Understanding Children's Speech and Language Development: Influences and Implications
July 10, 2024
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Speech Therapy Goals for Toddlers
Speech Therapy Goal Bank
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Expressive Language
Use gestures (pointing, waving) to communicate wants/needs.
Wave “hi” or “bye-bye” in daily routines.
Imitate simple sounds (e.g., “ba,” “ma”).
Say first words (e.g., “mama,” “dada”).
Use 5+ single words consistently to label people or objects.
Use two-word combinations (e.g., “more juice,” “bye mama”).
Request items using words or gestures in 4/5 opportunities.
Use simple verbs in words/phrases (e.g., “go,” “eat”).
Combine gesture + word to request (point + “ball”).
Label 10 familiar objects during play.
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Activities for Toddlers
Speech Therapy Activities
Expressive Language
Gestures. When someone leaves the house (work, school, store), pause and model waving. Take your child’s hand if needed and say “bye-bye.”At snack or playtime, hold up two items and say, “Which one?” Encourage pointing
Imitate sounds. While dressing: exaggerate sounds (“ba” as you put on socks, “ma” while brushing hair). During mealtime: “mmm” when eating, encourage them to copy.
First words. When you walk into a room, call yourself “mama” or “dada.” Pause, let your child try. Hand over toys and label them using simple language: “ball,” “cup”.
Single words. At snack: say “apple,” “milk.” Wait before giving to see if the child tries. In the bath: label toys (“duck,” “cup”). Hand over only after they attempt to say the word.
Two-word combinations. Offer small portions (a single cracker, half a banana slice). When it’s gone, pause and model: “more cracker.” Wait for the child to imitate before handing it over. If they only say “more,” expand it for them: “more cracker”. Hold the cup and model “want juice” or “more juice.” If they say just “juice,” you add on: “want juice.” If your child likes dolls, model “baby sleep,” “baby eat,” “push stroller”.
Simple verbs. When playing with toy cars: say “ready, set… [pause] GO!” and let your child try the word. At mealtime: say “eat,” “drink” each time they take a bite or sip. When playing with a baby: say "sleep, eat, drink, brush, jump, put on".
Receptive Language
Response to name. Call the child’s name while holding a favorite toy or snack. When they look, immediately give it to them. Call the child's name during play, when they look, make a silly face or sound. Repeat often so “looking when called” pays off.
Follow simple directions. Hand a toy to a child, and say, “Put the toy in.” Reward by praising, "giving five" or clapping. Use gestures to help initially; gradually eliminate them as the child becomes more familiar with commands. Other simple commands might be: “Close the door,” “Bring the ball, “Push car,” “Kick ball".
Identify body parts. Look in the mirror together. Say, “Where’s your nose?” and point to theirs, then yours. Pretend to wash a toy — “Wash teddy’s ears!” Let the child join in.
Identify pictures. Use picture books. Ask, “Where’s the dog?” Pause to let them point. Print or use flashcards of everyday things (cup, shoe, ball). Lay out 2–3 at a time and ask for one.
Understand prepositions. Teach the child understand prepositions during play or routines. Say, “Put block in the box,” then switch to “Put block on the box.” Exaggerate and model prepositions if needed. During routines, ask, “Put cracker in bowl” or “Put cracker on plate.”
Simple Yes/No questions. Hold up one food and ask, “Do you want apple?” If the child nods, model the word "Yes". Don't withhold food after attempts to respond, the child might nod or say "yeah". If the child doesn't respond, offer something else. While blowing bubbles or swinging, stop and ask, “More?” They can respond with yes/no before you continue.
Pragmatic and Social Skills
Joint attention. Blow bubbles, pause, and point them out. Share the excitement (“Look, bubbles!”) while both of you watch together. Sit together with a picture book. Point to pictures, name them, and wait for the child to look back at you before turning the page. Engage the child in Play-doh activities, roll, pat or stretch play-doh together.
Take turns. Take turns in simple play routines. Sit across from your child and roll a ball back and forth. Label “my turn” / “your turn.” Play "peek-a-boo", you can use a blanket or hands. Take turns hiding and revealing — encourage them to initiate hiding too.
Initiate play. Put out two toys (car, blocks). Wait — see if the child gestures, looks, or vocalizes to “invite” you. Join in when they signal. Start a game (e.g., tickling) and suddenly pause. Wait for the child to gesture or make a sound to start again.
Maintain eye contact. Wear silly glasses or a hat to draw attention to your face. Wait for eye contact, then make a goofy sound or laugh. Hold snack near your eyes. Wait until the child looks up before giving it.
Use words/gestures to protest. Offer the “wrong” toy (or snack), such as a block instead of a ball. Model shaking head “no” and say “no.” Encourage the child to repeat.
Simple pretend play. Hand your child a spoon and pretend food. Model “feed baby” and exaggerate chewing sounds. Put a doll or stuffed animal under a blanket, say “night-night,” and let your child copy.
Request “help”. Put a toy inside a clear but hard to open container. Wait for your child to try and then gesture or say “help.” Prompt with the word if needed. Give a puzzle piece that’s hard to fit. Wait for them to look at you or gesture for help.
Speech Sounds
Simple sounds. When playing with toys, make non-speech sounds or consonant vowel combinations for example, when pushing a car say “vroom-vroom!” and pause so your child can copy. Say silly sounds (“ba-ba,” “ma-ma”) and wait for the child to repeat. Hide behind a blanket and pop out saying “boo!”. Blow bubbles and model “pa-pa” for popping. Encourage them to say it before you blow more. Reward with claps when they try.
Produce /t/, /d/, /k/, /g/ in word-initial position. During play, use toys that start with the target sounds, for example, “car,” “dog,” “cup,” “duck” and label them repeatedly. Each time a car goes down, model “go!” and encourage the child to repeat. Sort the toys that start with target sounds into bins while saying their names together; add a matching letter, magnet or a flashcard to make it more fun.
Produce /n/, /ng/ sounds. Sing songs with /n/ and /ng/ (“No more monkeys"). Pause so the child could fill in the target word. Offer the wrong toy or snack. Encourage the child to say “no!” with emphasis.
Produce /w/, /j/, /h/: Blow bubbles or show something surprising and say “wow!” Encourage them to copy. Offer choices (“Do you want apple?”, "yes”). Model the response with gestures. Hold pretend soup and say “hot!” Blow on it together.
Final consonant deletion. When putting away toys, say “cup,” “pup,” “cat.” Exaggerate the ending sound. Point or gently touch the lips or chin to prompt the sound at the end of the word. Stretch out the last If they say “do” for “dog,” repeat gently: “dog, g-g-g.”
Fronting (say /k/, /g/ instead of /t/, /d/). Use pretend toys or foods that start with /k/ and /g/ (“cookie,” “cup,” "cat", "car"). Use cars to emphasize “car,” “go.” Withhold the toy until the child attempts saying the sound. Model, exaggerate, and point to your throat when making the sound. Gently touch the child's throat when they attempt to say the sounds.
Feeding
Self-feeding. Offer bite-sized pieces of soft foods such as fruit or cheese. Allow the child time to reach and self-feed without rushing to help. Provide small bowls with yogurt, hummus, or similar dips and let them explore finger foods. It will be messy, but that’s part of the fun and learning process!When introducing new foods, always proceed with caution. Start with very small amounts, watch closely for any signs of allergies, and be prepared to stop if the child shows a reaction. If the child has known allergies: always keep their prescribed emergency medication nearby.
Drink from a straw. Use a juice box, pouch or a clear straw cup. Gently squeeze a little liquid up the straw to help the child get the idea. Practice blowing bubbles in water with a straw, then try sipping. Alternate between blowing and sipping for fun.
New textures. Introduce slightly different versions of familiar foods (e.g., from mashed banana to small banana chunks). Keep changes gradual. Let your child touch, squish, or smell a new food first without pressure to eat. Model tasting it yourself with exaggerated “yum!”
Chewing. Offer foods that encourage chewing, such as banana slices, or meltable puffs. Sit face-to-face and model slow chewing. Point out “chew, chew, chew” while showing the motion. Offer meltable foods in stick form (e.g., veggie straws, baby teething crackers, or long puffs). Have the child hold one side and bite the other side with their back molars. Encourage chewing by modeling. Once comfortable, offer bites on both sides.
Reduce pocketing of food. If food lingers in the cheek, gently tap the outside of their cheek and say, “Chew, chew, all done.” Give smaller portions at a time, so food is less likely to sit in the cheeks.
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