How Exciting To Hear Your Baby'S First Words.

First words

Your child will probably say his first word right around his first birthday (what a nice present for Mom!). Most early words are repeated: You say "spaghetti" and she says "geddy." By 16 months, she'll be able to say a handful of words—an average of 50 for girls and 30 for boys. (Boys tend to develop speech about a month or two later.)

This is the age range when most kids' progress varies most widely. To help yours enjoy chattering:

Read between the lines. When you're looking at books together, talk about what's on the page (point out the mouse on each page of Goodnight Moon, for instance).

Provide plenty of narrative at playtime. If he's having fun with his toy farm, for instance, say, "Gus is holding the cow. 'Moo,' says the cow," And so on. Help him put words to objects and verbs to actions.

Don't anticipate every desire. Try not to rush to refill his sippy cup when it's getting low—let him tell you first.

Make like a monkey. Or a cow or a kitty. Animal sounds are some of the simplest for little talkers to form because they don't have a lot of consonants.

First sentences

Your toddler will likely start using short sentences now, like "More juice" or "Want ball." Encourage her by:

Prompting. When you're looking at a book together, ask her to describe what's going on in the pictures, which will reinforce her vocabulary. But don't do it to the point of frustration. If your toddler finds quizzing annoying, she may just clam up.

Kicking it up a notch. Repeat her simple sentences in more complicated ways. If she says "Doggy bark," for instance, reply, "Yes, the doggy is barking."

Build your child's vocabulary

By age 2, your child can start to follow increasingly complex sentences and use more pronouns, adjectives, and prepositions. Now's when the two of you can have the real conversations you've been waiting for. Tips for inviting more talk:

Avoid correcting him...Instead, repeat what he just told you in the proper form. If he says, "Daddy goes to work," you can say, "Yes, you're right. Daddy went to work."

...but get him to correct you. Hold up his pants and say, "Let's put on your hat!" Kids love it when you make a silly mistake.

Give him some room. Try not to finish his sentences, and pause after you ask him a question. It may take him a little while to think through what he wants to say.

Get him to tell you stories. Ask him about that trip to the mall—what he saw, what he liked most. Don't expect too much.

When to get help

About one in four children is a late talker—and fewer than half of those kids will require therapy to get them on track. The best time to get professional help is when your child is around 2 1/2—the age when late bloomers usually catch up, says Leslie Rescorla, Ph.D., director of the Child Study Institute at Bryn Mawr College.

By Babycenter