BABY

6 months

• Be face-to-face with your baby when you talk and play together.
• Talk to your baby when you wash, dress or feed them.
• Repeat your baby’s sounds and actions.
• Play simple games (e.g. peek-a-boo).
• Sing songs and nursery rhymes.
• Read to your baby.

12 months

• Use actions and gestures to help your baby understand what you are saying.
• Name objects your baby is looking at and playing with.
• Talk to them (using short sentences) about things you do and see during daily routines.
• Take turns making sounds or animal noises.
• Let your baby touch and hold books while you point and name pictures.
• Use real words instead of baby talk (e.g. "give me" instead of “ta ta”).

TODDLER

18 months:

• Repeat what your child says. Imitate what they do. Then,        add a word or action.
• Name the objects, animals and people they see. Describe      what they do.
• Talk about what you are doing together.
• Give your child time to “talk” with you.
• Give them simple directions to follow - "Go find your red         boots".
• Engage in pretend play with your child (e.g. help them               feed their doll or put gas in the car).

2 years:

• Look at your child when they talk to you.
• Praise your child’s efforts to talk.
• Listen to them - they want you to hear their new sounds, words and ideas.
• Repeat what your child says and add a new word.
• Talk to your child about new places and experiences, before you go, while you are there and when you get home.
• Use lots of different words when you talk to them (e.g., behind, splashing, happy, big).
• Help them play with other children - at the library, playgroups, park.
• Read books that are predictable and repetitive - pause to give them a chance to fill in the words and phrases.