Follow your toddler’s interests, name what they’re paying attention to, and use those words again during play and everyday activities. Talking about routines, sharing picture books, and adding to what your child says are recommended ways to support early language learning. [ASHA’s guidance](https://helpingyoucommunicate.org/article/tips-for-your-childs-speech-and-language-development)

You can do this with familiar objects and places:

- A cup gives you plenty to talk about beyond its name: *pour, spill, full, empty, wet, dry, inside,* and *under*. Show what the words mean as you talk: “Pour the water. Now the cup is empty.” [ASHA’s household play ideas](https://www.asha.org/about/press-room/articles/25-household-items-to-boost-your-toddlers-communication-skills/)
- On a walk, grocery trip, or bus ride, name things and describe what’s happening. Follow what catches your child’s attention: “A pigeon! The pigeon is walking.”
- When you share a book, follow their pointing and talk about the pictures. Connect them to things your child has seen. A duck picture might prompt “The duck swims,” “Here’s its beak,” or “Remember the duck at the pond?” You don’t have to read every printed word. [Early language guidance](https://helpingyoucommunicate.org/article/tips-for-your-childs-speech-and-language-development)
- Add a little to what your child says. If they say “dog,” you can respond, “Yes, a dog! The dog is running.” This gives them more language about something they already understand.
- Make a reusable conversation book with printed photos of outings, family members, animals, and vehicles. Add pictures as you encounter new things, and borrow library books about subjects you can’t easily see in person.

To see what your child remembers, keep it relaxed. Name something together, return to it later, and give them a chance to point to it or name it. “Where’s the duck?” checks understanding; “What’s that?” checks whether they can say the word. If they don’t answer, supply the word and keep playing.

It’s lovely when your child names something the second time they see it, but there’s no deadline. Watch for recognition and spontaneous use over time, including with different examples, such as another dog or a duck in a different book. Keep returning to familiar material as you introduce new words. Even once your child knows an object’s name, there’s still plenty to talk about.