Hellobee Boards

@Jackiedavis87: That's awesome! Only good can come from this!!

This made me go back to an old email thread from when my LO1 was around 15 months and a bunch of other moms in my moms group were stressing about this.

Basically, many people were worried about their 15-month-olds having zero to three words and I can report that now, they're all 4 and talking a LOT.

My LO2 (16 months) has many fewer words than his older brother did at this age so I'm trying to be more intentional in the way I talk to him. I don't think you've done anything wrong though! Some of this stuff is not that intuitive.

A speech language pathologist in that moms group sent a few recommendations that I thought were helpful:
- Speak in short sentences at a slower rate.

- Spend at least 30 mins a day where you're on the floor with them while talking out everything you're doing. "Oh I see you're putting the block on top," then as you build you can say, "On top, on top, on top." "Open close open close" when playing with toys with doors. "Oh you're picking up puppy? Ok put down the block first." You get the idea. Just make sure it's 30 mins straight when you are not looking at phone or talking to another adult.

- Have them help you complete phrases such as "123 go!" while playing, then begin pausing after you say 123 waiting a few beats before you finish to give them opportunity. Another one they seem to like is "bubble bubble bubble pop" while doing bubbles.

- Have a daily routine that you consistently talk through such as getting dressed or brushing teeth when you talk out every step: "First we OPEN the cabinet, we PICK UP our toothbrush, we turn ON the water"... try to have at least one routine that you always talk through. Eventually begin to add pauses to give them opportunity to complete the sentences.

- While reading through books ask them to point to ID, assisting with hand over hand I'd necessary. Help them to use one finger to point.

Hope that helps!