As you shop for groceries, point out foods you see. Play with the sounds of words as you show your child the juicy red “toe-may-toes” or the long orange “care-rot.” How do they respond? When they make a sound in response, copy it.
Category: Speak to
Let your child know what you’re doing
As you do laundry, let your child know what you’re doing: “I’m putting white clothes in the washer so they will be clean.” As you say the words, point to the objects (clothes, washer, soap). When they respond, continue the conversation by talking and pointing.
Tell a silly story
During a diaper change, tell your child a silly story about the tallest little child in the world. While you are at it, stretch their arms over their head as you stretch out your words in a playful tone. (The taaaaaaallest baaaaaby in the wooooooorld!)
Describe what you see
Almost everything is new to your child in their first year. So describe what you see. “There goes the yellow school bus. Beep beep!” Let them see, hear, smell, and even touch things, if possible. Notice what they’re interested in and have a back-and-forth chat. “You see the big tree? What else do you see?”
