1. Read Books to Your Child
There is no perfect time to introduce the joy of reading to a child. Parents can start reading to their child even while they are still in the womb, or right after birth. The purpose of reading to your child is to help them understand the rhythm and sounds of language, which supports their future language development and overall well-being.
Young children are naturally drawn to books, especially those that are age-appropriate. For children in the language-learning stage, it's a good idea to purchase bright, colorful books that capture their attention. Teaching your child to repeat names of objects or animals in books will help them expand their vocabulary and enhance both reading and speaking skills.
Parents should aim to speak clearly and slowly to help children identify the sounds and tones. Repetition is another key technique for building a child's language. Parents can also experiment with varying pitch or using different voices for different characters, which will entertain the child and be beneficial for their development.


2. Expand Your Child's Vocabulary
Children with a rich vocabulary tend to have better reading comprehension, communication skills, and the ability to express their thoughts. For this reason, expanding and improving a child's vocabulary is a priority for parents from an early age.
By the time a child reaches one year old, they can grasp several words. This is the perfect time to encourage them to speak their first words. If a child makes mistakes, parents should correct them. During the language-learning phase, it’s common for children to mispronounce words or have a limited vocabulary. Parents should correct their child's vocabulary while introducing new words and showing how to use them in different contexts.
One effective and easy way to expand a child's vocabulary is by teaching them synonyms, such as hardworking – diligent – industrious, dad – father – papa, pig – hog, train – locomotive, etc. Using a variety of words, especially synonyms, is a great method for broadening a child's vocabulary.


3. Express excitement and joy when your child speaks
As children begin to babble, they will start expressing emotions through their voice. By six months, your baby will recognize emotions like anger or excitement in your voice, allowing them to know how to get your attention when they're upset or hungry.
When your baby begins using different tones, parents should encourage and create a sense of excitement and joy. Hearing a new word from your child should be exciting and heartwarming. Don't keep that joy to yourself—show your child how proud and happy you are. Smile, clap, or make rewarding gestures to encourage your child. This will make them feel joyful, enthusiastic, and motivated to repeat the behavior.


4. Set an example for your child
For parents, the moment their child first cries and later begins to babble their first words is incredibly precious and memorable. After months of sounds like “oh” and “ah,” many parents begin the exciting journey of helping their child start talking.
One effective way to teach a child to speak is to model language for them. When speaking to your child, use simple, short phrases and repeat them often. For example, “papa,” “mama.” After hearing these phrases repeatedly, your child will start to recognize and attempt to say them themselves.
During this time, parents should introduce easily memorable words that are frequently encountered, such as names of household items. Gradually, from these basic words, your child will build a rich vocabulary and begin using them in various contexts, often surprising you with their growth.


5. Ask questions to your child
Children are naturally curious, and almost everything in life sparks their wonder and confusion. This curiosity shows they are exploring and discovering the world around them, which helps them develop knowledge and life skills. Therefore, parents should start asking their children more questions when they are over six weeks old.
Begin with simple questions like, “Do you want some milk?” or “Would you like to go play?” As they grow, you can have more detailed conversations about the people and objects around them, such as asking, “Where do you see Daddy? Over there, right?” Repeated questions like these will help children learn by imitation.
It’s also important not to dismiss their attempts, like saying “You’re wrong.” Instead, encourage their continued efforts with phrases like, “You’re close,” or “Your answer is interesting, but not quite right.” For example, if your child asks, “Mom, what does the horse eat?” you can respond by asking, “What do you think it eats?” If they don’t know and reply with, “I don’t know! I asked you!” you can encourage them with, “Look in the horse’s pen. What do you see?” If they say, “I see grass,” you can then ask, “Why do you think they put grass in the horse’s pen?” This will help them find the answer themselves.


6. Engage in frequent conversations with your child
Regularly talking with your child is an effective way to help them learn to speak. You can start conversing with your baby even while they are still in the womb or right after birth. Hold your baby and make eye contact. Babies need to understand words before they can speak them, so speaking with them helps form important neural connections in their brain.
Your baby’s developing brain absorbs sounds, melodies, and language, preparing them for their first babbling attempts. Children whose parents engage in frequent conversations with them tend to develop stronger language skills and become more fluent in their speech.
When playing or caring for your child, speak with a cheerful tone and make eye contact to enhance interaction. According to medical experts, children whose parents talk to them regularly are more likely to start speaking earlier than those with parents who engage less in conversation.


7. Hát cho bé nghe
Bài hát là một cách hiệu quả để dạy cho bé tập nói. Đó là lý do tại sao mà mỗi nền văn hóa lại có những bài hát riêng dành cho trẻ nhỏ. Đừng lo nếu mẹ hát không hay vì bé sẽ không quan tâm đâu. Bé chỉ thích nghe giọng hát của mẹ mà thôi.
Đây là phương pháp dạy em bé tập nói hiệu quả, giúp bé dễ tiếp thu. Âm nhạc là một trong những cách đầu tiên dùng để gắn kết và giao tiếp khi bé còn trong bụng mẹ. Mẹ có thể hát cho bé nghe các bài hát đơn giản, giai điệu vui tươi dễ nhớ, từ vựng dễ bắt chước. Thông qua bài hát, bé có thể học được một số nền tảng cơ bản của ngôn ngữ như từ vựng, nhịp điệu.
Nếu không biết hát những bài hát ru, mẹ có thể hát bất kỳ bài nào mà bạn thích. Việc hiểu cách bắt đầu và kết thúc một âm thanh sẽ giúp ích nhiều cho bé trong việc dạy trẻ học nói, học phát âm sau này.


8. Imitate your child’s sounds
When your baby is a few months old, they will start making their own 'words' with sounds. The best way to communicate with an infant is for parents to imitate the sounds the baby makes, like 'ma-ma' or 'ba-ba,' to help develop their language skills.
Parents should try repeating the sounds the baby makes. This encourages the child to speak more and serves as the beginning of their language learning journey. It also makes the interaction fun for the child and motivates them to continue speaking in their own 'language.' However, parents should avoid mimicking the child’s babbling with a distorted voice, as it could hinder their ability to speak correctly in the future.


