At 2 years old you should understand about 50% of what your child is saying Yes, the other 50% should develop with time but there are some things you can do to help shape their speech in the meantime! One way to shape your child's language is through echoics. Echoics are repeating the exact sound or word you hear someone else say. There are many ways to incorporate echoics into your everyday. Here are a few ideas!
With play food, make sounds like "mmm", "h" for hot, "w" for water etc. exaggerate the sound and make it fun so your little will also make the same sounds!
Use an item they love but maybe can't quite say yet, line them up and then say the sound each time you give it to them. You can do this with the initial letter sound, or with a whole word.
Use stickers! When giving your child a sticker make a sound you want them to practice then give them the sticker after they attempt to make the sound.
Use letters during bath time! Do your own rendition of "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" and make the letters fall after the echoic of the sound.
Give them praise and/or the item after they attempt to make the sound. Try to just make the sound, repeat if necessary, but give your child time to respond. Avoid phrases like, "can you say ___" or "say ___". Keep in mind that some of these sounds might be hard for them to make, we really just want to focus on the practice!
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