Speech Development Activities for 1-2 Year Olds

If you’re the parent of a toddler, you’re likely aware of the importance of introducing and modeling strong communication skills during your child’s early years. While children at this very young age are in the beginning stages of developing their speech and language skills, it is important for parents to be aware of how these skills develop and the signs that their child may need some extra support along the way. Engaging in activities that stimulate the brain and encourage communication in your toddler can go a long way toward your child’s brain development, setting the stage for future success. 

Speech development activities for 1-2-year-olds should encourage language learning and the development of foundational communication skills. The best activities for speech development focus on building vocabulary, improving listening skills, and creating a basic understanding of simple language concepts and structures. Some of the most effective speech development activities for toddlers include:

Reading Together: Young children love books with bright and colorful pictures and a simple story or rhyme. Explore the books together by pointing to and naming objects, animals, and people in the pictures. You can encourage your child to engage with you by asking questions such as “Can you find the dog?” 

Songs & Nursery Rhymes: Sing songs together that involve gestures or actions, such as “Head and Shoulders” or “The Wheels on the Bus,” and encourage your child to mimic the actions as you do them. Repeating songs and rhymes often reinforces language patterns, stimulates memory, and strengthens word retrieval.  

Narrate Your Day: One of the simplest speech development activities for toddlers involves simply narrating your actions each day. Using descriptive language, tell your toddler what you are doing, name objects as you pick them up, and explain daily routines in detail. This helps your child connect specific actions and objects to words.

Simple Games: Playing simple games such as Peek-a-Boo and Hide and Seek are fun and easy ways to encourage language development in your child. These games involve anticipation and response, effectively encouraging basic conversational skills and participation in communication. 

Imitate Sounds & Words: Animal sounds are favorites among young children, so using pictures, books, or toys, show them an animal and then make the related animal sound. For example, “A pig says Oink!” Then, encourage your child to make the same sound. This also works with other sounds, such as “The car goes Vroom!” 

If you want to learn more about encouraging your child’s speech and language development, connect with us by scheduling your free introductory call now!

Non-Verbal Communication Milestones at 1 Year 

At age 1, non-verbal communication is an important part of how young children express themselves and communicate with others. Some common non-verbal communication milestones for 1-year-olds include:

• Gestures
  • Many children of this age will use gestures such as pointing, waving hello and goodbye, and reaching for a desired person or object.
• Facial Expressions
  • At a young age, children learn to express their thoughts and feelings through facial expressions, including smiling when happy, frowning or pouting when unhappy, and mimicking the facial expressions of those around them.
• Eye Contact (including maintaining eye contact when engaging with others, and following the gaze of others)
  • At the age of 1 year, children are learning to maintain eye contact with others when engaging with them, following the gaze of others and looking at those they want to initiate an interaction with 
• Body Language 
  • Young children of this age will begin to nod their heads in agreement or shake their head to communicate “no.” They may also begin to clap their hands when excited, or turn their head or body away to communicate a need for a break or that they are uninterested. 
• Imitating Others 
  • At one year, children will begin to copy the actions or gestures of others. They may play with a toy in a way they’ve seen others do, or engage in simple non-verbal games such as peek-a-boo. 

Non-verbal communication is an essential aspect of effective communication in young children. If you think your child could use some support in this area, virtual speech therapy can help. Getting started is as easy as scheduling your free introductory call today! 

The Impact of Music on Early Speech Development 

The impact of music on early speech development is significant as music and language share similarities in structure, rhythm, tone, and pitch. These common elements allow the brain to process speech and music using parallel neural pathways. When young children participate in music-based learning, these neural pathways are strengthened, effectively supporting and improving language learning at the same time. 

Children are naturally drawn to music, as it is fun, engaging, appealing to many different ages, and doesn’t require any tools, materials, or equipment. Music aids in the development of early speech and language skills as it introduces children to concepts such as rhythm and timing, helps them understand word sequencing and sentence structure, and encourages the exploration of vocalizing, volume, and pitch. 

Music also benefits skills such as memory and recall through the repetition of words, melodies, and phrases. It is not uncommon for young children to memorize song lyrics well before they can speak in full sentences. Studies have shown that children who have been exposed to music at a young age have wider vocabularies, stronger language skills, and better auditory discrimination, which is the ability to differentiate between similar speech sounds. 

The Role of Play in Speech and Language Acquisition

Play is a crucial element of early development in children, as it has been demonstrated to significantly influence their social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development. Play creates opportunities to experiment, learn, and explore the environment around them, helping children to form essential life skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and creative expression. 

When it comes to speech development, a variety of play-based methods allow young children to practice different communication skills and make mistakes in a safe, fun, and supportive environment. Children learn to use speech and language to express their feelings, thoughts, ideas and wants through play. They also learn to effectively listen to, understand, and appropriately respond to others while using new words and phrases and expanding their vocabulary and grammar abilities. 

Studies have shown that play-based approaches to speech and language development are highly effective at promoting the acquisition of new skills and building confidence in young children. Over the past several decades, research has proven that preschool-aged children who were exposed to play-based methods experienced major improvements in their communication and literacy skills relative to those who did not participate in these interventions. 

How Do I Know if My Toddler Needs Speech Therapy?

It can be difficult at such an early age to know what is considered ‘normal’ when it comes to speech and language development in toddlers. Children of this age learn and acquire new skills at their own pace and in varying orders, and knowing when extra support is needed is critical to their success. Some of the most common signs that a 1-2-year-old child needs speech therapy are:

• Speaking very little or not at all
• Using only single words by age 2 (the child should be able to combine 2 words or more, for example, “drink please” or “I'm tired”)
• Does not respond to their name
• Struggles to follow simple directions (for example, “Look behind you!” or “Please bring me the ball”)
• Does not understand prepositions (such as over, under, on top, etc.)
• Cannot point to objects in picture books (for example, “Where is the dog?”)
• More than 50% of their speech is difficult or impossible to understand, even by those familiar with them
• Frequently repeats certain words, syllables, or letter sounds (for example, “I-i-i-i-i am hungry)
• Speech and language skills are not improving over time
• The child loses skills that they had previously mastered

These are just a few of the signs that your child may need some extra help and support as they work to develop their communication skills. Early intervention offers the best outcome for children of this age, so getting started with a speech therapist as soon as possible is crucial. 

Speech therapy for toddlers involves a play-based approach tailored to the specific needs, challenges, strengths, and goals of each child, making it ideally suited to introduce foundational communication skills in an age-appropriate way. The importance of a multi-faceted and play-based approach in speech and language development in early childhood cannot be overstated. Many play-based and musical activities are incorporated into early intervention speech therapy, ensuring it is an effective resource for young children as they grow and develop essential communication skills. If you think your child is ready to get started with speech therapy, simply schedule your free introductory call now!