until the he has made the sign with or without help.

7. Talk to him constantly
As you go about your daily life with baby, talk to him. Narrate everything you do while you are doing it, even if it seems that baby isn't paying attention. Tell him everything you are doing no matter how mundane.The more you talk, the more your baby will talk.

8. Read to him
This almost goes without saying because you have read it in all of your baby care books but it's so important that I'll say it again. Read to your baby often, at least 30 minutes daily but preferably more. Point to and name pictures in books and repeat the name a few times so that your child has a chance to hear the word often.

9 Sing to him
Singing to your little one will keep him interested in the words you are saying. Even if you don't know the words to a song, sing about your daily life and make up the words as you go along. Your baby will be amused and may try to sing along.