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Help at home

What helps at home

You don't need special toys or lessons. Small changes in how you play and talk every day can make a real difference.

  • Checked 2 November 2026
  • 11 sources
  • No adverts, no tracking

Research shows that when parents learn these ways of talking and playing, children's language improves.[1,2]

1. Follow your child's lead

Play with what your child is interested in, rather than choosing the game for them.[3,4]

2. Stop and wait

Watch what your child is doing, then stop and wait without talking, so they have a chance to start.[4] Some children need up to 10 seconds. A look, a sound, a reach or a point all count as their turn.[5]

3. Say a little more than they do

Reply using sentences a few words longer than theirs. If your child says "sock off", you could say "yes, we're taking your sock off".[6] There's no need to ask them to repeat it.

4. Play the same games again and again

Simple games like peekaboo, tickles and "ready, steady… go!" work best when they start and end the same way each time, with a pause before the exciting part for your child to take a turn.[7]

5. Share books

Looking at picture books together and talking about them helps children's language, especially when it happens regularly.[8]

6. Turn off background noise

Switch off the TV and radio when you're playing or talking. Background noise makes it harder for your child to listen to you.[6]

Screen time

  • UK guidance for under-5s: try to keep it to about 1 hour a day, less if possible. Watch together, choose slow-paced programmes, and don't leave screens on in the background.[9]
  • The World Health Organization advises no screen time for children under 2, and no more than 1 hour a day for 2 to 4-year-olds.[10]
  • Studies find that more screen time and background TV go with weaker language skills, and watching together goes with stronger ones. These studies show a link, not proof of cause.[11]

Dummies

It's hard to learn to talk with a dummy in your mouth. The NHS suggests only offering a dummy at sleep time, and stopping by 12 months.[6]

If your family speaks more than one language, see Two languages at home.

Sources for this page

  1. Roberts & Kaiser (2011). The effectiveness of parent-implemented language interventions: a meta-analysis · American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
  2. Heidlage et al. (2020). Parent-implemented communication interventions (summary on ASHA Evidence Maps) · ASHA Evidence Maps
  3. Learning to talk: 2 to 3 years · NHS Start for Life
  4. Children who lead get the language they need · The Hanen Centre
  5. It's worth the wait · The Hanen Centre
  6. Help your baby learn to talk · NHS
  7. R.O.C.K. in people games · The Hanen Centre
  8. Dowdall et al. (2020). Shared picture book reading interventions for child language development: a systematic review and meta-analysis · Child Development
  9. Screen time for under 5s · Best Start in Life (UK Government)
  10. To grow up healthy, children need to sit less and play more · World Health Organization
  11. Madigan et al. (2020). Associations between screen use and child language skills: a systematic review and meta-analysis · JAMA Pediatrics

Every source was opened and checked on 2 November 2026. All sources