2 Important Ways Parents Can Help Their Children Form Good Speech Habits As A Baby

A child learns to communicate by listening and watching their surroundings. They pick up native languages and commonly used words and phrases from their parents and the people around them. They also start to notice things around them and are excited to share their new discoveries with everyone. This is why kids are always calling out to their mums or dads with unparalleled joy when they see something new.

Melissa Minne (@raisinglittletalkers), a baby and toddler speech and language expert, took to Instagram to share a video of a little boy out in the world with his dad, who is taking him for a ride on a cycle. In the video, the boy can be clearly heard calling out to his dad and pointing out all the new yet simple things he is spotting during

their ride.

She praised the little boy for confirming if his dad is listening to him first before telling him about the things he is seeing. She wrote in the caption of her video, “If your toddler constantly says “mama, mama, mama” or “daddy, daddy, daddy” before telling you something, this video is a perfect example of healthy speech development.”

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A post shared by Melissa Minney: Baby & Toddler Speech & Language Expert (@raisinglittletalkers)

She went on to highlight two points on how this behaviour is both good and healthy speech development for the toddler:

Getting attention before communicating

This toddler doesn’t just shout “firetruck!” as he sees it. He says “daddy” first and waits for acknowledgement. He’s facing forward and can’t see his dad’s face, so he’s checking verbally that his dad is listening. This is an important part of toddler development — understanding that communication requires a listener who’s paying attention.

Commenting (not just requesting)

This toddler isn’t using language to ask for something he wants. He’s commenting — sharing what he notices just because he wants to connect with his dad. A lot of early speech development focuses on requesting (“more,” “up,” “milk”). But commenting shows toddlers using language to share their world, not just get needs met.

The speech therapist goes on to add that if your toddler is not talking yet or is only saying a few words, here are some things you can do: “Encouraging commenting can help the toddler talk more. Try narrating what they’re looking at: ‘You see a dog! Big dog!’.”

And another things, “When your toddler says your name repeatedly before sharing something: They’re not being annoying. They’re showing you they understand how conversation works — an important part of speech and language development in toddlers. Both of these skills are foundations for healthy language growth.”