The best way to stimulate your child's language development is to talk to him or her-as much as you possibly can. Talk simply, clearly, slowly, and directly to your child. Describe what you're doing, feeling, and hearing when you're together. Talk about an event or outing before, during, and afterward. Reward and encourage your child's efforts to say new words and to communicate, looking directly at him or her when he or she talks to you, listening attentively and being responsive and enthusiastic. Show you understand what your child says by answering, smiling, or nodding your head. Here are some other things you can do to improve your child's language skills:

• Repeat new words and use them frequently.

• Read books to your child every day. Bring books with you wherever you go, turn yourself into an actor by reading with enthusiasm, and ask questions about the stories.

• Take your child on frequent, interesting trips (to the park, zoo, and museums or to visits with friends and relatives) and describe everything you're seeing and doing.

• Read a poem or story (such as "The Three Little Pigs") that repeats phrases, and have your child say a particular phrase each time you read a new part of the story. Act out the story with your child.

• Turn storytelling into a language partnership by letting your child fill in some of the words in a story or say the punch lines to familiar jokes. Help your child string stories together about what he or she has been doing by filling in the words he or she leaves out and by asking questions; this helps your child learn to tell complete stories and know that you are interested in what he or she has to say.

• Listen to, memorize, and repeat rhymes and songs; sing the same songs slowly, starting with simple melodies such as "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and say the same rhymes over and over. Look for poems or tongue twisters that repeat sounds and letters. Your child will learn to enjoy the sounds of words and will learn to make his or her voice go up and down.

• Help your child classify objects-such as toys, clothes, or dishes-into groups; this will help him or her understand that objects can look different but be in the same group.

• Use colors, numbers, and time in your conversations and during daily activities. For example, count toes as you dry your child after a bath or say "It's 8:00 at night, time for bed."

• Use descriptive language to explain what you are doing, planning, or thinking.

Although children develop language at different rates, they should continually show progress. If your child has a speech or hearing problem, early treatment is essential. Talk to your child's doctor if you notice any of the following warning signs between ages 1 and 3.

• Your 1-year-old doesn't pronounce many different consonant sounds at the beginning of words.

• Your l-year-old doesn't say more than five words.

• You cannot understand your 2- to 3-year-old's speech most of the time.

• Your 2- to 3-year-old doesn't use two- or three word sentences.

• Your 2- to 3-year-old cannot follow two instructions together (such as "Get the block and put it on the table").

• Have your child deliver simple messages from you to another person.

• Help your child listen and follow directions by playing games in which you give instructions such as "Throw the ball" or "Touch your nose~"

• To get your child to think and talk, ask "what if" questions such as "What would happen if we didn't mow the lawn?"

• Sing, listen to music, and dance with your child.