My daughter Kadie was struggling to talk. Here’s the story of our journey, along with the speech and language tips that helped her find her voice.
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When my daughter was three, she had fewer than 40 words, and most of those were names like “dada,” “baba,” “nana” and the people she loved most. We struggled to know what to do next, and how to help her at home. Now that we’re several months into our speech and language journey, I want to share what we’ve learned.
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Pushing for a Speech and Language Assessment
Before Kadie’s assessment, I’d spent a year raising concerns about her speech with our public health nurse and GP, and sharing my worries with family and friends. It felt like it fell on deaf ears — until her preschool got involved. After a month there, staff had only ever heard her say three words: dada, yes and no.
I self-referred my daughter for a speech and language assessment, and after some persistence, we finally got her seen.
It’s been five months since that assessment, and she’s gone from around 36 words to more than 200. My daughter has finally found her voice. With support from her preschool teacher, her immediate family, and a one-hour session with a speech and language therapist, she is absolutely thriving.
She amazes me every day as new words roll off her tongue — words I didn’t expect to hear for a year at least, like robot, mermaid and aeroplane.
We do plan to arrange private speech and language therapy in the near future, but our main goal at first was simply to get her talking — to help her find her voice, so we could later work on pronunciation and putting sentences together. For months before that, we’d relied on sign language and made-up gestures.
Getting her to talk wasn’t easy. It took a couple of months of trial and error to figure out what worked for us.
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Speech and Language Tips if Your Child Is Struggling to Talk
If you’re trying to encourage a child who’s slow to talk, here are the tips that really helped us:
- #1. Don’t correct them
- #2. Talk slowly and clearly
- #3. Exercise the mouth
- #4. Praise their achievements
- #5. Repetition is key
- #6. Use every opportunity
- #7. Sing songs
- #8. Have patience
- #9. Get everyone involved
- #10. Visit the library or invest in bright picture books
- #11. Technology is not the enemy
- #12. Invest in picture cards
#1. Don’t correct them
Rather than saying “no, it’s a spoon,” simply repeat the correct word back to them. If you’re constantly saying “no,” they may give up trying — and that’s the last thing you want.
#2. Talk slowly and clearly
My daughter tends to drop the beginning or end of her words, so we were advised to use an “end sound helper.” Draw one, print one out, or simply exaggerate how you say consonants to make words clearer for your child.
#3. Exercise the mouth
Practise repeating letters like A, E, I, O, U and F. Use every opportunity to imitate sounds through the day — “cars go brum,” “Santa says ho-ho-ho,” “a bee says buzz.”
Bubbles are brilliant for exercising the mouth too. Add in phrases like “one, two, three, blow” or “ready, steady, pop” as you play.
#4. Praise their achievements
Reward your child for small wins with a little treat — a sweet, some extra TV time, story time together, or a trip to the park or library.
#5. Repetition is key
A few months ago, my little girl couldn’t name a single colour. Now she’s naming shades her older brother doesn’t even know, like peach and lilac.
I work colours into our day whenever I can — “grey putty,” “blue slime,” “white milk,” “black car,” and so on.
#6. Use every opportunity
Don’t waste a moment. Count the steps as you climb the stairs together, or name the vehicles you spot on the school run. It all adds up and genuinely helps.
#7. Sing songs
Nursery rhymes are a great way to build rhythm. Even if it’s a song you can’t stand — like Baby Shark — put it on repeat and sing along.
Don’t be discouraged if they don’t sing back straight away; keep at it, because one day they will. That’s our latest milestone — this week, my daughter, who’s never sung a nursery rhyme in her life, started humming along and slotting words into songs, after just five months of at-home practice.
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#8. Have patience
Give your child time to answer, no matter how busy you are or what else is going on around you.
#9. Get everyone involved
Build a good support network at home, with friends, family, and your child’s creche or preschool. Let everyone know what’s happening and get them on board — even older siblings, who are often still quite young themselves, can help in their own way.
#10. Visit the library or invest in bright picture books
These books will become your bible. Look, point, name, and encourage your child to take the lead by telling you what they see.
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#11. Technology is not the enemy
Screen time is limited in our house, and on most days I sit with my children as they play games or watch videos, engaging with them throughout.
Look for phonics apps, or watch phonics videos together on YouTube and repeat the words as you go. This video is one we found genuinely useful:
#12. Invest in picture cards
Games can be as simple as naming what you see in a picture, or letting your child show you. Picture lotto and jigsaws are also great games to play together.
You can follow Kellie’s journey teaching her daughter Kadie to talk on her Instagram page.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I be concerned about my child’s speech development?
Every child develops at their own pace, but if you’re worried, trust your instincts. Raise it with your public health nurse, GP, or preschool, and consider a self-referral for a speech and language assessment — you don’t always need a formal referral to get one.
How can I encourage my toddler to talk more at home?
Simple, everyday habits help most: naming things as you go about your day, repeating words back clearly, reading picture books together, and praising small efforts to communicate.
My child drops the ends of words or mixes up sounds — is that normal?
This is common in young children who are still developing their speech. Talking slowly, exaggerating clear sounds, and practising mouth movements (like blowing bubbles) can help. If you have ongoing concerns, a speech and language therapist can assess your child properly.
Is screen time helpful or harmful for speech development?
Used thoughtfully, screen time can support speech development — phonics apps and videos watched together, with plenty of repetition and conversation, can be a useful addition alongside everyday talking and reading.
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Save This for Later
Every child’s speech journey looks a little different. If this story struck a chord, save it or share it with another parent who might need it, and browse our other family life articles for more real-world tips and ideas.
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