How do you teach a 18 month old words?

[BubbleAndSquark]

My 18 month old doesn't say any words yet, she possibly reacts to her name but doesn't seem to understand anything else. She does communicate by pointing and will copy a wave or clap.
Has anyone got any advice for helping with her understanding of speech or to help her to start copying/using some words?

We talk to her lots, and she had hearing tests following being unwell when she was younger and they said shes hearing well enough to not effect her speech.
Would love to know if there's any activities/ideas that people have found helped with their DC.

Just talk to them, read to them and interact as much as you can. They will come to it eventually, they pick it up from copying so the more they hear the more they will pick up. Our eldest hardly said anything until he was nearly 2, I had his hearing tested and was worried there was something wrong - now he's nearly 10 and a real smart so and so and I wish he would shut up! He was just quiet and took his time getting his voice. He was an early walker (10mths) so I think I assumed everything would come quickly after that.
Our second is so very different he's a real chatterbox and Witters on all day long, until we get to nursery where he won't say a word for the first hour of the day. He's rubbish on his feet though.

You don't teach them. You just talk to them and read, but I think it's really just talking that helps. I used to wear mine in a wrap doing housework or doing the food shopping and would just narrate what I was doing to her and talk about things we saw. If you happen to find something she is especially interested in, tell her what it's called and talk about it. My dd said her first word "cat" because we visited family who had a cat and she was fascinated with the cat. After about a day of playing with the cat and us talking about him, she just pointed and said "cat." And then her language just took off from there. We never actively tried to teach her though. I wouldn't stress about it in the meantime, just keep doing what you're doing. My dh didn't speak at all until he was 2.5 and then just started talking in sentences. They all do it at their own pace.

Definitely just keep talking, my 18 month old copies what we say, cat, duck, bum etc she's picking up more and more now she's getting the hang of it

Just talk and read to her, she'll pick them up. I often say things and ask my DD to repeat them eg 'can you say duck?' But it just happens naturally

Reduce your language. Don’t talk in full sentences.

Don’t say ‘mummy’s going to fill your cup with juice now so you can have a drink’.
Say ‘juice in cup’.

Label everything (verbally).
Every time you give her something, say what it is. Drink. Sandwich. Book. Single words. Once she has grasped single words then you can start bulking out your language.

I’ve an 18 month and she has lots of words. I think it’s because I chat to her all the time. Like all the time, from the moment we wake til wind down times for naps/night time. We are a chatty family tho!

She started saying yuck today tho - not a word I use so I’ve no idea where she has picked that one up!

I don't think you need to simplify speech do you? I speak in full 'adult' sentences to DD and she picks up words easily enough

My Dd will be 2 next week. She didn't really talk much before Christmas. Now you can't shut her up. They change so quickly at this age.

I agree, just talk to her lots, read, sing. Just talk normally. No need to do baby language. Repeat back if it sounds like she's trying to say a word "dubdoor!" "Yes, it's a dinosaur!"

And just to reassure you my daughter does approximately say quite a few words but doesn't really say anything properly and can't say two words put together - so I don't think you necessarily have anything to worry about. Just keep chatting and exposing her to other people talking

Mimic back the sounds she makes. It shows you're listening to her and encourages her to make more and different sounds. You could also try makaton, along with speech, to encourage her to communicate.

I don't think you need to simplify speech do you? I speak in full 'adult' sentences to DD and she picks up words easily enough

Ah my two are both autistic so my advice might not apply to teaching NT kids to talk. It works very well with mine though and has always been the advice I’ve been given by professionals.

Fair enough luckiest, I did wonder if that was based on advice for helping children who have difficulties with talking

Once they have mastered a word eg cat then you can add extension words “Yes, cat. A big cat/black cat”.

My brother didn't speak a word until he was a good two years old. My mum was quite worried about him by the time. Then he suddenly started speaking. He's now in his 30s and in a career that requires a lot of communication, so he seems to have made up for the delay just fine :-) I'm sure your DD will suddenly pick it up as well, they just all go at their own pace.

A relative who's a speech therapist gave me the same advice as luckiestgirl. I was talking LOADS to my DD and she actually told me to pare it back a bit, and keep it simpler to help her to identify all the words.

She also reminded me to pause and give her lots of time to speak and answer back.

DD is 20 months now and has zillions of words.

I have 2 children. The first learned words unusually quickly and the second called everything ‘Caw’ until he was 2 years. They are both doing equally well at school. I wish I had tried some of the things the other posters suggested though in hindsight 🙂

Reduce your language. Point to something and say it's name. Dog. Cow. Cat. Bird. Push a toy car and say brum brum. Easy to master one syllable at first. Repeat loads. Work in basic phrases around meal times - more. Gone. All gone. Using basic baby sign language has helped my two a lot as it helps you recognise what it is they are saying.

DS is 17 months and has about 20 words, not all correctly pronounced.

If she is gettung frustrated you can teach her some sign language, either "official" sign language or make your own signs up. I used to communicate this way with my first until she was able to speak. It would be troublesome sometimes when she was signing for me to "help" her and it was something I didn't want her to do, but at least I knew what she was thinking!

It was a beautiful moment when she first initiated a conversation using signs. We were at the park and she got very excited and started to sign "bird" I looked around and there were birds behind me on the ground (tearing up here) she was about 8 months old.