These are all great points. I'd like to add a few having worked with toddlers and their parents for over 33 years. Toddlers are ready to be "talked with" rather than "talked at". The lengthy sentences and questions we surround infants with so they get the overall "speech envelope" of language are not as helpful to language-learning toddlers. What really helps toddlers is when parents are talking partners rather than quizzers (that's a nicer word than interrogators!) If you really want to encourage word use, reduce the use of direct questions and increase the use of statements. Once you make a full sentence, then systematically reduce it to a phrase and then to a key word--and sometimes right down to the vowel sound from the word or a sound effect. Doing this "filters" the rapid flow of speech so your child gets a chance to grasp what the best word is to match an experience and how to say that word. I have written a guide to help parents learn to use my "Upside-Down Pyramid" way of talking with young children so they can learn to start talking or to talk better. My ideas are practical and are intended to be used throughout the day during a family's usual activities and routines. Many parents (and a grandmother) have written to me to say they got results right away as soon as they stopped asking so many questions and learned how to present statements in this new way. If you are ready to start helping your child learn to talk (better) with some new techniques you can easily learn, I hope you will take a look at my web site and the book I have written for parents. Mary Lou B. Johnson, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
www.HelpYourChildSpeak.com