Simple things that really help.
You don't need flashcards or a curriculum. These are the everyday strategies speech and language therapists actually recommend — easy to fold into a normal day.
Why these strategies work
Children build language through rich, responsive interaction , not through passive exposure or drilling. The strategies below all share one thing in common: they follow your child's lead and add language onto what they're already interested in, rather than directing them toward something else.
Strategies to try today
Narrate, don't quiz
Describe what you're both doing ('you're pouring the water') instead of firing questions ('what's that?').
Expand, don't correct
If your child says 'dog run', reply 'yes, the dog is running fast!' — modelling the fuller version.
Follow their lead
Talk about what your child is already looking at or playing with, not what you'd prefer they focus on.
Slow down and pause
Leave real gaps after you speak — many children need a few extra seconds to respond.
Read together daily
Even a few minutes of shared picture books builds vocabulary reliably over time.
Limit passive screen time
Prioritise interactive play and conversation, especially under age 3.
When home strategies aren't enough on their own
These strategies genuinely help every child's language development, but they aren't a substitute for therapy where a delay or disorder is present , think of them as something you do alongside professional support, not instead of it, if an assessment suggests your child needs more.
Questions parents ask
Should I correct my child when they say a word wrong?+
Avoid direct correction ('no, say ball, not baw') — it can increase self-consciousness. Instead, simply repeat the word back correctly within your own sentence ('yes, a ball!'). This models the right form without making it a correction.
Does screen time slow down talking?+
Passive screen time generally replaces the back-and-forth interaction that builds language, so keeping it limited for toddlers is sensible. Interactive use with an adult narrating alongside is quite different from solo passive viewing.
Is it okay to use baby talk?+
A softer, sing-song tone (sometimes called parentese) is genuinely helpful and different from 'baby talk' that uses incorrect words. Use real words in an engaging, exaggerated tone — that combination supports language best.