The therapy trick: narrate, don't quiz

Many parents assume the way to grow a child's language is to ask questions — "What's this? What color? Can you say ball?" But speech therapists lean on the opposite move: describing out loud what's happening, without demanding any reply. Two everyday versions do the heavy lifting.

Self-talk means narrating your own actions as you do them: "I'm pouring the water… now I'm stirring… mmm, it's warm." Parallel talk means narrating your child's actions in the moment: "You're stacking the blocks… up, up, up… it fell down!" Both flood your child with words that are mapped directly to what they see and feel right now — which is exactly how young brains attach meaning to language.

The secret ingredient is no pressure to respond. Questions put a child on the spot and can actually shut down a reluctant talker; narration keeps the interaction relaxed and gives them dozens of clear, repeated language models per minute. Over time, kids start filling in the words themselves. It costs nothing, needs no special toys, and turns bath time, snack time, or block play into gentle speech practice.

A good rhythm is to comment far more than you question, keep your sentences just a step above your child's level, and pause often so there's room for them to jump in if they want to.