Look who's still not talking!!

We all wait for it, yearn for it and when it happens wish that we could go back in time to when it all began, to cherish every moment, to stop the clock. What am I waiting for you may ask.....one word. I'm not asking for much. Every day I wake up and say today is the day and alas nothing but the cute little ramblings of my little munchkin - Madison.

At 16 months Madison says one word, Mama, and not consistently at that. I thought having an older sister would help her hit all her milestones that much earlier which it did for the most part - with the exception of speaking. We have tried to create a learning environment that cultivates language growth. For the most part we have accomplished just that. Madison fully understands everything that is asked and said to her. But for some reason she is reluctant to start speaking and simply resorts to pointing to things instead of verbalizing her thoughts and wishes.

Here are a few tricks I have up my sleeve:

1. Language Expansion: When Madison points to objects I always call out the name of the object. But I have recently started to expand on the thought. If she points at a "cup" I will give her the cup by saying "Yes this is a cuuppp, a big pink cup that you can drink out of"
2. Over the Top Animation: Use changes in tone , volume and facial expressions to speak to my little one to keep her interested
3. Limited TV time: Although many TV shows for children are educational they are still not interactive. Communication is interactive and can only be learnt by interacting with an actual person as opposed to a character on a screen. 
4. Family discussions: Madison understands more than we think. Asking her to participate in discussions may promote verbalizing her thoughts
5. Read, Read, Read: Books are an important component to our day. Since Madison's attention span is quite limited, we read one book at a time throughout the day. This is a great way to point to and pronounce the names of objects in hopes that one day she might just repeat what she hears.

The day will come when Madison will say her first word. With a little dedication, patience and perseverance I can help to develop the necessary skills that will resonate with her throughout her life.....well at least maybe.....well at least I can wish!

SSMom