08/06/2026
Happy Thoughtful Thursday at HSTS ✨
A great tip to increase talking in your toddler is to use sound imitation instead of asking them to copy “regular” words.
This is a great tip for any toddler’s speech development, but especially if your toddler seems hesitant to turn their voice on when you ask them to copy what you say.
What’s the magic of SOUNDS instead of words?
It’s two fold!
1. Imitating SOUNDS is often an easier task for a toddler. Sounds can be produced less precisely, and often use parts of the mouth in different ways than “regular” words.
1. Less pressure! When we play and offer speech SOUNDS as the model, there is less pressure to make the sounds perfectly. The context is usually more playful, with less emphasis on saying it “just right”!
Tips for Home:
✨ Repeat, repeat… repeat! Play vehicles for 10 minutes! Model those sounds over and over and over! Start to leave some silence as you play… and see if your toddler makes their own noises!
✨ Engage and Praise! Don’t focus on perfect pronunciation— praise *engagement and attempts* in both play AND sound making!
If you’ve been wondering if your child may need speech therapy, we are here to help! Servicing southern Maine in both our Scarborough and Windham locations, we have a team of dedicated, FUN speech therapists who would love to work with your family! Just reach out and let us do the rest. ❤️
