Encourage your baby to talk

Q: My 1-year-old has started to say two-syllable words such as "ma ma," "da da," "ba ba" and "boo boo." What are some techniques to increase his vocabulary?

A: The best way to encourage vocabulary is to TALK, TALK and TALK some more. You are your baby's best model, and you can help your baby enrich his vocabulary by exposing him to various words and experiences. Walks in the park, grocery shopping and bathing are great activities which are filled with wonderful vocabulary.

As you are walking in the park, talk about the birds chirping, the kids on the swings and the dogs running. While shopping, talk about the fruits, vegetables and all your baby's favorite foods. Name his body parts as you bathe him, and talk about how the water feels warm and the bubbles "pop." As your child grows and learns words, start to teach him synonyms (another word that means the same) for the words he knows. For example, if he knows "big," then talk about how things are "huge." You are all he needs to enrich his vocabulary!

Credit:Mindy Hudon, speech-language pathologist