Leanne Sherred, M.S., CCC-SLP
If your child is a late talker or has a speech delay, there’s a lot you can do to help them at home. Time and again, research has shown it: Parents and caregivers are key players in helping children overcome speech delays. That’s why we’re sharing these practical ideas for helping a child with speech delay at home. Whether you're eating dinner together, playing outside, or running errands, there are countless moments when you can encourage your child’s speech development.
Key takeaways
If your child has a speech delay, there’s a lot you can do to help them at home. Research has shown that parents are key players in helping children overcome speech delays.
The techniques that are best for your child will depend on their age and the type of communication difficulty they have.
Recommended techniques include talking to your child often; helping them expand their language; playing, singing, and reading together; and asking open-ended questions.
If you’re worried about your child’s speech, trust your instincts. A speech therapist can evaluate your child and create a personalized treatment plan. The earlier speech therapy begins, the better!
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Get started10 everyday tips to help your child with a speech delay
Caregivers play a crucial role in helping children reach their speech and language goals. Why? Because children learn to communicate best during everyday activities and conversations—and no one spends more time with your child than you!
The right techniques for your child will depend on factors such as their age and type of communication difficulties. But here are 10 tips recommended by speech therapists for supporting your child at home.
1 Talk to your child—a lot!
“It may sound simple, but talking to your child is one of the most important things you can do. That’s true even if they can’t answer you yet,” says Abby Barnes, MS, CCC-SLP, a speech therapist with Expressable.
An easy way to do this is to narrate your actions. Describe what you’re doing, like “I’m putting your shoes on” or “I’m putting water in your cup.” This helps your child connect words to actions. When you model language for your child, they learn more vocabulary words, as well as how to use them in phrases and sentences. Children learn best from the people they’re closest with. So talk often with your child and let them soak in your words.
2 Play simple games
Easy games like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake are fun for toddlers and teach turn-taking. Turn-taking is important because it helps your child understand the back-and-forth of an exchange, like a conversation!
In a game like peek-a-boo, one person hides and jumps out. Then the other person reacts. This is a back-and-forth interaction. When communicating, one person gestures or says something, the other responds, and so forth. Games can be great tools to help your child work through a speech delay.
3 Read together
Even if your child isn’t paying full attention, describe the pictures in books to build their vocabulary. Take a look at this video from one of our speech therapists demonstrating how to make the most of reading with your toddler.
Reading together helps your child learn new words, phrases, and sentences in a fun activity while bonding with you. It’s one of the best activities you can do together.
Quick demo: How to read a book to your child like a speech therapist
Watch here4 Sing songs together
Singing introduces new words and encourages listening and memory skills. You can also try the "pausing technique" to prompt your child sing along. Here's a quick demo.
Pausing allows your child to try to fill in what you would have sang. This naturally promotes language skills.
“Try singing songs that use gestures,” Barnes suggests. “Children usually learn to imitate gestures before learning to imitate words.” That means songs with hand motions, like “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “The Wheels on the Bus,” can help naturally promote communication development with your child.
5 Model clear speech for your child
Emphasize correct pronunciation. For example, if you're teaching the /p/ sound, say "pop" slowly, and encourage your child to imitate you.
Here’s how to help your toddler start saying these early sounds correctly, as well as signs that your child may need speech therapy.
6 Expand on your child's words
This technique is called language expansion. It helps increase your child’s vocabulary, as well as teaches them sentence structure.
Here’s how to do it. If your child says “milk!” in order to ask for a drink, you can model for them, “More milk!” or “Milk please!” If they’re already using phrases, you could say, “I want my milk, please!” to see if they’ll imitate you.
7 Describe what your child is doing
Talk about your child's actions throughout the day, like “You’re eating lunch” or “You’re playing with the ball.” They’ll have more chances to hear language and associate new words, especially verbs, with what they’re doing.
8 Give your child your full attention
When your child speaks or otherwise communicates with you, listen carefully. Give them time to respond to you without rushing. Try not to speak for them. This helps them feel supported and comfortable in trying to communicate.
“It’s also important to look for other ways your child may be communicating,” Barnes says. “Maybe they didn’t verbally answer your question, but did they gesture? Did they make a sound? Use these as clues to figure out what your child thinks or wants.”
9 Ask open-ended questions
Encourage conversation with open-ended questions instead of questions that require yes/no answers. When you're reading together, you might ask, “What do you see in the picture?” Or, after a day at the park, you could ask, “What was the most fun at the playground?” When your child answers, you can help them better express what they’re trying to say as needed.
10 Model good grammar at home
If your child makes a language mistake, instead of pointing it out, simply repeat what they said correctly. For example, if they say “I goed,” you can reply, “Yes, you went.” Or if they say, “I brushed my teeths,” you can say, “Yes, you brushed your teeth.” Grammar can be tricky, but modeling appropriate use helps kids learn how to use it.
When to seek speech therapy for a speech delay
If you’re worried about your child’s speech or language development, it’s important to trust your instincts. Reach out to your pediatrician, or contact a speech therapist directly. Speech therapists are experts who can assess your child’s skills, determine the cause of the delay, and create a personalized plan to help them improve.
The earlier you seek help, the better. Research shows that kids who start speech therapy early are more likely to catch up with their peers and feel more confident in their communication.
Speech therapy can take place in person or online. For toddlers and young children, sessions should be fun and play-based! Kids learn best through play, so therapists use toys, games, and activities to encourage speech and language growth.
Online speech therapy can make it easier for you to attend with your child and learn how to practice speech skills during everyday routines. At Expressable, parents and caregivers are coached on how to support their child’s development at home, between sessions. Families also have access to our online learning portal, full of videos, tips, and activities to help make at-home speech therapy practice even easier. More practice means more progress!
Learn when speech therapy is needed for a speech delay and what to expect in your child’s speech delay treatment.
Key questions to ask your doctor or speech therapist about speech delay
The more you understand, the better you'll be able to support your child and help them make progress at home. These questions can help you prepare to talk with your pediatrician or a speech therapist about your child’s communication:
Why is my child not talking yet?
How many words should my child have at this age?
My child seems to understand everything but isn’t talking much yet—is this normal?
What activities or exercises can I do with my child to encourage speech?
How might a speech delay affect my child’s success in preschool or kindergarten?
Questions like this can help guide the discussion and give you the information you need to support your child.
If you're concerned about your child's speech development, contact us here at Expressable. The sooner you seek support, the sooner your child can develop the skills they need to communicate confidently. Get matched with a speech therapist today!
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Can a child with a speech delay catch up on their own?
Some children may catch up with extra support at home, especially if their delay is mild. But for others, speech therapy is essential in order to make progress. The earlier a child receives support, the better their chance of reaching communication milestones. Think of it like climbing a staircase. Each skill builds on the one before, and missing a step can make it harder to reach the next level. An evaluation with a speech therapist is the best way to know whether therapy is needed.
How can I fix a speech delay at home?
Talking to your child often, reading and playing together, and encouraging your child to use more words can help with language development. But children with speech delay will make the best progress with professional support from a speech therapist, plus regular practice at home.
Can I give my child speech therapy at home?
It’s important for a child with a speech delay to be under the guidance of a licensed speech therapist, who can evaluate and diagnose any issues and develop the correct treatment plan. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t things families can (and should!) do at home for a child’s speech. They simply need to be done alongside formal speech therapy.
Are there any natural remedies for speech delay?
Be cautious about claims that a vitamin, herb, heavy metal detox, or other natural remedy will help your child start talking or improve their speech. These claims are likely not backed by solid research. There can also be risks to giving your child natural remedies without a doctor’s guidance. That said, some studies have shown promise for certain supplements to support speech and language development in children. You can learn more in our article here.
When should I worry about a speech delay?
If your toddler isn’t regularly learning or using new words, has difficulty imitating sounds, or is often frustrated when trying to communicate, they may benefit from speech therapy. You can take our simple online screener to see if a speech evaluation is recommended. The earlier speech therapy begins, the faster you’ll see progress.
How Expressable Can Help
Concerned your child isn't reaching age-expected milestones? Looking for communication support from a professional? Expressable is a national online speech therapy practice serving children and adults. We treat all major areas of communication and feeding, offer flexible hours including evenings and weekends, and accept most major health insurance plans. We’re proud to have earned more than 3,000 5-star reviews from our clients (4.9/5 average).
Our therapy model is centered on parent and caregiver involvement. Research proves that empowering caregivers to participate in their loved one’s therapy leads to better outcomes. That’s why we combine live, 1-on-1 speech therapy with personalized education and home practice activities for faster progress.
Communication is more than words. It’s how we share how we feel and show who we are. We’re here to help you or your child do just that.
