I’m a speech therapist – here’s how parents can get their toddlers talking

A literacy expert has given advice to parents on how to get their toddlers to speak at the pace they should speak, as well as some common mistakes to avoid.

Moira, a speech therapist at a US-based literacy school, Rooted in Learning, warned of a range of common mistakes parents often make when chatting with their children between the ages of 12 and 24 months.

The mother-of-two explained that a parent’s instincts – such as using a baby’s own voice – can often hinder a child’s ability to “learn a lot of words quickly” and gave her the top three tips in the TikTok clamp.

The video has quickly racked up more than three million views, with many users saying they plan to try the advice on their own children.

First, Moira advised against saying “say this, say that.”

She explained that telling a baby to say a certain word, such as “mommy,” increases the pressure and “is much less likely that your child will say a word if you ask him or her to.”

Moira added that when someone says “say this word” to a child, it is out of context and meaningless.

“Children learn words better when they are contextualized and meaningful to them,” she added.

Instead, parents should simply strive to use the desired word frequently in everyday speech, rather than pressuring them to repeat the word upon request.

Then Moira warned, “Stop baby talk.”

She defined baby talk as, “The deliberate mispronunciation of sounds so that it sounds like you are a small child.”

The expert warned that it “actually hinders a child’s ability to learn age-appropriate words and sounds.”

The mother of two explained that parents’ natural instincts can often get in the way of a child’s ability to “learn a lot of words quickly”

The third piece of advice Moira gave was, “Stop repeating the single word your toddler says.”

When parents respond to a baby with the same word they said, the conversation ends, meaning the interaction is over without the child learning new words.

Moira added, “When your toddler says a word, expand his verbalization into a full sentence with more meaningful words.”

The speech therapist concluded, “Apply these three tips consistently and watch your toddler’s language explode.”

Viewers on TikTok shared their thoughts on Moria’s video. One said, ‘This works! I didn’t even know this and my 8 month old son is now saying mama. I used to call myself all day.”

Social media users were quick to share their thoughts on Moira’s advice, and many were impressed

A second user added, “I love this. we did this and my kids came up with advanced words that I had no idea they knew.”

A third wrote: ‘Thanks for this! I definitely feel like my toddler is behind in talking and these are some of the things I do unconsciously with her.”

A fourth added, “I’m a daycare worker and this is so true.”

Another said, ‘These tips definitely worked for me!! Great practical information.’