One to Two Years

1.    Talk to your child as you do things and go places.

For example, when taking a walk, point to and name what you see.

Say things like, “I see a dog. The dog says ‘woof.’ This is a big dog. This dog is brown.”

2.    Talk about sounds around your house.

Listen to the clock tick, and say “t-t-t.” Make car or plane sounds, like “v-v-v-v.”

3.   Play with sounds at bath time. You are eye-level with your child.

Blow bubbles, and make the sound “b-b-b-b.” Pop bubbles, and make a “p-p-p-p” sound.

4.   Add to words your child says.

For example, if she says “car,” you can say, “You're right! That is a big red car.”

5.   Have your child point to pictures that you name.

6.   Ask your child to name pictures.