Discover Practical Verbal Strategies to Enhance Communication

Looking for ways to support your child’s language development at home? You don’t need a speech-language degree—just a few simple, evidence-based verbal strategies can make a big impact on how your child understands and uses language in everyday life.

In our latest Instagram Reel, we share quick, practical tips you can start using right away. And here on the blog, we’re breaking them down so you can dive a little deeper.

💬 Why Verbal Strategies Matter

Speech and language development doesn’t only happen during therapy sessions—it happens all day long through conversations, routines, and play. When parents and caregivers intentionally use verbal strategies, they help create rich language-learning environments where children feel supported, understood, and encouraged to express themselves.

Here are a few of our favorite therapist-approved strategies:

🔹 1. Parallel Talk

Describe what your child is doing, even if they’re not speaking yet. Example: While your child is stacking blocks: “You’re building! Big tower! Up, up, up!”

Why it works: It helps associate words with actions and builds receptive vocabulary naturally.

🔹 2. Self Talk

Narrate what you are doing while interacting with your child. Example: “I’m pouring the juice. Now I’m closing the lid. All done!”

Why it works: Children learn from listening and observing. This models sentence structure and vocabulary in context.

🔹 3. Label + Expand

When your child uses a word, repeat it and add one more to model the next level of language.Child: “Dog!”You: “Yes, big dog!” or “Brown dog is running!”

Why it works: Expanding builds expressive language without overwhelming your child.

🔹 4. Offer Choices

Rather than asking yes/no questions, offer two options.Example: “Do you want milk or juice?” instead of “Do you want a drink?”

Why it works: This encourages verbal responses and decision-making while reducing frustration.

🔹 5. Sabotage (In a Good Way!)

Intentionally “forget” something during a routine—like giving your child cereal without a spoon—and wait for them to request it.Example: Pause with a questioning look: “Oh! What do we need?”

Why it works: This encourages problem-solving, requesting, and spontaneous language use.

🔹 6. Slow Down + Wait

Give your child time to process what you say before repeating or jumping in with help. Count silently to 5 after asking a question.

Why it works: Many children just need extra time to respond. Waiting shows trust and encourages independence in communication.

✨ Small Changes, Big Impact

By incorporating just a few of these techniques into your everyday interactions—mealtime, playtime, storytime—you’re building a rich language environment that supports your child’s growth and confidence.

At More Than Speech, we’re here to guide you through every step of your child’s communication journey. Our therapists use these same verbal strategies in sessions and teach parents how to carry them over at home in ways that feel natural and empowering.

🗓️ Click here to schedule your child’s evaluation and learn more about how we can help.