how to do speech therapy for 3 year old

Type 2 Diabetes
Heart Disease
Digestive Health
Multiple Sclerosis
Diet & Nutrition
Supplements
Health Insurance
Public Health
Patient Rights
Caregivers & Loved Ones
End of Life Concerns
Health News
Thyroid Test Analyzer
Doctor Discussion Guides
Hemoglobin A1c Test Analyzer
Lipid Test Analyzer
Complete Blood Count (CBC) Analyzer
What to Buy
Editorial Process
Meet Our Medical Expert Board

Speech Therapy for Toddlers

What is speech therapy.

Language Development
Signs of Delay
Speech Therapy Activities
A Parent's Role

Frequently Asked Questions

Speech therapy is a treatment led by a speech and language pathologist (SLP) or speech therapist. It helps a person communicate and speak more clearly. Toddlers may develop language or speech impairments due to illness, hearing problems, or brain disorders.

This article covers speech and language milestones, causes of speech disorders, diagnosis, what happens in speech therapy, and how parents can help their toddlers.

Dragana991 / Getty Images

Speech therapy is a treatment that helps a person speak or communicate more effectively. It is performed by specially trained speech and language pathologists (SLPs) or speech therapists. They help their patients better understand others, pronounce words clearly, or put words together.

There are different types of speech therapy and their use will depend on the age of the child and what they are experiencing. For example, therapy practices vary for children with apraxia (difficulty pronouncing different syllables), stuttering, aphasia (difficulty speaking due to damage to the brain), and difficulty swallowing, and for late talkers.

Language Development (Newborn to Toddler)

While delay does not always mean there’s a problem, it’s important to recognize when a toddler misses a developmental milestone. The following are general guidelines of speech and language development for babies and toddlers:

Newborns communicate through crying. Their cries may sound the same at first but start to vary as they grow. They also cry to express emotions, and parents begin to understand what different cries mean.

High-Pitched Crying

A high-pitched cry not resolved by comforting or eating may mean that an infant is experiencing discomfort or pain.

Newborns pick up on rhythms of speech and their parents' voices within the first few weeks of life. Between 1 and 4 months old, they become more alert to sounds and may startle more easily or turn to look for the source of the noise.

Around 2 to 3 months old, infants start smiling and cooing, which often sounds like "ah" or "eh." Babies begin laughing by 3 to 4 months old.

By 5 or 6 months old, infants imitate adult sounds produced by babbling or shrieking. Babbling involves repeating sounds such as "ba," "ma," or "ga."

7–12 Months

Seven-month-old infants hear words as distinct sounds and try to repeat them. By 9 months old, they start to understand expressions and simple commands like "no," recognize words for objects, and respond to their names.

Ten- to 12-month-olds follow simple commands such as "give mommy your cup." They also begin to say simple words such as "dada" or "bye-bye."

A Toddler's First Words

Most 1-year-olds can say a few words such as “up” or “dog” but do not put words together in a sentence.

13–18 Months

By 18 months, a toddler puts two words together and says phrases such as "push it." They often communicate in gestures that get more complex over time.

Toddlers this age start recognizing objects, body parts, pictures, or people. For example, if you ask, "Where is your nose?," they will be able to point to it.

19–24 Months

By 24 months old, toddlers know and say 50 or more words. They start to form two- to three-word sentences. Two-year-olds can usually communicate their needs, such as “I want more milk,” and follow two-step commands.

Speech and Language Developmental Timeline

Children develop at different speeds and may not follow the typical timeline. If you are concerned about the delay, contact your pediatrician or healthcare provider as soon as possible. Early treatment can make a difference.

Signs of Speech or Language Delay in Toddlers

The following are general guidelines to help parents know if they should have their young child evaluated for speech or language problems:

A baby who does not vocalize or respond to sound
A 1-year-old who does not use gestures, such as pointing
An 18-month-old who would rather use gestures than sounds
An 18-month-old who has difficulty imitating sounds or understanding simple requests
A 2-year-old who imitates speech but doesn’t talk spontaneously
A 2-year-old who can say words but not communicate more than their immediate needs or follow simple directions
A 2-year-old who has a raspy or nasal-sounding voice

Understanding the Words of a Toddler

Parents and regular caregivers usually understand about 50% of a toddler’s speech by 2 years old and 75% by 3 years old.

Speech or language delays can occur due to problems with the structures of the mouth, head injuries, chronic illnesses, or brain disorders.

If the cause is a brain disorder, it can be difficult to coordinate their tongue, lips, and mouth to make sounds or words.

Hearing problems can make it difficult to imitate or understand language. This is not always a problem that is apparent at birth. Chronic ear infections can cause hearing damage in one or both ears.

A speech therapist will perform tests with your toddler to check the following:

What your child understands
What your child can say
Clarity of speech
How the structures in their mouth work together to form words and eat

The following are diagnostic tests or scales a speech therapist may perform with your toddler:

Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (Bayley-III) : Bayley-III is used worldwide to measure all aspects of development from birth to 42 months. A speech therapist administers the language portion by watching the child follow instructions and identify people and objects. It helps them know if the child is on track or needs further evaluation.
Preschool Language Scales–Fifth Edition (PLS)-5 English : The PLS-5 is an interactive screening tool designed for infants and young children. Speech therapists measure all areas of language through a play-based approach.
Differential Ability Scales Assessment–Second Edition (DAS-II) : The DAS-II provides a scale to help speech therapists better understand how a child processes information. This allows them to develop appropriate activities for therapy.
Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation 3 (GFTA-3) : The GFTA-3 involves asking a child to identify colorful drawings and measures their ability to pronounce consonants.
The Rossetti Infant-Toddler Language Scales: This test is specifically designed for children from birth to 36 months old. It involves a parent interview, as well as observation of the child performing tasks.

What Happens During Speech Therapy?

The speech therapist will plan and perform activities to help your toddler with skills based on their specific needs. Therapy may occur in small groups or individually.

Language building activities include using picture books, repetition, talking, and playing. If a toddler has difficulty pronouncing certain words, the therapist will teach them how to make the sound or say specific words.

Sometimes speech therapists help toddlers with speech mechanics. This involves teaching them how to move their mouth or tongue to pronounce a word. They may also prescribe lip, tongue, or jaw exercises to continue at home.

What Concerns are Addressed During Speech Therapy?

Some of the concerns that SLPs may address during speech therapy include:

Speech mechanics
Word pronunciation
Volume or quality of speech
Social communication skills
Trouble swallowing

How Can Parents Help?

It helps to talk and read to your child frequently. Use correct names and speak in a slow and clear voice. When giving direction, keep things simple. Kneeling to their level can them focus on what you are saying.

If your child points at a glass of water, help them connect the gesture and language by asking, “Do you want water?” When they don’t pronounce words accurately, emphasize the correct pronunciation when responding.

Waiting for a Response

When asking a question such as “Do you want a drink?,” try waiting for a response. This helps your toddler learn to communicate back to you.

Chronic illnesses, brain disorders, and hearing problems can cause a toddler to have delayed speech or language development. Speech therapy can help them learn to communicate more effectively.

Parents can help by talking to their children often, speaking clearly, and emphasizing correct pronunciation. If your child is in speech therapy, it’s helpful to perform exercises prescribed by your speech therapist at home.

A Word From Verywell

Not all children follow a typical timeline for speech and language development. Sometimes they are focused on learning a new task, such as walking, and put language development on the back burner. They often catch up later.

If your toddler is experiencing a language or speech delay, talk with your child’s healthcare provider. If there is a problem, getting help early can make a difference.

A toddler should start speech therapy any time after 3 months old if they experience developmental delays in speech or language. This may seem young, but a speech therapist can monitor the signs if there is a delay. Early intervention can make an impact.

The estimated national average cost for the United States is $218 per session. However, many insurances and most state Medicaid programs cover speech therapy. It can be helpful to find an in-network clinic to decrease your out-of-pocket expenses.

Nemours Kids Health. Delayed speech or language development . KidsHealth.org.

Durkin MJ. From Infancy to the Elderly: Communication throughout the Ages. Nova Science Publishers; 2011.

Meadows-Oliver M. Pediatric Nursing Made Incredibly Easy. 3rd Edition. Wolters Kluwer; 2019.

University of Michigan Health. Speech and language milestones, birth to 1 year .

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Important milestones: Your baby by nine months .

American Academy of Pediatrics. Language delays in toddlers: Information for parents . Healthychildren.org.

Nemours Kids Health. Communication and your 1-to-2 year old . KidsHealth.org.

NAPA Center. Speech therapy for children: What are the benefits? .

Garro, A. Early Childhood Assessment in School and Clinical Child Psychology . Springer; 2016.

Ross, K. Speech-Language Pathologists in Early Childhood . Plural Publishing; 2015.

DeVeney SL. Clinical challenges: Assessing toddler speech sound productions . Semin Speech Lang. 2019 Mar;40(2):81-93. doi: 10.1055/s-0039-1677759.

NAPA Center. 5 tips to help your toddler’s speech development by a speech therapist .

Wooster Community Hospital. At what age should speech therapy begin? .

MDsave. Speech therapy visit .

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Introduction to Medicaid .

By Brandi Jones, MSN-ED RN-BC Jones is a registered nurse and freelance health writer with more than two decades of healthcare experience.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

Certification
Publications
Continuing Education
Practice Management
Audiologists
Speech-Language Pathologists
Academic & Faculty
Audiology & SLP Assistants

Communication Milestones: 2 to 3 Years

Developmental Milestones - Communication - 2-3 Years

These communication milestones cover hearing, speech, and language development in children.

Each child develops uniquely, even within the same family, and may meet certain milestones earlier or later than others. If your child does not meet many of the milestones within their age range, visit ASHA ProFind to find an ASHA-certified audiologist or speech-language pathologist (SLP) for an assessment.

Birth to 1 Year
13 to 18 Months
19 to 24 Months
2 to 3 Years
3 to 4 Years
4 to 5 Years

What should my child be able to do?

Uses word combinations often but may occasionally repeat some words or phrases, like baby – baby – baby sit down or I want – I want juice . 11 , 38 , 25
Tries to get your attention by saying, Look at me! 26 , 20
Says their name when asked. 26 , 20
Uses some plural words like birds or toys . 38
Uses –ing verbs like eating or running . Adds –ed to the end of words to talk about past actions, like looked or played . 38
Gives reasons for things and events, like saying that they need a coat when it’s cold outside. 43 , 26 , 20
Asks why and how . 26 , 20
Answers questions like “What do you do when you are sleepy?” or “Which one can you wear?” 20
Correctly produces p, b, m, h, w, d, and n in words. 1
Correctly produces most vowels in words. 34
Speech is becoming clearer but may not be understandable to unfamiliar listeners or to people who do not know your child. 2

What can I do to help?

Use short words and sentences. Speak clearly.
Repeat what your child says and add to it. If they say, Pretty flower , you can say, “Yes, that is a pretty flower. The flower is bright red. It smells good, too. Do you want to smell the flower?”
Let your child know that what they say is important to you. Ask them to repeat things that you do not understand. For example, say, “I know you want a block. Tell me which block you want.”
Teach your child new words. Reading books or talking about things you see is a great way to do this. Describe how things look or feel. Use words that describe color, shape, and size.
Practice counting. Count toes and fingers. Count steps.
Use new words in sentences to help your child learn the meaning. Use words that are similar, like “woman, lady, grown-up, and adult.”
Put objects into a bucket. Let your child remove them one at a time. As your child removes an object, say its name. Repeat what they say and add to it. Help them group the objects into categories, like clothes, food, or animals.
Cut out pictures from mail and magazines, and make a scrapbook. Help your child glue the pictures into the scrapbook. Name the pictures, and talk about how you use them.
Look at family photos, and name the people. Talk about what they are doing in the picture.
Write simple phrases under the pictures. For example, “I can swim,” or “Happy birthday to Daddy.” Your child will start to understand that the letters mean something.
Ask your child to make a choice instead of giving a yes or no answer. For example, rather than asking, “Do you want milk?” ask, “Would you like milk or water?” Be sure to wait for the answer and praise them for answering. You can say, “Thank you for telling me what you want. I will get you a glass of milk.”
Sing songs, play finger games, and tell nursery rhymes. These songs and games teach your child about the rhythm and sounds of language.
Talk to your child in the languages you are most comfortable using. You will not confuse your child or stop them from learning English later.
Communication Milestones
Feeding and Swallowing Milestones
Creation of ASHA's Developmental Milestones and References
Find a Professional

In the Public Section

Hearing & Balance
Speech, Language & Swallowing
About Health Insurance
Adding Speech & Hearing Benefits
Advocacy & Outreach
Advertising Disclaimer
Advertise with us

ASHA Corporate Partners

Become A Corporate Partner

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 234,000 members, certificate holders, and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology assistants; and students.

All ASHA Websites
Work at ASHA
Marketing Solutions

Information For

Get involved.

ASHA Community
Become a Mentor
Become a Volunteer
Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

Connect With ASHA

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association 2200 Research Blvd., Rockville, MD 20850 Members: 800-498-2071 Non-Member: 800-638-8255

MORE WAYS TO CONNECT

Media Resources

Press Queries

Members Sign Up
Members Login

Toddler Talk 2.0
Toddler Talking 2.0
Preschool Talk 2.0
Late Talker
Speech Disorders
Language Disorders
Reading and Writing
Development
Speech Therapy
Read, Talk, Play Tips!
Speech-Language Activities
Story Companions
Baby Activities
Toddler Activities
School-Aged Activities
General Speech-Language
Articulation
WH Questions
Social Language
Receptive Language
Grammar Games
Story Grammar
Speech Therapy Toys
Holiday Activities
Free Home Therapy ideas
High Frequency Words
Teletherapy
Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC)
Documentation
Back To School
Spanish Materials
Bilingual Development
Bilingual Therapy
Accent Modification
Zero Prep Articulation

Games For 3-Year-Olds Develop Speech & Language Skills

This page has many great ideas and languages games for 3-year-olds develop their speech and language skills. Some games are appropriate for children as young as 2 years old.

If you don't think your child needs help to develop his or her speaking and listening skills, stick with me anyway. EVERY CHILD should practice these skills.

There will be an immense growth in speech and language skills as a child turns 3 years old. This language growth sets the foundation for all communication, learning, reading, writing, speaking, listening, telling stories, making friends... the list goes on!

It is important but yet fun to help your little one learn!

Below is a quick overview of all the speech and language skills a child learns between 3-4 years of age. STAY WITH ME HERE! It is important to have an understanding of WHY you are playing certain games.

What Your Toddler Will Learn This Year By 3 years of age

Language Games: Talking (Top 4)

1. treasure hunt.

This is a fun one that will encourage language use out of sheer excitement!

Ideas To Try:

Get out a bucket or a toy box and throw a bunch of toys in it. Close your eyes and go on a "treasure hunt."
If you have a sandbox, bury toys in the sand and then go on a treasure hunt!
As you and your child pull toys out of the box, name them and say something about them. For example, if you pull out a doll...say "doll, I found the little doll!"

What You Are Working On:

Vocabulary development
Grammar Development
Taking Turns
Creating sentences

By playing this game with your child, you are modeling functional vocabulary words such as "dig" and "found." You are teaching irregular past tense verbs and personal pronouns with the phrase "I found."

Blocks are a wonderful way to develop motor and cognitive skills, but it can help to develop language too! Old school blocks are the best and the cheapest.

Name the pictures on the blocks
Talk about concepts - big, little, up, down
Build castles, houses, farms. Once your masterpiece is built, create stories out of your play animals and people. Click here for oral narrative tips for young children .
Introduction to early developing concepts
Early narrative structures (possibly the MOST important skill to have)

By playing this game with your child, you are teaching the concepts little, big, tall, etc... When your child learns this through block play and then plays again later in the day, learning is reinforced! Way better than learning in an app 🙂

By creating stories, your child is learning about characters, setting, problems, and resolutions. It is an important schematic to know.

There is so much you can learn while eating!! This may be the best time to work on speech and language skills. We have a FREE handout that you can open today.

Click the images below for some free handouts on how to do this activity!

Reading is one of the best ways to develop expressive language due to the illustrations and predictable text.

Read a page in a book and then have your child read to you
Have your child name pictures and expand on anything your child says. For example, if your child says "cow," expand with "black and white cow."
Ask your child to predict what might happen next.
Have your child "read" to you!
Everything!
Early narrative structure

By reading the same book every night...and yes, repeating books is a GOOD thing... your child has lots of repetitive exposure to story structure, vocabulary, prediction skills, grammar and more!

Grab my FREE eBook for more in-depth tips. You don't want to miss out on this one!

How we read to children is so critical that I wrote a free eBook to share my tips and ideas with my readers. It gives in-depth strategies and much more! If you are interested, please sign up and get your FREE copy!

How To Best Read To Your Child

Language Games: Listening (Top 6)

1. red light, green light.

This game is great for listening skills and to get your child moving!

How To Play:

Play a game outside where you take turns starting to run by saying "go" and then say "stop" to freeze. If your child's listening skills are more advanced give directions such as "jump up and down until I say stop."

Following directions
Turn-taking
Playing in a group

By playing this game with your child, your child has to learn how to follow rules and work with other children. He/she has to listen to a direction or sometimes a 2-step direction. There are lots of teachable moments in this game and your child will be motivated to learn.

2. Read, Read, Read!

Can I say this enough :)? Your child can sit longer for a book. Use that time wisely!

Ideas To Try

Ask your child to point to pictures as you read
Work on 2 step-directions - ask your child to point to a picture and then a second picture. For example, "Point to the dog and the house" or "Where is the boy and the car?"
Ask some comprehension questions such as "who" and "what" after reading a page.

Don't forget your free eBook! There are lots of great tips in it to make the most out of your reading time.

Answering WH questions
Practice asking questions

By reading a familiar book and asking "following direction" questions, your child can really practice understanding those "directional" words such as "point to," "find," "then," etc...without having to learn new vocabulary too.

Many children have trouble learning how to answer WH questions. Practicing this skill while reading is GREAT since you have a visual right in front of you to refer to! Also, you are introducing the idea of predicting what will happen next and discussing WHY (context clues.)

If your child is struggling with answering WH questions and you are a member, please log in and check out our:

NEW WH worksheets
WH questions on the language page (just scroll down a bit)

If you are not a member, don't worry.

4. Organize

Yes, organizing can be a game 3-year-olds. This can be a popular one too! You can clean the house and work on 2-step directions at the same time.

Ask your child to pick up two different objects and give them to you. Or, tell your child, "get your shoes and put them by the door."

Following 2-step directions

By following directions in a familiar environment, your child can practice understanding concepts such as colors and size. Your child can also practice direction words like the ones listed above in other games.

This is another favorite language game for 3 year old. Do laundry and work on language skills!

Ideas To Try (give directions)

Sort socks or shirts by size. All little socks go in one pile and all big socks go in another pile.
Sort clothes by gender (girls vs boys)
Sort clothes by colors

This game isn't any different than the ones above but you can focus on teaching concepts such as colors and the meaning of matching, folding, and sorting all while finally getting your laundry done!

6. Cleanup, Cleanup

The cleanup game can be fun with a little creativity!

How to Play:

The parent and the child take turns "being in charge." Whoever is in charge asks the other to complete 1-, 2-, or 3-step directions. For example, "pick up the blue book and the green block and put it away." By taking turns being in charge, your child gets to practice listening skills as well as expressive language skills.

**For more advanced children, start introducing some prepositions such as on, in, or under with your directions.

Ability to follow multi-step directions with spatial modifiers

By playing this game with your child, your child is learning direction words and listening skills naturally.

Hooked? Want more EASY ideas?

Aren't you glad you stayed a while and read this page? Hope so 🙂

Children learn best while playing with other children and with adults who create lots of natural language learning. I HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend that you read how to talk to 2-3 year old. A few simple adjustments such as body height, how you ask questions and when NOT to talk can make all the difference.

You may have been expecting a list of toys you could buy. I do have some recommendations for toys that are fun and functional. Please read our recommended toys. ..you won't be disappointed! Also, there are some great language ideas there.

Want more language games for all areas of development?

The language development eBook series might be just what you need! There are 4 books in the series:

They all include:

Introduction and review of developmental milestones
Functional ways to develop language skills at home
Fun games to play with your child so that he/she won't even know they are learning

ENTIRE YEAR of FREE Language Materials

Fill out the form below, and I will deliver my favorite materials right to your inbox EVERY MONTH for ONE YEAR!

This is an excellent opportunity to sample the materials available at Speech Therapy Talk Membership and add a touch of joy to your inbox.

One YEAR of FREE speech and language materials!

For 12 months, a new material will be delivered right to your inbox.

General Speech Language Games: Learn Multiple Skills at the Same time
Language Games for 3 Year Olds

Session expired

Please log in again. The login page will open in a new tab. After logging in you can close it and return to this page.

Speech Blubs

by Blub Blub

Browse topics

All blog posts 405

How to Do Speech Therapy at Home

SAHM Blogger, Masters in Psychology , Dallas , Texas

Feb 9, 2022 Whether your child is waiting to get services or attending regular speech therapy appointments, speech therapy at home is an essential part of a child’s verbal communication success. The more you integrate speech therapy techniques at home, the more your child’s language development will thrive.

Boost Your Child’s Speech Development!

Improve language & communication skills with fun learning!

If your child struggles with pronouncing certain sounds , then start by emphasizing and learning how to say words with the corresponding sound. For instance, if ‘f’ sounds are not articulated properly, start adding in words with ‘f’ sounds in everyday conversations. Add words like fish or roof into sentences. Include speech activities like simple flashcards with sight words and pictures with ‘f’ sounding words.

This strategy can be applied to other word sounds your child struggles with. To cause less confusion for your child when learning different sounds, tackle one speech articulation sound at a time. This will help your child to achieve and master each small part of speech he or she struggles with and will also increase their confidence with language development.

At-Home Speech Therapy Activities

Blowing through a straw is a great way to strengthen your child’s facial muscles . This will help develop the small muscles in the face to aid in the formation of new words. Of course, just blowing through a straw is boring, so try painting with straws!

Place drops of watercolor or acrylic paint on a piece of paper and have your child move the paint with his or her breath around the paper by blowing through a straw . The only rule is that your child can’t use the straw to push the paint around. They can only use their breath to move the paint.

You can use large craft sticks to write words and even place small corresponding pictures for practicing speech sound and word recognition. These craft sticks can then be used as “flashcards” or take out one craft stick and have your child color a picture, read a book, or match small pictures that rhyme with the word or represent the word itself.

Mr. Potato Head is not only an all-in-one fun toy for kids, but it can serve as one of your at-home speech therapy activities to use. Mr. Potato Head comes with many accessories that can help your child learn new words associated with body parts (face, nose, arm, etc), plus extra items like hats and glasses. Use a Mr. Potato Head to familiarize your child with learning these new words and have him/her say the body parts out loud as they are placed on the body.

Any reading is great for speech and language development, but poetry is perfect for toddlers who are just developing speech. Poetry is short sentences and paragraphs that rhyme. This teaches your child how to say new words and learn word associations by rhyming words. Some of the best books kid-friendly poetry books for children are Dr. Suess books!

Speech therapy for toddlers at home can be done successfully. While you don’t need to be a speech therapist, it is always best to work with a qualified speech-language pathologist for the best results possible. Small at-home speech therapy activities like the ones above can easily be included in your child’s daily routine to enhance speech articulation and develop full sentences.

Free Assessment!

Take this quiz and get a report on your child’s milestones and a personalized learning plan.

Have a question for our Speech Therapists?

The author’s views are entirely his or her own and may not necessarily reflect the views of Blub Blub Inc. All content provided on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgement, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

My child might be autistic - how to increase communication.

In this video, we will talk about: Effective Learning Techniques for ASD Toddlers Make sure that you watch until the end of this video because…

The Power of Play: How Games Can Help Your Kid Thrive

Why is child play so important? Play creates the perfect opportunity for learning more language. Whether it is finding new objects, learning new actions, experiencing…

Get started with Speech Blubs

Cancel anytime, hassle-free!

10 Speech Therapy Activities You Can Do at Home With Your Toddler

Believe it or not, your child’s speech development isn’t confined in a speech therapist’s office. In fact, speech therapy activities are best done at home, where your child is comfortable. After all, where else would your child want to be than at home with you?

Even if you don’t have a speech therapist yet, nothing’s stopping you from encouraging your child to talk. Here are some recommended speech activities and routines that you can do together at home.

Speech and Language Activities While Bonding with Your Toddler

1) read books or magazines.

One of the best toddler speech activities goes back to the basics: reading. Reading aloud to your child will help them listen to how you form words and develop their vocabulary. Learning through reading may even lead your child to be an avid lover of books. They might even request their favorite book from time to time.

When they are already able to form words, encourage them to repeat the words from the book after you. This will help strengthen their articulation and literacy over time. Eventually, you can leave out some words and pause so that your toddler has a chance to speak up and fill in those words.

For the reading materials, you don’t even have to limit yourself to books. Some educational and children’s magazines can also be a good source of reading time. Magazines that are full of pictures are great for looking at together. You can also point at the pictures and ask them “What’s that?” to get them to engage.

2) Play With Your Child

Extra perks come with learning through a fun activity. Some of them include motor skill development, enhanced imagination, and better social skills with less pressure to speak up.

Toys are an amazing way to facilitate play. But, steer clear of battery-operated ones when choosing toys. You want your child to make sounds, and having toys that do it for them will not help with their development. This is especially true for those experiencing speech delays. Stick to toys that encourage:

social interaction and communication
usage of motor functions
imagination and creativity

One classic way to play is using flashcards and blocks. Images and colors printed on these materials encourage word association.

You can also have your child group the cards or blocks together by various categories (animal, fruits, etc.). This will introduce the idea of related words. Plus, moving cards and blocks around will improve your child’s motor skills too.

Don’t forget to let your child lead during playtime. You will help them be confident with making choices on what to play with. It will also be easier to start conversations with them when they are having fun with it.

3) Use Hand Gestures and Sign Language

At around 8 to 9 months of age, children should start using gestures. Teaching them gestures or signs won’t cause a language delay, especially when you link them to spoken words. In fact, it is an effective tool for late talkers to start communicating .

You can start with waving and saying ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ for simple gestures. You can also create gestures for actions that your child loves doing. For example, you can say “hug” and wrap your arms around you to connect that word with the gesture.

One of the things you can also do to take this further is to teach your child sign language. Focus on words that are easy and functional, like more, help, please, thank you, and even Mom or Dad. Think about which signs would help your child the most.

Signs that are functional to them will encourage your toddler to use them daily. They can start using it to request items they want or need like milk, blanket, or even their favorite toys.

4) Singing and Rhyming

Nursery rhymes and songs can help improve your toddler’s language skills. Singing stimulates a different part of the brain, and the rhythm of songs helps your child remember words better. Some classic nursery rhyme songs you can use include:

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Old MacDonald Had a Farm
The Itsy Bitsy Spider
Mary Had a Little Lamb

Songs accompanied by gestures are also excellent for motor skills. Don’t even worry if you’re not a good singer, what’s important is facilitating this interaction with your toddler.

If they can already sing along with you, leave out some of the words, pause and wait for your child to sing the missing words. It gets even better when they can already sing the entire song on their own.

Day-to-Day Speech-Language Practices

Speech learning needs a parent’s support during learning and playtime. But what about other times around the house with your toddler?

You can incorporate many things in your daily lives that can help your child develop their language skills. Here are a few of them:

5) Speak Slowly and Clearly

You can help improve your child’s speech skills when you practice speaking to them slowly and clearly. With the proper articulation, they will pick up on the right sounds to make from the get-go .

Eye contact also helps with communication. Making a proper facial expression helps too, as children also pick up on this and they will imitate it.

6) Introduce New Sounds and Words

As your toddler grows, so does their ability to learn new words. By gradually introducing them, your child won’t feel overwhelmed in remembering them.

You can do this by pointing or picking up items and saying what they are, like lifting a toy ball and saying “ball”. Pointing to yourself and saying “Mommy”/”Daddy” works too, so they can associate the words with the person.

You can also help them learn new words by adding them to learned ones . For example, adding the new word “big” to the learned word “ball” will help them link the words together. Use two to three variations with the same word (“soft ball”, “green ball”) to build further vocabulary.

7) Tell Them What You’re Doing

Whether it’s cleaning the home or even getting dressed, tell your toddler what you are doing . The most ordinary things to you are absolutely new to a learning child. You can also talk about how something looks, tastes, and feels. This will improve their listening skills as well.

When you describe what you are doing, keep it short . You want to speak in phrases that are as long as they can manage to say. Speak and repeat when necessary. It will take patience, but children learn best with repetition.

8) Turn Off the TV

Prevent slow learning by turning off your TV especially when your toddler is in the room. Much like battery-operated toys, it will not help when your child is not repeating what they hear.

TV doesn’t only affect your child: it can also draw your attention away from them. That means less time for you to communicate and bond with each other.

In a study published on JAMA Pediatrics, each hour of TV exposure with sound resulted in fewer vocalizations in children. The study discouraged Tv viewing for children under 2 years in the conclusion. They instead suggest that parents focus on creating an interactive play environment.

Remember: Children are in their best learning state when they are talking to real people at home.

9) Teach Them to Ask For Things

Your toddler most likely wants a lot of things. Whether it’s food or toys, start teaching them to ask for it by letting you know what they want.

One of the ways to get your child to start communicating is to put things out of reach. Place their toys on a shelf or food on an unreachable counter. This will prompt them to call for your help.

Remember to reinforce and enhance the interaction when they do ask for something. If they ask for a banana by pointing, you can confirm “Do you want the yellow banana?” and introduce “want”, “yellow” and “banana” into his vocabulary.

There will be times that your toddler is unsure of what they want, or is having a hard time using words to describe what they want. In cases like this, you can help them with the process by giving them a choice (“Do you want a red apple or a yellow banana?). That way, you make it easier for them to think of words especially when they can imitate what you just said.

10) Repeat and Expand

Earlier we discussed how to introduce new words by linking them with already learned ones. You can also use a similar method to help with new words, which is repeating and expanding.

Repetition is crucial to language learning. Repeat what your child says, and expand on the topic. For example, if your child says, “Dog run!” you can reply with “Yes, the dog is running. He is running very fast.”

Try to keep the expansion sentences as correctly as possible. Like we said earlier, it’s important to speak clearly for your child to learn the words right from the get-go.

What if your child is using baby words? There’s no harm in starting with baby words but you should expand on what they are saying and say the correct word. If your toddler says “ba-ba” while pointing at their bottle, you can repeat (“Do you want ba-ba? Yes, here’s your bottle.)

Nowadays, speech-language pathologists can also be accessible online at home. If you’d like to learn more about how online speech therapy can help your family at home, get a consultation from us. No commitments, no contracts!

Why Your Voice Cracks

How to pronounce the th sound (and how speech therapy helps), is depression a sign of dementia.

Owner & Speech-Language Pathologist

Get Started and See How it All Works

Fill out the form below to be taken to a short questionnaire. You can also send us an Email or text/call us at (613) 707-9211 .

**By filling out this form you consent that we may contact you at the email and/or phone number provided.

Trying to Conceive
Signs & Symptoms
Pregnancy Tests
Fertility Testing
Fertility Treatment
Weeks & Trimesters
Staying Healthy
Preparing for Baby
Complications & Concerns
Pregnancy Loss
Breastfeeding
School-Aged Kids
Raising Kids
Personal Stories
Everyday Wellness
Safety & First Aid
Immunizations
Food & Nutrition
Active Play
Pregnancy Products
Nursery & Sleep Products
Nursing & Feeding Products
Clothing & Accessories
Toys & Gifts
Ovulation Calculator
Pregnancy Due Date Calculator
How to Talk About Postpartum Depression
Editorial Process
Meet Our Review Board

How to Know if Your Toddler Needs a Speech Therapist

t:recep-bg / Getty Images

What Is Speech Therapy?

Who is speech therapy for, signs a child needs a speech therapist, how to find a speech therapist, what to expect at speech therapy.

Hearing your baby say their first word is a magical moment, but it does happen at different times for each kid. You might be concerned if your toddler seems to have a small vocabulary, if their pronunciation is off, or if they aren't stringing words together into short phrases. Know that children develop at their own pace, and there's a range of what is considered "on track" in terms of speech development.

One-fifth of children talk later than their peers. A way you can support your child is by spending time each day talking, reading, and singing to your baby, starting from birth.

That said, if your little one's verbal communication is still lagging by 18 to 24 months, speech therapy may help.

"If you are concerned your child is not smiling at you, copying you, completing reciprocal play, babbling, or saying words, ask your pediatrician for a referral to a speech therapist," says Lauren Meffen, MA CCC/SLP, CLT, a speech-language pathologist and the owner Wildflower Therapy . "An evaluation will be completed utilizing standardized assessments and norms specific to your child’s age."

Speech therapy is a form of intervention that is guided by a licensed clinician known as a speech language pathologist (SLP), or speech therapist. An SLP may work in a variety of places including the home, early intervention childcare centers, schools, or medical settings.

Children under age 3 may receive what is called early intervention speech therapy. Early intervention programs are state and federally funded. You can get a referral through your child's pediatrician or healthcare provider, or you can reach out to speech therapist offices in your area.

Kids who are older than 3 can get services through the public school system. These services are generally available even if your child does not attend public school. Speech therapy can be completed during the school day, and the speech therapist will communicate with your child's teacher.

There are options for private practices, as well, which may or may not accept your insurance.

Kids might need speech therapy if they have a speech, language, or feeding disorder. Speech disorders relate to pronunciation. For example, they may struggle to pronounce the letters r or l, or they may stutter when they speak.

Language disorders are related to struggles with communication. Kids might have difficulty processing language or cognitively forming it. Language disorders may be accompanied by learning disorders, such as Autism.

Kids who need speech therapy for feeding disorders often have trouble swallowing. They may also struggle with chewing or refuse solid foods.

Most babies will start babbling by age 1, and they should respond to their name being called. Between the ages of 1 and 2, you can expect them to follow simple commands, and point to body parts when asked. They should learn a new word roughly every week.

By age 2, you can expect them to start speaking in two-word phrases and say about 50 to 100 words . If your child isn't doing these things, discuss it with their healthcare provider.

Poor pronunciation, stuttering , or having a learning disability such as Autism may also be signs that your child can benefit from speech therapy.

If your child stops talking or regresses in language, you should also reach out to their healthcare provider. Rejecting food or reducing intake of liquids or solids is an urgent sign that your baby needs an evaluation and may require a special type of speech therapy called feeding therapy.

Reach out to your child's pediatrician or healthcare provider if you have concerns about their language development. They will be able to connect you with state or federally-funded programs if they believe that speech therapy is needed.

They may also be able to recommend private practice clinics in your area. "I suggest that you also your own research," says Meffen. "Call local speech therapy offices and find out if they are participating providers with an early intervention program."

In general, speech therapy sessions will be about 30 minutes and might be weekly or more often depending on the clinician's recommendations and the severity of your child’s delay. Exactly how each session will look will depend on your child's needs and on their SLP's specific approach.

"For smaller children 5 years and below, this is play-based therapy," says Stephanie Richardson, CCC-SLP, a speech-language pathologist at Brooks Rehabilitation . "We are working together with specific toys and manipulatives to model the language during this time."

The targeted language practice that happens during therapy sessions is meant to carry over into real-life situations. Ideally, kids will naturally start using these skills at home and at school, says Richardson.

Early intervention programs are state and federally funded. If you choose a private clinic, you may be responsible for a copay or for out-of-pocket costs. Be sure to check with your insurance provider with any questions about coverage or fees.

A Word From Verywell

All kids develop at their own pace and some will talk sooner than others. Often, it's just a matter of time before kids are talking and communicating fluidly.

If your child isn't saying two-word phrases by age 2 or has a vocabulary of fewer than 50 words, speech therapy may help them learn how to express themselves effectively. Speech therapy may also correct issues like stuttering or problems with pronunciation. Your child's pediatrician or healthcare provider can assist you to find an SLP who can help.

American Academy of Pediatrics. Language Delays in Toddlers: Information for Parents .

US Department of Health and Human Services. Talk, Read, and Sing Together Every Day .

Nemours Children's Health. Speech-Language Therapy .

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Speech & Language Disorders .

American Academy of Pediatrics. Speech Therapy for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders .

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Swallowing and Feeding .

By Elisa Cinelli Elisa is a well-known parenting writer who is passionate about providing research-based content to help parents make the best decisions for their families. She has written for well-known sites including POPSUGAR and Scary Mommy, among others.

FREE MOM HACKS BOOK 🖤 A week of meals, activities & tips planned for you! →

10 speech therapy ideas to do at home (support your therapy with at-home practice)

By Becky Mansfield

Jan 15, 2024

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy .

I wanted to give you 10 speech therapy ideas to do at home because you, as the parent, are your child’s best teacher. I am a play therapist (not an SLP), so I work with many speech-delayed children, in conjunction with their speech-language pathologist (birth-age 3) and these activities work great with them in the home, in between therapy sessions.

These ideas do not replace therapy and should not replace therapy. These are EXTRA ideas to do when you are home, playing with your child. I have included my favorite affiliate links in this post to take you straight to my favorite toys and products.

NOTE: BEFORE YOU DIVE INTO THIS LIST of 10 speech therapy ideas to do at home: If your child has speech delays, call a local speech pathologist to have your child assessed. Work on a plan to help your child reach success. You can find a speech pathologist through your pediatrician or your local Early Intervention Program.

1. Do Not Have the TV on in the Background.

The background noise can actually make it harder for a child. Contrary to what many think, TV in the background does not enhance development. According to JAMA Pediatrics, “children with frequent television viewing…would have delayed development of meaningful word speech.”

In one study , American children between ages of 6 and 12 months were exposed to native Chinese speakers in person and to the same native Chinese speakers on video. The infants who had real people interacting with them recognized and responded to specific phonemes, and those exposed to the video did not. What this seems to show is that human interaction appears to be critical in the complex process of language development. However, when the TV is on, parents tend not to talk as much to their children . And given that babies learn language from live people—particularly their parents!—having the TV on could be detrimental to that process. ~Expert Michael Rich, MD, MPH, director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Children’s Hospital Boston.

2. Teach Sign Language.

There are studies to show a correlation between sign language and speech. If nothing else, it stops the huge frustration that children are feeling.

I focus on the biggies: more, mine, help, Mommy, Daddy, please, thank you (please & thank you are added in there just to teach your little one good manners!) However, instead of simply teaching “more” teach him or her “ball” (or the name of what you are playing with) each time he wants “more ball”. If he’s hungry he could request eat or the specific food. This motivates children more.

Typically when children first begin to talk it’s by requesting the actual item or action such as a ball, milk, blanket, momma, daddy, car, doll. Requesting things they can see will be easier to learn and understand in the beginning. “More” may be over-generalized a

3. Make Printable Magnets for Your Refrigerator.

Add magnets that have his favorite things (juice, cereal…) and when he wants something, he can bring that to you. (make sure he can’t choke on them.

How to make them: I use a large flat magnet paper . I glue a white sheet of car d-stock on it and cut it into squares. I then draw pictures onto them with the things that your child might need: cup, food, bed, favorite toy, etc… We are trying to ELIMINATE frustration because kids with a speech delay often become frustrated easily. (wouldn’t you?)

4. Spend 40 Minutes Just Playing with Him.

Use simple words “Car fast!” or “Red ball”. To see all of the benefits of playing, check out this post on how & why we need to play with our kids.

5. Work with Simple Flash Cards

I love this touch & feel flashcard set because kids aren’t just auditory or visual learners. Say the name of the object & have them repeat it. Labeling is HUGE for a child with a speech delay. ps- You might want to get a flashcard app for babies or toddlers- they are free).

6. Get a Cotton Ball & Straw

Put the cotton ball down on the table or on the floor. Now, take a straw & let him blow through it to make a cotton ball move (have the cotton ball on the table). This will help with the oral muscles needed for speech.

(As a therapist following the guidelines of evidence-based practice, it is important to understand that non-speech oral motor exercises (e.g. sucking and blowing through a straw) have not been shown to be completely effective or ineffective. Their use must be considered experimental. Lof provides a great overview of the existing evidence and the citation is as follows: Lof, G. L., (2009). Nonspeech oral motor exercises: An update on the controversy. ASHA Convention 2009, 1-9.)

7. Drink with a Straw , but Not Just Liquids.

Change it up a bit and use the straw to drink many different textures (water, milk, applesauce, pureed fruits, milkshakes)… This will help to strengthen the muscles in their mouth, making speech easier when they are ready.

8. Use silly stra ws for Drinking

I use these curly/wavy straws. These are great because they take a little more muscular strength and work than the average straw.

9. Put Some Things Out of Reach

I do this with something that you know your child will want (a favorite book or favorite toy) and they will have to ask you for help when getting it. Teach them to come and get you and take you (by taking you the hand) to what he/she wants OR by getting you the magnet off of the fridge (did you read that tip above?) Show your child the sign for help and say “Help” when they are asking you. You are modeling this behavior for him/her. Children are more likely to talk when they want something.

10. Praise Their Efforts

These are just some things that I practice with my speech delayed clients & that I have done with our own children. Praising your children has a profound effect on their success, because of the increase in self-esteem and self-worth.

FREE PRINTABLE CHART:

I have also posted about the different nutrition supplements that have been recommended for speech delays. Ask your doctor before starting them, but they helped our son. Our neurologist said that he suggests them for anyone suffering from a developmental delay because nutrition profoundly impacts learning, speech, and development.

FOR MORE INFORMATION on speech delays, please contact your local early intervention office. You can always start with Play Therapy.

Products that might be helpful:

– – MORE POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

Categorized as: Kids , Staying Healthy! , YourModernFamily

I’m Becky, a former elementary school teacher turned certified child development therapist and blogger. I work at home with my husband and together we are raising (and partially homeschooling) our four children in the Carolinas. I love diet coke, ice cream, and spending time with my family.

Ready for Kindergarten? 5 Skills Your Kid Should Know Before Kindergarten

50 Screen Free Ideas

60 Screen-Free Summer Activities for Kids

End-of-Year Teacher Gifts for Every Stage: Preschool to High School

49 Comments

These are great ideas! I would love to invite you to link up at our Share It Saturday linky party. We have lots of creative ideas submitted each week and you would fit right in! http://www.sugaraunts.com/2013/02/share-it-saturday-7-and-our-week-in.html

We also are inviting all contributors to join us on our Share It Saturday Group Pinterest page as a collaborator. It is a great way to have your posts seen by new viewers! The link for the Pinterest page is on our post. Hope to see you there!

Colleen at Sugar Aunts

Sounds great- thanks! I’ll be there. 🙂

Wonderful ideas! As mama to a 25 weeker that had huge speech delays for various reasons, one of which having a trach for 3.5 years and unable to utter a sound, we focused heavily on sign language. This was a HUGE asset when the trach finally came out. She is now 9 and still relies on sign language, along with voicing. But that was one of the best decsions we ever made!

I’m so glad she’s doing well now. Signing is so great for helping children with speech delays.

I recommend contacting your local early intervention agency. The evaluation is FREE and all states have the program. Most pediatricians don’t use screening tools and often take the “let’s wait and see” approach. In the meantime, there are plenty of books out there that are parent-friendly, including The Cow Says Moo Ten Tips to Teach Toddlers to Talk (McErlean), Let’s Talk Together (Poland), and My Toddler Talks (Scanloon) are a few. Try Amazon.com; they have everything.

🙂 I work through Early Intervention, as well. 🙂 I completely agree!

Any ideas on how to get them to actually respond or do anything to help? We’re a one income family and after having my eldest evaluated when he was 18 months and still not using a sign word (not even Mommy or Daddy) but signing perfectly I was told it was my fault for teaching him ASL and that it was not actually a delay so they had nothing to do with helping me. Now at a month shy of 3yrs he has a 50 word vocabulary and still struggles and cries because he cannot get his point across to adults or other kids. He’s extremely bright, can figure out basic math problems, count, and has had his hearing checked at two different testing centers but out Child Development Services still claim it is not their problem to get him any sort of help. Since we’re on state medical insurance they are our only option for assitance and so far have told us if he still is having a problem by school age they might see fit to help by then.

I would keep working with him and actually move his mouth yourself when you are telling him to say words. Does he babble (make sounds?) I would wait to start speech therapy until 20 months & then call Child Dev. Serv. again. They often will not refer a child for play therapy or speech therapy until 20 months. (I start to see most of my clients between 20 months & 24 months, I’d say … and then I work with them until they are three and they are transferred to the school system.)

Hi. Can you believe that in Germany (and other countries in Europe as well) they don’t evaluate children until they are 5-year-old? They don’t have developmental pediatricians here or licensed speech therapists. Any kind of assessment is done by regular pediatrician. Their motto is every child develops differently and starts speaking at different age. They disagree with providing any kind of therapy for children who are younger than 5. ASD and PDD are not popular here or I should rather say people (parents) do not speak much about it. If their child doesn’t walk until 3-year-old or doesn’t interact with you until he/she is 3-year-old, it’s okay, they don’t see any problem with this because their pediatrician said so. I have ten years of professional experience from US so what’s happening in Europe for me it’s unacceptable and a big disappointment.

I am a PhD speech-language pathologist with 10 years of clinical and research experience. I strongly encourage families who have children with communication delays to pursue an evaluation by a licensed speech-language pathologist. Early intervention is incredibly important and an actual communication professional can recommend targeted strategies for your unique child. Communication is the foundation of literacy and academic skills, and speech-language pathologists can get your child on the right track!

I am also a speech therapist, and completely agree with the above post. A thorough history, coupled with a comprehensive assessment by a qualified, credentialed professional are essential. The earlier, the better.

My 4 year granddaughter can’t pronounced later c, s, z, q…..I think she has articulation problems

My granddaughter is 2 yrs 5 mon old. She will repeat what you say to her. If you say “do you need to poop”? She will say “do you poop”? she will not answer a question only repeat the question. Is this normal. Her doctor says she is a little behind in speech skills.

Hi there! I came across this site while looking up information on my son’s speech delay (due to hypotonia). I bought the Balanced Essentials liquid multivitamin and was curious as to how much your neurologist recommended giving him? He’s 30 months.

Thanks in advance!

He told us one ounce was a safe dose (as they state on the package), but I always fill it to the first line in the cap- its exactly one teaspoon. Hope that helped!

What age is that the dose for? A two or three year old? My son is 17 months and I know our pediatrician won’t like the idea of giving adult vitamins to him, so I’d like more of a point of reference to start the conversation.

I would talk to your doctor. This was for our toddler, but every child is different. Our doctor said that Animal Parade (for kids) was another great, natural option. I’d bring up both to your doctor. 🙂

My son is 3 and had a vocabulary of 20 words 3 weeks ago. I started him on Balanced Essentials and in 10 days he was starting to say words he never had before. He continues each day to add multiple words to his vocabulary and already speaks more words than I can count. It is absolutely remarkable. He has speech apraxia, hypotonia, and limbic system problems (neurological). Why are Dr’s not prescribing this stuff??? It is nothing short of miraculous!

That’s amazing!! I know – our pediatricians had never even heard of it when I took it to them to double check it before we started. We ended up giving it to all 4 of our kids.

Where i can get that ??? My son is 4 strouling with speech …. We r talking 2 language he isnt fulent in mother tounge or english

Wonderful page and ideas!

A little of our story. My son is 10 years old today. But he was born premie, and had Global Delays from the start. I started ASL with him around 1 year old and it was a life saver! We only did basics, and added things as needed or that he was interested in as time passed. But at one point, when he was 2 1/2-3, he said the words, “water” and “doggy” the same way; he said “goggy” for both of these. So if he didn’t sign “water” to me, I would have had a heck of a time knowing he wanted a DRINK, and wasn’t telling me about a doggy!

Today, at 10, most of his development is that of a 2 year old. He has plenty of vocabulary; enough to get his needs met, thankfully. But we are currently working with a program that will be able to get us a communication assistive device. It may take some time, but it will be covered by insurance, so it will be well worth it!

Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for these suggestions! My 20 month old son has a moderate expressive speech delay and we cannot currently afford treatment… it is so difficult to find things online that I can do to help him while we wait for the public service! These all sound great!

Good! I’m glad they were helpful. Good luck!!

Great ideas! Thank you and we’d be looking forward to more help on children with speech delay…

Awesome- I hope these help!

Thanks you for a wonderful advice.

Of course!! 🙂

I am a Master’s student in speech language pathology and am learning from the most current research. If anyone has or knows a child with a speech/language delay, it is recommended that they see a licensed speech-language pathologist. Some SLPs specialize in early intervention (children ages 0-3) and will know how to best assess and treat communication delays.

Can you recommend some activities for kids older than 3? My son is 5. I think some of these tips are great, but he already did most of them. He has an IEP at school and I can see his progress is very slow.

I would have him look in a mirror and practice his sounds. It was like a lightbulb went off for our son! Do it every day and go through ALL of the sounds: La Le Li Lo Lou

Ma Me Mi Mo Moo

Great ideas.

Wonderful ideas.. These advice were very helpful especially to those people who cant afford paying expensive speech theraphy in private school.

My son is 2 and he has speech therapy. He eats anything you give him, not a picky eater but would giving him the balanced essentials help him? I will ask his pediatrician also at his next appointment but just wanted to ask here. Thanks!

Nice to see.I totally agree with you…Noted.thank you so much 🙂

1 to 2 years
2 to 3 years
3 to 5 years

Learning to talk: 3 to 5 years

Your child will soon be putting words together to form sentences and you can encourage them to chat by asking lots of questions.

Try to get into the habit of asking them to tell you about their day, whether that's on the way home from nursery or over dinner. Let them take the lead and enjoy what a little story teller they're becoming!

Video: Talk to each other when you're out and about

Watch dad talk to his daughter about what they see and hear on their journey to the park. He mimics the sounds of what he sees and gets his daughter to join in too.

Activities for your daily routine

Counting during mealtimes is an excellent way to teach your child about numbers.

To get started, cut the food into small pieces and count each item as you place them on your child's plate. Group similar foods together and let your child know what's on their plate and how many of each item there is.

Then, count everything as a total. For example, you could say, "You have two pieces of toast and three slices of apple. How many do you have in total?".

Don't worry if your child wants to try the food along the way. Cut some extra pieces so you have enough for the task.

Choose finger foods for counting

Choose foods that are solid and big enough for your child to pick up and count. Use your fingers to count visually and ask your child to count with you.

Prepare food together

If you’re baking or preparing food at home, get your child involved in the preparation. Let them help with counting and measuring the ingredients.

Interactive story time is a fun activity to do with your child. It helps them communicate, express themselves, and move around.

When you read a story next, try copying things from the book. For example, if the story talks about a tree, pretend to be a tree.

To act like a tree, lift your arms and move them like leaves in the wind. Make sure you have enough space for both you and your child to join in.

Set the scene

You could really bring the story to life through using audio. You could search for background music that reflects the story, for example the sounds of birds or rain.

Choose a book they know well

See if your child can fill in the gaps in parts of the story by telling you what happens next.

Out and about

Listen out for sounds and noises when you're walking or travelling together.

If something takes your child's interest, ask them to explain what they can hear and see.

You could ask questions like "is it a loud sound?" or "have you heard it before?".

To make the task more fun, ask your child to copy the noise to see if they can recreate it.

Later on, you can ask them again what they saw and heard.

Help your child to focus

At this age, your child may be paying attention to many things at once. To help them listen, try using phrases like "Please stop, it's time to listen".

Create a story about sounds

You could get creative and make up a story together about the noisy bus you got on earlier or the baby you saw in the park.

Video: Read and talk about books together

Watch mum being led by the child’s book interests during reading time. She reads familiar books so her son can anticipate what’s coming next.

Little tips for everyday play

start conversations by asking questions with lots of possible answers, for example, "What is your favourite toy?" and "What do you want to do tomorrow?"
encourage them to problem solve, for example "Your favourite hat is missing, what shall we do?"
when you're looking at picture books together, ask your child if they remember what happens or if they can guess what happens next
chat about words that start with the same sound, for instance, words beginning with "p"
think of as many rhyming words as you can for different objects you can see
try role-playing games together, like shopping – set items out on the sofa, give your child a bag and some pretend money, and take it in turns to be the shopkeeper
play a make-believe journey like going into space – make a rocket out of a cardboard box you decorate together, or cushions, and pile in a few toy passengers
start a simple game with your child by making up a story together about their favourite toy going to the beach and encourage your child to take the lead
play "I spy!"
a fun way to help your child listen and learn new words is to create an obstacle course with blankets and cardboard boxes and set challenges like, "Crawl under the blanket" or "Sit in the box" – take it in turns so they can practise giving the instructions

Tiny Happy People on the BBC website has fun activity inspiration to help your child learn to talk, play and sing.

Libraries are a free way to access age appropriate books. Some also run story time sessions for parents and their children. Find your local library service on gov.uk .

Your local council may offer activities too. Find learning activities for your child on gov.uk .

Family hubs

Family hubs offer support to children, young people and their families. They provide a single place to go for support and information from a variety of organisations, making it easier to get the support you need.

They can provide guidance on issues such as feeding your baby or toddler, mental health and parenting support.

Family Hubs are currently operating in 75 local authorities across England.

How to help their speech development

use things your child is interested in for play, follow their lead and make sure you're physically at their level while playing
if you notice your child looking or pointing at something, talk to them about it before they lose interest in it
picture books introduce your child to new things they haven't seen yet in real life – ask them to tell you the story, or talk about what the characters might be thinking and feeling
make reading, singing and playing even more fun by using lots of actions and different voices
take turns to make noises or speak – your child will be able to hold longer conversations, so slow down your speech, give them plenty of time to respond and listen carefully to what they have to say
talk to your child in short, simple sentences, as it's easier for them to understand you and have a go at copying when they are ready
try to use the same book or sing the same song, as young children learn a lot from repetition

Learning more than 1 language

It's important to talk to your child in the language or languages you use.

A child learning more than 1 language should babble and say their first words in the same way as a child learning one language.

It is important not to confuse this slight delay with language difficulties – most children quickly catch up.

For more help on languages, have a look at the parent's questions on the National Literacy Trust website .

Help and advice

If your child is in nursery, the nursery will continue to review their development. When your child goes to school, your health visitor will inform the school nursing team about any extra support they're having.

If your child needs extra support, your health visitor or the school nurse can help. They may put you in touch with a speech and language therapist and you may also be offered support.

Ask your health visitor for support whenever you need it, they will be able to provide tips and advice.

Remember, children learn to talk at different ages. If you are worried, speak to your health visitor or nursery key worker. Or contact your local speech and language therapy service for advice.

For more ideas on how you can help your child, visit:

Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists: Speech and language therapy
Speech and Language UK

Early learning and development

90% of your child's brain growth takes place before they turn 5. Discover more advice and activities for ages 0 to 5 to help you make the most of every moment.

Sign up for emails

Our emails include NHS trusted advice and support, tailored to your stage of pregnancy or baby's age.

Second Opinion

Age-Appropriate Speech and Language Milestones

The ability to hear is essential for proper speech and language development. Hearing problems may be suspected in children who are not responding to sounds or who are not developing their language skills appropriately. The following are some age-related guidelines that may help to decide if your child is experiencing hearing problems.

It's important to remember that not every child is the same. Children reach milestones at different ages. Talk your child's healthcare provider if you are suspicious that your child is not developing speech and language skills correctly. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders and other experts list the following age-appropriate speech and language milestones for babies and young children.

Milestones related to speech and language






	These sounds may not be fully mastered until age 7 or 8.

Speech and Language Milestones for 3-Year-Olds

The first three years of life are a significant time for brain development in children. So once a child hits their third year, you should be seeing quite a lot of speech and language growth!

You may be wondering if your 3-year-old's development is on track. Let’s review the speech and language milestones to look for during your child’s third year, as well as signs that speech therapy may be helpful for your toddler.

Receptive language milestones in 3-year-olds

Receptive language refers to the words a child can understand. There are many receptive language milestones you should be seeing in your child by age 3. They will have likely made big jumps in receptive language during their second year, so the receptive milestones established in year 3 will build on those. You can check out 2-year milestones here .

3-year-old receptive language skills

Can identify colors by name

Understands names of shapes

Understands family names (sister, grandma, etc.)

Begins to understand descriptive words like “big” or “bumpy”

Can follow multistep directions (“Put down your backpack, put your shoes by the door, then go sit at the table”)

Overall, you should notice your child understanding more and more of what's spoken to them. This should help them learn to use more words expressively.

Expressive language milestones in 3-year-olds

Expressive language refers to how someone communicates, either verbally or nonverbally. For many kids, a large amount of verbal growth happens during their third year. Let’s review these skills.

3-year-old expressive language skills

Asks who , what , where , when , and how questions , like "Where is Mommy?"

Uses plural “s”

Uses verbs with “ing,” like “walking” or “sleeping,” and can name these actions in pictures, such as when reading a book with you

Can express their ideas and feelings verbally

Talks to you in conversation using at least two back-and-forth exchanges

Discusses what they've done that day

Says their first name when asked

As you can see, during a toddler's third year, they should be expanding their correct grammar usage, the types of things they can talk about, and even the length of their sentences. On the whole, they should be able to communicate with others much more easily.

Speech sounds for 3-year-olds

As children grow, they should be able to say more consonants correctly. When a child turns 3, they should be able to say the following sounds: /g/, /k/, /f/, /t/, “ng,” and “y.”

And don't forget that these earlier sounds should be mastered by age 2: /b/, /n/, /m/, /p/, /h/, /w/, and /d/.

If your 3-year-old has trouble with any of these sounds, it may be a sign of a speech sound disorder . This is when kids are either missing speech sounds or saying them incorrectly.

When observing your child's development, keep in mind their speech intelligibility, or clarity. At age 3, children’s speech should be understood about 75% of the time by familiar listeners--people like family members who talk with them often. The number may be lower for unfamiliar listeners.

Play skills in 3-year-olds

Another skill that’s developing rapidly at this age is your child’s ability to play. They're beginning to learn how to interact with and play with peers. Three-year-olds can engage in something called associative play. This is when they play near other kids, and may even share toys, but don’t play the same activity together. For example, if your child is playing in the sandbox with other kids at the park, they may share the same shovels and buckets, but they would each build their own sandcastles. They wouldn't build one together.

Play is an excellent way you can help your child learn communication skills!

Believe it or not, play is an excellent way you can help your child learn communication skills! Playing together can prompt communication. Maybe your child has to ask for a certain toy, or ask you for help. These are natural chances for your child to practice communicating.

Not to mention, playing is fun! It helps motivate your child to do new things that may feel challenging otherwise. If you're helping your child learn to say new sounds without a fun activity, it may feel hard, and they may not be interested. But if you're practicing as you play a game together, they're more likely to stay motivated.

How do I know if my 3-year-old needs speech therapy?

Reviewing the milestones for receptive and expressive language, as well as speech sound production, should give you an idea of whether your child may need speech therapy. If your child is 3 years old and not meeting some of these skills, it's likely time to talk with a speech therapist.

A 3-year-old may need speech therapy if they're not yet using three-word phrases or their speech is hard to understand.

Some of the big clues that a 3-year-old needs speech therapy is when they're not yet using three-word phrases, or their speech is very hard to understand.

You should also consider how confident your child feels in their ability to communicate. If you notice them shying away from talking to others, or feeling frustrated because they can't be easily understood, this is another reason to talk to a speech therapist.

It's best to start therapy as soon as possible. Speech and language skills build on one another. So if your child is behind in one area, they need to master that skill in order to learn the next ones. Speech therapy can help a child catch up to where their communication should be developmentally

What does speech therapy for 3-year-olds look like?

If you’re wondering what speech therapy is like for toddlers, you’re not alone. Many parents and caregivers are aware of speech therapy, but they may not know the ins and outs.

The great thing about speech therapists who work with kids is that they know exactly how to make it fun and engaging --and keep kids learning.

When beginning speech therapy, your speech therapist will likely start with an evaluation to assess your child's abilities and create goals for therapy. Each child is different, so their goals will vary. But your speech therapist will know exactly which goals to target in order to improve your child’s communication. Let’s say your child can say a lot of words, but they're hard to understand. Your speech therapist would work on helping your child learn to say sounds and words more clearly.

Never underestimate how much you can help your child with their communication goals.

The length of time in therapy will vary per child. It depends on factors such as the severity of the child’s speech or language issue and how often practice happens outside of speech therapy. Here’s a secret: The more often a child practices between sessions, the faster they'll make progress!

Never underestimate how much you can help your child with their communication goals. Your speech therapist will explain specific things you can work on at home. Feel free to ask as many questions as needed. Your speech therapist is there to help you!

Discuss your communication needs with a speech therapist for free

Watch learning jump (leap! spring! hop!) from your sessions into the real world.

Learn more about All topics

Search Please fill out this field.
Newsletters
Sweepstakes
Raising Kids

What Is Speech Therapy?

If your child needs speech therapy, you're not alone. Here's everything you need to know about speech therapy for kids and toddlers.

How Does Speech Therapy Work?

What does speech therapy treat, signs a child may need speech therapy.

What is Early Intervention Speech Therapy?
Speech Therapy for Toddlers

Speech Therapy for Elementary-Aged Kids

What about private speech therapy, what age is best to start speech therapy, how parents can refer their child for speech therapy, does insurance cover speech therapy, how long will my child be in speech therapy, how effective is speech therapy.

Prostock-Studio / Getty Images

If your child is currently in speech therapy or you're wondering if they might be a candidate for it, you're not alone. According to the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), almost 8% of children in the United States have a communication or swallowing disorder. It doesn't mean you've done anything wrong, but it can be tough for families. The good news is speech therapy can make a difference.

So, what is speech therapy and how can it help? Here’s everything you need to know.

Speech therapy is the treatment of communication, voice, and feeding/swallowing disorders by a trained professional.

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have a master's degree in speech-language pathology and specialize in evaluating, diagnosing, treating, and preventing these disorders. SLPs hold a license to practice in their state.

You may also come across ASHA-certified SLPs. They have taken an additional step to pass a national exam and complete an ASHA-accredited supervised clinical fellowship.

There are various reasons a child may need speech therapy. Common ones include:

1. Speech sound disorders. This means a child has difficulty with the production of speech sounds and how we combine them into words.

2. Language disorders. A child will have difficulty understanding and/or using language to communicate. Language disorders may impact vocabulary development, grammar, as well as the ability to tell a story, follow directions, answer questions, and more.

3. Social communication disorder/pragmatic language disorder . In this case, a child will have difficulty using language to socialize. This may include difficulty understanding social cues, taking turns during conversation, initiating or maintaining a conversation, and understanding personal space. A social communication disorder often leads to difficulty forming friendships. Children with these language barriers may have a concurrent diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder .

4. Cognitive - communication disorder . This includes difficulty with memory, reasoning, problem solving, and organization, impacting the ability to communicate.

5. Voice disorder . Children will have differences in voice quality (e.g., being too hoarse or too nasal).

6. Fluency disorder/stuttering . Kids will have difficulty maintaining a smooth flow of speech. A fluency disorder may include repetitions of sounds within words, prolongations of parts of words, and/or pauses in speech.

7. Feeding/swallowing disorder . This presents as a difficulty with sucking, chewing, and/or swallowing food or liquid.

Children may need speech therapy when they have not acquired speech/language milestones by an expected age. While milestones can vary from child to child, parents should refer their child for an evaluation if they have any concerns. Evaluation, which may include both standardized and non-standardized testing as well as observation, can help diagnose a speech/language disorder.

Some signs that may indicate a need for speech therapy include:

A child isn't babbling by 6-7 months
The child is having difficulty with feeding and/or swallowing
A child beyond the age of 1 has no words
A child beyond the age of 2 is not combining words into phrases
The child's speech is difficult to understand
The child is omitting syllables or sounds in words
Speech errors are noticed during conversation
The child has difficulty following directions or understanding spoken language
The child has difficulty answering questions
The child has a smaller vocabulary than what is expected for their age
The child is stuttering
The child's voice quality has changed or is noticeably hoarse or nasal
The child has difficulty communicating with others socially
The child has hearing loss
The child has a cleft lip or palate

What is Early Intervention Speech Therapy?

Early intervention refers to state-funded evaluations and interventions—including speech therapy—for children, ages birth to 3, and their families. In some states, early intervention continues until the age of 5. While professionals may refer a child to early intervention, parents can also refer their child on their own.

Speech Therapy for Toddlers

Speech therapy for toddlers usually resembles play where toys are used to elicit target skills, says Dominica Lumb, M.S., CCC-SLP, who has over 30 years of experience conducting speech therapy with children in various settings.

Children are given choices during play to encourage the need to communicate. While working on language skills, toddlers are encouraged to request objects, ask questions, answer questions, and use appropriate vocabulary.

Parents may be included in therapy sessions at this age. They may be taught to model speech sounds or how to label objects and actions during everyday routines to enhance vocabulary development.

Speech therapy can also work differently depending on a child’s needs. For example, one may require a mode of communication that differs from speaking. That’s referred to as augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and may include picture boards or computers/iPads for communicating through text or voice synthesizer. This can begin in early intervention and beyond.

Speech therapy at this stage is typically more structured. Games are often used for motivation, but goals are targeted through practice and repetition. Children practice new skills throughout a continuum until they're able to use these skills naturally in all environments.

After early intervention, children may continue receiving services in elementary school through an individualized education plan (IEP). The IEP is written by all specialists who will be working with the child. It states the child's goals and documents any accommodations the child may need to meet them.

Therapy at this age may follow a “pull-out” model where a child receives support in a separate classroom or a “push-in” model where an SLP provides services within the regular classroom. This model can change throughout the duration of therapy. For example, a child working on the correct production of a sound will typically begin with pull-out therapy and, when ready, will be observed in their classroom to assess for carryover of this skill.

SLPs in the school setting also consult with teachers to provide the support children need to communicate effectively in the classroom.

While children must qualify for speech therapy through early intervention and in public schools, private practices can provide services beyond these standards.

Speech therapy in the private practice setting typically occurs one-on-one with the child receiving the SLP's undivided attention. But group therapy may occur when beneficial to the child.

"Therapy in the private practice setting is very child and family focused," explains Shanna Klump, M.S., CCC-SLP, CEO of Kid Connections Therapy in Severna Park, Maryland. "The family's goals for their child are often at the forefront of the work we do. In addition, parents and other family members often participate in the sessions to learn strategies that can be implemented at home to encourage generalization of skills."

Parents should refer their child for a speech/language evaluation when they first notice their child is falling behind in any area of speech/language or is no longer meeting speech/language milestones . It is never too late or too early to start therapy but, in general, earlier intervention leads to a better outcome. If you're unsure if your child requires speech therapy, a referral to an SLP is always recommended.

A parent can contact their local early intervention office to learn about speech therapy options. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides early intervention contacts by state. Parents can also reach out to their child's health care provider to determine where their local early intervention office is located.

A school-aged child can be referred for a speech/language evaluation by reaching out to the child's teacher or the school's SLP.

An evaluation by a private SLP is an option at any age, but evaluations through early intervention or a public school district are provided at no cost. ASHA ProFind connects parents to SLPs who have indicated they are accepting referrals.

While public school therapy is free, private outpatient speech/language therapy is often covered by health plans, but with limitations.

According to Klump, insurance coverage for speech therapy varies by state, insurance plan, and diagnosis. She explains that while some states require habilitative service coverage for children, others do not.

Often, private practices, including Klump's Kid Connections, complete a benefits verification before initiating speech evaluation or therapy. In her experience, therapy sessions without insurance coverage may cost between $100-150, depending on location.

As each health plan has its own coverage, it is important to reach out to your insurance company to determine your out-of-pocket costs.

Insurance and Speech Therapy Coverage

If you're looking to see what insurance covers, Shanna Klump, M.S., CCC-SLP, CEO of Kid Connections Therapy, suggests parents obtain the following information from their insurance carrier:

Visit limit. This may be a hard or soft limit which refers to whether an extension of services could be granted if deemed medically necessary
Whether the visit limit is combined with other services. For example, occupational therapy and physical therapy are sometimes grouped with speech therapy in the number of sessions covered
Whether there are exclusions to coverage for different diagnoses
If a deductible must be met
The co-pay amount per session

Speech therapy can take anywhere from months to years. Each child makes progress at their own rate and has individualized goals based on their communication needs. Just as children develop and meet milestones individually, the time it takes them to master new skills will vary.

Speech therapy has been found to be effective for children. One study of more than 700 children with speech or language disorders up to 16 years old, found an average of six hours of speech therapy over six months significantly improved communication performance. Speech therapy was shown to be much more effective than no treatment over the same period.

Children of all ages typically find speech therapy engaging, fun, and rewarding. They're able to see their progress and use their newly learned skills proudly. Speech therapy is an effective way to enhance a child's ability to communicate and through these communication skills, a child will have better access to the world.

Is speech and language therapy effective for children with primary speech and language impairment? Report of a randomized control trial . International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders . 2011

IMAGES

Speech Therapy for 3 Year-Olds at Home (part 5)
Speech Therapy for Kids: An All-in-One Guide
Speech Therapy For a 3-Year-Old: How To Get Started
Speech Therapy For a 3-Year-Old: How To Get Started
At 3 1/2 years of age children have unusually developed many (but not
Straightforward Speech Therapy Activities For Toddlers You Can Do At

VIDEO

Speech Therapy
How to do SPEECH THERAPY at Home Part-2
Speech Therapy 3/9/16 part 1
At Home Speech Therapy with nonverbal Toddler
WH questions/speech therapy #autism #youtubeshorts #yt
Easy Tricks for Speech Therapy at Home || hearing aid

COMMENTS

Speech Therapy For a 3-Year-Old: How To Get Started
In general, younger children (3-5 years old) may need more frequent sessions (2-3 times per week) than older children (6 years and up), who may only need therapy once a week. Speech therapy for 3-year-olds is usually conducted playfully, as this is how young children learn best. Therapy may involve both structured and unstructured activities.
3 Year Old Speech Milestones Checklist
What does speech therapy for a 3-year-old look like? This page includes the 3-year-old speech milestones as well as 3-year-old language milestones. Keep in mind that these milestones are based on research about typically-developing children but this information is not meant
How to Do Speech Therapy at Home
Peek-a-boo games also encourage speech by keeping a child's attention, as do hiding games. Gusenoff said hiding objects around the house, like hiding small objects inside playdough, and keeping objects reserved inside containers can all encourage kids to ask questions, make exclamations, and request assistance.
How to Help a 3-Year-Old with Speech Delay
How to help 3-year-old with speech delay: learn therapy strategies to help young children with speech delays learn to speak or speak more. ... When it comes to speech and language skills, a 3-year-old should have a word for just about everything around him and he should be able to put those words together to make short sentences.
Speech Therapy for Toddlers
Summary. Chronic illnesses, brain disorders, and hearing problems can cause a toddler to have delayed speech or language development. Speech therapy can help them learn to communicate more effectively. Parents can help by talking to their children often, speaking clearly, and emphasizing correct pronunciation.
Speech Therapy for 3 Year Old at Home
Start teaching your child at home. Download my FREE home therapy checklist→ https://www.agentsofspeech.com/checklistJoin over 3,000 parents on our FB grou...
Communication Milestones: 2 to 3 Years
Uses word combinations often but may occasionally repeat some words or phrases, like baby - baby - baby sit down or I want - I want juice. 11, 38, 25; Tries to get your attention by saying, Look at me! 26, 20 Says their name when asked. 26, 20 Uses some plural words like birds or toys. 38; Uses -ing verbs like eating or running. Adds -ed to the end of words to talk about past actions ...
Language Games for 3 Year Olds
By following directions in a familiar environment, your child can practice understanding concepts such as colors and size. Your child can also practice direction words like the ones listed above in other games. 5. Laundry. This is another favorite language game for 3 year old.
Speech Therapy At Home: Simple Activities for Improving Speech at Home
Speech Therapy at Home: Simple Activities for Improving Speech at Home If you're wondering how you can improve your child's speech and language skills at home, you've come to the right place! If you suspect that your child has a speech or language delay, the first thing you should do is to contact a speech-language pathologist ...
How Does Speech Therapy Work for 3-Year-Olds?
Play is how children learn and explore the world around them. That's why speech therapy for a 3-year-old looks a lot like playing. Speech therapists use toys and activities that will motivate a child to participate in speech therapy tasks. For example, the therapist may encourage a child to use a word or phrase to request a toy they want.
How to Do Speech Therapy at Home
Add words like fish or roof into sentences. Include speech activities like simple flashcards with sight words and pictures with 'f' sounding words. This strategy can be applied to other word sounds your child struggles with. To cause less confusion for your child when learning different sounds, tackle one speech articulation sound at a time.
10 Speech Therapy Activities for Toddlers You Can Do at Home
1) Read Books or Magazines. One of the best toddler speech activities goes back to the basics: reading. Reading aloud to your child will help them listen to how you form words and develop their vocabulary. Learning through reading may even lead your child to be an avid lover of books.
Speech Therapy For Toddlers
Speech Therapy For Toddlers: What to Expect. Pediatric speech therapy supports children's growing expression, understanding, and social communication skills. Speech therapy with toddlers will include play, practice, and homework activities. As a whole, it will improve a child's speech and language development.
Does My Toddler Need a Speech Therapist?
Signs a Child Needs a Speech Therapist. Most babies will start babbling by age 1, and they should respond to their name being called. Between the ages of 1 and 2, you can expect them to follow simple commands, and point to body parts when asked. They should learn a new word roughly every week.
10 speech therapy ideas to do at home (support your therapy with at
I wanted to give you 10 speech therapy ideas to do at home because you, as the parent, are your child's best teacher. I am a play therapist (not an SLP), so I work with many speech-delayed children, in conjunction with their speech-language pathologist (birth-age 3) and these activities work great with them in the home, in between therapy sessions.
Learning to talk 3 to 5 years
Learning more than 1 language. It's important to talk to your child in the language or languages you use. A child learning more than 1 language should babble and say their first words in the same way as a child learning one language. It is important not to confuse this slight delay with language difficulties - most children quickly catch up.
Age-Appropriate Speech and Language Milestones
Milestones related to speech and language. Birth to 5 months. Coos. Vocalizes pleasure and displeasure sounds differently (laughs, giggles, cries, or fusses) Makes noise when talked to. 6 to 11 months. Understands "no-no". Babbles (says "ba-ba-ba") Says "ma-ma" or "da-da" without meaning.
Speech and Language Milestones for 3-Year-Olds
How do I know if my 3-year-old needs speech therapy? Reviewing the milestones for receptive and expressive language, as well as speech sound production, should give you an idea of whether your child may need speech therapy. If your child is 3 years old and not meeting some of these skills, it's likely time to talk with a speech therapist.
Preschool Speech and Language
Speech is mostly understandable - Most strangers should be able to understand a 3 year old. Of course sometimes your child may not speak loud enough or confuse the order of words in a sentence from time to time, but if an unfamiliar listener truly can't understand your little one's speech and they are between 3 and 4 years old, it's worth ...
Speech Therapy for Kids and Toddlers: What to Expect
Some signs that may indicate a need for speech therapy include: A child isn't babbling by 6-7 months. The child is having difficulty with feeding and/or swallowing. A child beyond the age of 1 has ...
When to start speech therapy
As you already learned, the best time. to start speech therapy for toddlers is as soon as you or your child's pediatrician notice a delay. To get started in speech therapy, you will first need a speech and language evaluation to take a closer look at your child's development of speech and language skills. A lot of times pediatricians will ...
Speech Therapy Ideas for a 3-year-old Child Who Stutters
In this video, speech-language pathologist Carrie Clark will talk about some ideas that you can use in speech therapy for a preschooler who stutters. Indirect Therapy: Identify fast vs. slow speech from the therapist Practice using fast and slow speech for the child Practice slow, smooth, exaggerated speech Direct Therapy: Identify bumpy.

Speech Therapy for Toddlers

Frequently Asked Questions

Language Development (Newborn to Toddler)

High-Pitched Crying

7–12 Months

A Toddler's First Words

13–18 Months

19–24 Months

Speech and Language Developmental Timeline

Signs of Speech or Language Delay in Toddlers

Understanding the Words of a Toddler

What Happens During Speech Therapy?

What Concerns are Addressed During Speech Therapy﻿﻿?

How Can Parents Help?

Waiting for a Response

A Word From Verywell

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

Communication Milestones: 2 to 3 Years

What should my child be able to do?

What can I do to help?

In the Public Section

ASHA Corporate Partners

Information For

Connect With ASHA

Media Resources

Games For 3-Year-Olds Develop Speech & Language Skills

What Your Toddler Will Learn This Year By 3 years of age

Language Games: Talking (Top 4)

Language Games: Listening (Top 6)

2. Read, Read, Read!

4. Organize

6. Cleanup, Cleanup

Hooked? Want more EASY ideas?

Want more language games for all areas of development?

ENTIRE YEAR of FREE Language Materials

How to Do Speech Therapy at Home

In This Article

Boost Your Child’s Speech Development!

Recommended article

At-Home Speech Therapy Activities

Free Assessment!

Have a question for our Speech Therapists?

Related articles

The Power of Play: How Games Can Help Your Kid Thrive

Get started with Speech Blubs

10 Speech Therapy Activities You Can Do at Home With Your Toddler

Speech and Language Activities While Bonding with Your Toddler

2) Play With Your Child

3) Use Hand Gestures and Sign Language

4) Singing and Rhyming

Day-to-Day Speech-Language Practices

5) Speak Slowly and Clearly

6) Introduce New Sounds and Words

7) Tell Them What You’re Doing

8) Turn Off the TV

9) Teach Them to Ask For Things

10) Repeat and Expand

Why Your Voice Cracks

Get Started and See How it All Works

How to Know if Your Toddler Needs a Speech Therapist

What Is Speech Therapy?

A Word From Verywell

10 speech therapy ideas to do at home (support your therapy with at-home practice)

1. Do Not Have the TV on in the Background.

2. Teach Sign Language.

3. Make Printable Magnets for Your Refrigerator.

4. Spend 40 Minutes Just Playing with Him.

5. Work with Simple Flash Cards

6. Get a Cotton Ball & Straw

7. Drink with a Straw , but Not Just Liquids.

8. Use silly stra ws for Drinking

9. Put Some Things Out of Reach

10. Praise Their Efforts

FREE PRINTABLE CHART:

Products that might be helpful:

– – MORE POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

You May Also Like

Ready for Kindergarten? 5 Skills Your Kid Should Know Before Kindergarten

50 Screen Free Ideas

60 Screen-Free Summer Activities for Kids

What Concerns are Addressed During Speech Therapy?