How to Get Your Toddler to Talk More: 9 Strategies That Actually Work

By Julia Taylor, B.App.Sc. (Sp.Path.), M.Hlth.Sc., CPSP 8 min read

You can't make a toddler talk — anyone who has ordered one to 'say thank you' knows this. What you can do is make talking easy, useful, and irresistible. These nine strategies are drawn from the same responsive-interaction principles used in early language programs worldwide (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association [ASHA], n.d.), and every one of them fits inside the day you're already having.

Strategies 1–5: make more openings

The first five create moments where communication is invited rather than demanded:

1. THE EXPECTANT PAUSE: ‘Ready, set…’ and wait. Hold the swing, hold the bubble wand, look delighted, count five seconds. Predictable pauses are exactly what the CDC recommends for inviting participation (CDC, 2026c).
2. OFFER CHOICES: ‘Apple or banana?’ A choice practically requires a response — and either answer wins (CDC, 2026b).
3. SABOTAGE (THE FRIENDLY KIND): snack in a jar they can’t open, favorite toy visible but out of reach. Needing help is a reason to communicate.
4. FORGET SOMETHING OBVIOUS: serve cereal with no spoon, one shoe missing. Wait for the look — then name it: ‘Spoon! We need a spoon!’
5. DON’T PREEMPT EVERY NEED: the child who gets the cup before feeling thirsty never needs the word ‘cup’. Leave small, kind gaps.

Strategies 6–9: make your talk easier to catch

The next four upgrade what your child hears:

6. GET FACE-TO-FACE: on the floor, at eye level, so they can see your mouth and expressions — recommended straight from the milestone guidance (CDC, 2026b).
7. COMMENT MORE, QUIZ LESS: swap ‘What’s this?’ for ‘Big truck!’ Aim for roughly four comments per question — comments give words away free; quizzes charge for them.
8. EXPAND EVERYTHING: they say ‘dog’, you say ‘Yes — big dog!’ One word back, plus one. That’s the CDC’s own worked example (CDC, 2026a).
9. NARRATE THE BORING BITS: hand-washing, dressing, unpacking groceries — talk or sing through them. Repeated daily routines are free language lessons (CDC, 2026b).

The mindset that ties it together

Every strategy above shares one root: respond to communication, never demand performance. Any attempt — a point, a sound, half a word — gets answered like it was perfectly said. That's the responsive, child-centered style that underpins caregiver-implemented language support (ASHA, n.d.).

If you want this system done for you: the word kits on this site each take one high-value word ('more', 'go', 'stop', 'all gone') and wrap these exact strategies around three toys, and the Talking Journey sequences it all into stages. The Woodland Friends books work the same trick at bedtime — each story is engineered around one word repeated in all the right places, with pause points built in.

The takeaway

Talking grows when it's easy, useful, and fun. Create openings (pauses, choices, friendly sabotage), then fill them with catchable language (face-to-face, comments, expansions, narration). Respond to every attempt like a gift — because developmentally, it is.

Sources & further reading

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (n.d.). Late language emergence (Practice Portal). https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/late-language-emergence/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2026a). Milestones by 1 year. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-1yr.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2026b). Milestones by 18 months. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-18mo.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2026c). Milestones by 2 years. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-2yr.html

A friendly note (and the fine print)

This article is general educational information only. It is not speech therapy, therapeutic advice, an assessment, a diagnosis, or a substitute for individualized professional care, and reading it does not create a therapist–client relationship. Every child is different — if you have any concerns about your child’s speech, language, hearing or development, please consult your own certified speech-language pathologist, pediatrician or family health professional, who can advise you about your individual child. See when to talk to a professional for how to find one.

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