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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

How do i encourage almost 2yr old to speak more?

13 replies

flowerfairy · 09/02/2006 15:09

Just returned from nursery and they have said they are concerned about ds lack of comprehensible words. We botha gree that it isn't due to hearing impairment and he understands majority of what you say to him. But he doen't copy anything you say to him, he says bye, hello, thankyou, counts 1,2 da (for dad). but other than that there doesn't seem to be a growing vocabulary. Over the last couple of weeks he ahs copied the odd word or phrase quite clearly, but will say once and not again.

Am I just being overly worried? Do I have alazy ds? Or is there anything I can do to entice hime to speak more?

I also know that there are many children don't speak for whatever reason until they are much older. Any suggestions please.

OP posts:

northerner · 09/02/2006 15:12

He's not even 2 yet and nursery are worried about his lack of speech??? What????

The majority of nearly 2 year old don't speak do they?

Spidermama · 09/02/2006 15:13

Reading stories a lot is supposed to help.
Also listening to music helps develop the part of the brain which is used in speech and languages apparently. As well as the obvious talking to him one on one a lot.

I also know quite a few kids who started speaking a lot later and they're all fine now.

Original poster

flowerfairy · 09/02/2006 15:18

Spidermama, ds adores stories, amd phase on kipper at moment. I do talk to him 1to1, and also make sure tv is off when we are playing with garage, car, cooking,etc.

I'm a teacher and know how valuable speaking and listening is, I suppose that's why i thought he would be a bit more verbally aware by now. But will tyr the music thing.

OP posts:

zippitippitoes · 09/02/2006 15:32

I think it's very early to be anxious but

he probably knows a lot more than is apparent

he may also be developing other areas preferentially as they tend to progress in a web rather than linear way

pebblemum · 09/02/2006 16:13

My ds2 is 2.4yrs and until recently his vocabulary was very small, and he too would say things once and not repeat them. He started at nursery when he was 18months but couldnt join in as much as the others because he couldnt communicate with them and the group he went to seemed mainly centred on speaking therefore ds always seemed to be the odd one out. In the end we stopped going as it was very upsetting watching him trying to fit in but being ignored by the other children (they were all coming up to 3yrs and could talk perfectly)

I used to worry about it a lot because my nephew had speech problems until he was about 7 and had to go to a special school but now I realise that just because ds2 doesnt comply with what the text books say he should be doing doesnt mean there is anything wrong. My ds is gradually getting there and has just started making sentences, they are only about 3/4 words long but it is progress. He still babbles on sometimes in what i suppose is still baby language and i have no idea what he is saying but i dont worry anymore.

As long as your ds is saying some things, even if it is just the once, at least you know he is able to talk, it just seems as though at the moment he doesnt seem to want to. Children progress at different rates.

Has ds got older siblings? I found that DS1 would often speak for DS2 therefore he didnt have any reason to talk. I had to make sure that if ds2 wanted something he told me what it was and that DS1 kept quiet. It used to frustrate ds2 at first but he soon learnt.

Moomin · 09/02/2006 16:19

best thing i think you can do is 1) not worry overly, your ds sounds completely normal 2) get into the habit (if you don't already) of giving a running commentary to everything you do when you're with him, even if you think you sound silly to begin with! use an animated tone and make everything sound really interesting (even the hoovering!)

MrsBigD · 09/02/2006 16:35

dd didn't speak anything intelligible till she started nursery age 3!

I just kept talking to her explaining and describing everything I do as and when I do it, reading to her etc. Also dd is bi-lingual which might have slowed her up in the beginning but now 4 she suffers from verbal diahrroeha (however that is spelled)

So don't worry too much. Some talk early some don't. I find it strange thought that nursery seems to be making so much off it... he's 2!!!

My brother cheered me up when I was worried about dd not talking properly with an old joke:

In short: parents really worried about their little boy because he just doesn't talk. Then suddenly one day when he was five his mother nearly fainted because he said with perfect pronounciation 'mama the soup is cold'. Once she recovered she asked him why he only started talking that day... the reply... wait for it.... 'well up till today everything was perfect and I had no reason to complain'

rummum · 09/02/2006 16:48

ohhhh and make sure if people talk to him, you give him chance to answer...

I have a friend and every time I talk to her son... she bloody answers for him.. ie.
me hello, have you been to playschool today
her you have haven't you...
me I like this picture you've drawn...
her its supposed to be a spaceship.....
him opens his mouth like a ventrilaquists sp dummy, no words come out.....
Grrr

sorry rant over...

Imo the nursery is a bit ahead of their selves worrying at that age... and I'm sure your not like my friend...

I posted this on a wrong thread earlier...
going for a laydown now...

blueshoes · 09/02/2006 17:28

Hey flowerfairy, you are doing all the right things. Your ds will talk when he is ready and when that day comes, it wouldn't matter when he started talking in relation to his peers. It is hard to keep things in perspective now - I know, I have a slow-talking dd. But as the other mums here have said, some kids develop earlier in certain areas than others. And don't believe for one moment that your ds is lazy or that others are doing the talking for him or that you are not talking to him enough or withhold things from him until he asks for it. The important thing is that he be allowed to develop at his own pace on the speech front - I am sure he more than makes up for it on other fronts .

006 · 09/02/2006 17:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

zippitippitoes · 09/02/2006 17:39

as i said before don't worry but rhymes and playing with words is both fun and beneficial

so nursery rhymes and littles stories that have a rhyme are good

Original poster

flowerfairy · 10/02/2006 14:30

Thanks for all of your suggestions and support.

I know he will do it when he is good and ready and not before, like all stages of development.

Had wondered about offering a choice and seeing if it prompted some reaction. I am a bit guilty of the speaking for him sometimes, but how long do you wait before filling in the long silence?

Ds is only one at moment, though has a cousin, she is 6mths younger and will probably be speaking fluently according to my sister.

OP posts:

joanna4 · 10/02/2006 22:39

I agree lots of questions referring to choice if it is something he wants bad enough and he is able to say chances are he will.
Also lots of new places which generate conversation-park,library,swimming pool,farm etc just chat chat chat to him it will come-you know if he can get a word in that is lol. Some children just dont feel the need to speak so much I work in a class of 30 they are all so very different.

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