Early talkers-How to nurture?

[Aphrodite]

My second little one is only 15 months but his speech has absolutely rocketed in the last fortnight. Hes gone from a handful of words to about 35 within days. My first DS couldnt say this much at 17 months so he's definitely overtaking him, even putting 2 words together such a 'shut door' 'roundy round' Thank-you along with loads of others.

We're trying to encourage him as much as possible by just repeating things over an over to him and Im starting to look at more picture books with him which I should have done sooner although he wont sit for long.

Any other tips to encourage an early talker?

 

[OmarsMum]

Talk talk talk

When you're playing with anything explain what you're doing, ask questions, mention colours, shapes, etc. like for example if you're playing with a shape sorter hold a triangle & say this is a red triangle & so one. When you go for a walk point at random objects & name them, the same at home (spoon, plate, banana, milk, etc). Try it avoid baby talk, if he can't pronounce a word properly, repeat the word correctly.

Songs & nursery rhymes. Play phonic songs, colours songs, days of the week, etc on YouTube & dance to the music. Count steps, elevator buttons & so on.

You don't really need books to encourage talking, ongoing interaction is more than enough at this age xx

 

[cait]

I agree with Omar's Mum - narrate everything you do and don't use baby words, use the real words. Repeat what he's saying back to him. Talk talk talk all day.
Our LO has unbelievable language skills - from the moment she wakes up to the moment she goes to sleep she is chatting away and we converse with her the whole time. She does love reading as well mind you.
Songs and rhymes are great too - they really catch on to pronunciation and sentence structures with these imo.

 

[superfrizbee]

DD also knows 30+ words. I talk to her all day, just about what we're doing. We do read ALOT of books because she is utterly obsessed with them. We also sing nursery rhymes. I guess just the normal stuff!

 

[Rachel_C]

I just did normal stuff; if LO is already talking early what's the point in extra encouragement? A natural talker will talk well whatever you do (within reason!) and what you've done up to now has obviously worked so I wouldn't change it, just adapt it to LO's age. I found with my oldest especially that she was very verbal (it's only now she's 4 that her peers are starting to catch up really, and she is still ahead of most of them) but less physical so instead of encouraging the talking, if we encouraged anything we encouraged the physical stuff to keep her well rounded.

 

[Rags]

All of the above plus don't refer to yourself in the 3rd person, "Mummy wants you to..." use I and you and us. He knows you are his mum, daddy is daddy and gran is gran etc he will only learn 'me' etc if he hears it as normal when you talk to him as well as other people.

 

[Aphrodite]

Thanks, I'm a big talker so won't be too much of a problem! Ill def do more narration he listens so intently when I talk to him

 

[steph.]

As others said, just keep talking to him. You can also ask him to repeat a word like " can you say apple" while showing him an apple. My lo was an early talker about 150 words by 18 months, and if I ask her to repeat something and she does I give her a big clap and she looks really proud of herself. Then she starts to use the word daily. I think sometimes she doesn't realise she can say it until I ask her to repeat after me.

 

[Pink Flowers]

yeap lot of talking! I used to go out for walks with Oliver and point out everything. And I mean EVERY thing, like oh look a bin

Explaining toys to him, so if we had a car we would go wheels etc. colour of the toys, shape etc.

We just talked and talked for months. Oliver was speaking in sentences at just over 2. Everyone comments on even now how well he speaks.

 

[Shadowy Lady]

I'm listening in and taking notes as my LO is the same. She's only 13 months but already saying some short sentences and a LOT of words. Some times it's hard to udnerstand her too as we're a bilingual family and she says things in both languages.

 

[Larkspur]

That's amazing Shadowy, usually bilingual children are quite a bit slower to start talking, not advanced!

 

[lovelylaura]

I echo everyone else too, just talk and talk. read books. I point out everything when out for a walk i may look like a nutter pointing to grass or cars, stones ect. But they both have tonnes of words and its because i narrate everything! Its sounds like your doing fab anyway xx

 

[Shadowy Lady]

That's amazing Shadowy, usually bilingual children are quite a bit slower to start talking, not advanced!

I was expecting her to be a late talker but it's been the opposit. She just started walking so I think words took priority for her over steps

she says things like "daa you mama" (thank you mama) or "comeeeyar" (come here) in English but then "goye maaa" (gole man = my flower) in Persian. Not sure how she decides what words to say in what language though.

 

[ellie27]

Yes as said before - talk! Talk through everything you do, ask them questions - not questions that are just yes/no answers though. Describe where things are eg thats a cup, the cup is on the table.

We have conversations 24 hrs a day - thats certainly what it feels like as my son is non-stop.

I do think he learns most from his big sister though.

He can count better than her too, he is 23 months and she is almost 4!!! My son stops folk in the supermarket and has a conversation with them ...'hiya, whats that?, what you doing? put it in the trolley'....

 

[rosie272]

Definitely talking all of the time! Charlie loves a good running commentary That's the age he was when his speech took off and it was amazing! He never walked until he was 16 months but he was verbally advanced for his age and always was. I think encouraging good diction and pronunciation is important. Charlie loves to chat - in fact he really only stops when he's asleep

 

[StaceyKor]

Have to say i've really noticed my LOs speech has exploded the last fornight too...she seems to be learning a few words every day now...yesterday she learned her first Polish word too (she's half Polish). We read a lot of books, sing nursery rhymes (she will sing round and round part of wheels on the bus for example) and just generally narrate what i'm doing. Seems to be working well x

 

[Larkspur]

That's amazing Shadowy, usually bilingual children are quite a bit slower to start talking, not advanced!

I was expecting her to be a late talker but it's been the opposit. She just started walking so I think words took priority for her over steps

she says things like "daa you mama" (thank you mama) or "comeeeyar" (come here) in English but then "goye maaa" (gole man = my flower) in Persian. Not sure how she decides what words to say in what language though.

Yeah, Rafe's toddling well now. Not sure if his language is more or less than I'd expect at 13 months, but it seems good enough to me. I'm like his own personal sportcaster all day, so he can hardly help but pick things up, I'm sure. We just moved to a house with a stream and he has become obsessed with ducks, so it's "duck duck duck" all day long.

Sorry for derail, OP!