Using single words
Your child may not be using any words yet or they may have some words but not many. The following ideas can help you to support your child to understand and use more words or to begin to start using two words together.
A child will usually have around 50 words that they are using regularly before they are ready to start using two words together. Once they are regularly using two words together, you can start helping them to use short sentences.
The following advice sheet has lots of advice and strategies to support language development. You could print this out and stick it up at home as a reminder, or print out copies to share with important adults who spend time with your child.
If your child is not yet talking or if they are using less than 50 words, this advice in the videos below will be helpful for you. These videos all give examples of when you can support your child’s language development naturally during daily activities and play.
Using single words
Understand and using action words
Encouraging your baby to talk
Encourage your baby to talk by narrating your dayIf your child is able to engage in focused tasks with you, even for only a short time, then the the ideas in the programme below will be useful.
Using two words together
If your child has lots of single words but you’d like them to start using two words together, the following advice will be helpful.
One really useful strategy to support putting words together is to ‘add a word’ to what your child has already said. This way children can hear lots of different types of words which will help to expand their vocabulary, help them to communicate successfully and reduce frustration.
Putting words together activity sheetBryony Rust, Speech and Language Therapist, has created the follow videos to give you practical and natural ways to help your child develop their vocabulary and start using two words together.
Using object words + action words
Using simple word webs to develop two word phrases during play
If your child is using two words together but you’d like some advice on how to support them to build simple sentences, you might find this video useful.
