Waiting Well: Supporting You While You Wait

Chat, play, sing and read with your baby or toddler, even if they seem too young to understand. Every little activity you do together helps be ready for school.

You can support their development through simple daily conversations, activities, and play. Children develop at their own pace. You might think that children develop these skills on their own, but that’s not always the case. Parents, carers, and family members play a big role in helping children grow and learn.

You know your child best and you can help with your child’s development. These tips work for all children, including those with complex needs. You can start using them right away to help your child.

Top Ten Tips for Talking animations

Tip 1 Get down to your child’s level

Tip 2 Comment on what you’re both looking at

Tip 3 Model words to your child

Tip 4 Dummies

Tip 5 Give choices

Tip 6 Reduce screen time

Tip 7 Share books and sing nursery rhymes

Tip 8 Follow your child’s lead in play

Tip 9 Playing is fun

Tip 10 Comment more and reduce questions

For a Step-by-step guide for finding the right support to help your child’s speech, language and communication development visit our Worried About Your Child’s Talking – Here’s What You Can Do page.

Communication isn’t just about talking. There are many ways to express needs, thoughts, and feelings. Every child communicates in their own unique way, and it’s important to recognise and support those different methods.

For some children, this might mean using gestures, sounds, or body language to express themselves. They may use memorised phrases. Others might prefer to communicate with pictures, signs, or even technology.

Ways Children Might Communicate

Gestures and Body Language
Some children use gestures like pointing, waving, or reaching to show what they want or need. These are powerful ways to let others know how they’re feeling.

Facial Expressions
A child’s face can say a lot without words — a smile, a frown, or sparkling eyes can give clear clues about their emotions.

Sounds and Vocalisations
Babbling, humming, or making particular noises can be meaningful forms of communication, especially for children who aren’t using spoken words.

Pictures and Symbols
Children may use images to express themselves — through picture boards, symbol cards, or communication apps and devices designed for this purpose.

Sign Language
Learning simple signs such as more, please, or thank you can help a child communicate effectively without needing to speak.

Understanding Your Child’s Communication Style

How does my child show what they need or want?

• Do they use gestures, body language, or sounds?
• Are there other ways they let me know what they want?

How does my child express their emotions?

• How do they show happiness, frustration, or excitement?
• Do they use their body, facial expressions, or voice?

What does my child understand when others communicate with them?

• Are there specific words, signs, or cues they respond to?
• How do they show that they understand?

How does my child like to connect with the world?

• Do they engage through play, shared activities, or routines?
• How do they interact with toys, objects, or people?

When does my child communicate most naturally?

• Are there certain places, people, or times of day when communication flows more easily?

Supporting Your Child While Waiting for a Speech and Language Therapist

You don’t have to wait for a formal diagnosis to support your child’s communication. Here are some practical ways to help:

1. Encourage Non-Verbal Communication
   Support their use of gestures, facial expressions, and body language. You can model this by using your own gestures during everyday conversations.
2. Use Pictures or Symbols
   Try a simple picture board with common items like food, drink, or favourite toys. This can help your child show you what they need.
3. Introduce Sign Language
   Even a few basic signs like more, all done, or please can give your child a powerful way to communicate.
4. Create Opportunities to Interact
   Talk to your child often — even if they don’t talk back. Point to things, name them, and involve them in simple back-and-forth exchanges.
5. Stick to a Routine
   Predictable routines help children understand what to expect. Use the same words, signs, or images during activities like mealtimes and bedtimes.
6. Explore Communication Apps or Devices
   Some children benefit from digital tools that use images, symbols, or text-to-speech to support communication.
7. Be Patient and Positive
   Every child develops at their own pace. Celebrate the small wins and focus on creating a safe and supportive space where they feel comfortable expressing themselves.

Speech sounds are the sounds we use for talking. We use our tongue, lips, teeth, and other parts of our mouth to create different speech sounds. Speech sounds are not the same as letters. For example, the word ‘sheep’ has five letters, but only three sounds: ‘sh’ ‘ee’ ‘p’.

This section is for families waiting for support with their child’s speech sounds. You’ll find information, tip and games, to help your child practise and develop their talking while you wait. It’s all about making speech practice fun and part of everyday life.

Helpful Tips for Supporting Your Child’s Speech at Home

• Speech sound development is a complex process and can take time to develop. Therefore, there may be times when you don’t understand your child. This can be frustrating but do not worry; here are some useful strategies you can try.
• Try not to correct how your child says a word. Instead, show them the right way by just saying he word back to them in a sentence, repeating it clearly.
  Child: “Look, a tat!”
  You: “Yes, it’s a cat! A ginger cat!”
• It’s okay if their words aren’t clear — what matters most is that they’re trying to talk. Celebrate that effort and keep the conversation going. Asking them to repeat words could lead to frustration.
• Let your child talk freely without a dummy in their mouth — it’s much easier for them to be understood without it.
• Turning off the TV, music, or background noise can really help your child hear sounds more clearly.
• Be positive and encouraging! Let them know you’re proud of them for talking, even if it’s tricky sometimes.
• Give your child lots of chances to play and chat with you and others. Talking during play is a great way for them to build confidence and communication skills.
• Focus on what your child is saying, not just how they say it. Showing you’re listening helps build trust and keeps them motivated.
• Keep being a great model! Say words clearly, talk about what you’re doing, and have fun with talking — it all helps.

What to Do If You Can’t Understand Your Child

It’s completely normal not to understand everything your child says — especially when they’re still learning to talk. If this happens, here are a few things you can try:

• Stay calm and positive. Let your child know it’s okay. A smile and encouragement go a long way.
• Ask them to show you. You can say things like, “Can you show me?” or “Let’s go and look together.”
• Ask a choice question. Try giving two options: “Are you talking about the ball or the book?”
• Repeat the part you understood. This shows you’re listening: “You saw a… big what?”
• Keep the conversation going. Even if you’re not sure what they meant, keep talking together. This helps them learn from your words and stay confident.

And remember — it’s okay to say “I’m not sure what you meant, but I love that you’re telling me!” You’re doing a great job just by listening and showing interest.

When do children learn different speech sounds?

For more information on when to expect speech sounds develop visit
Speech sounds – Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives

Try the following activities to support a child’s ability to hear the sounds in words. Remember that the focus of these activities is on listening and not for the child to say the words.

Nursery Rhymes

Singing nursery rhymes is a great way to help your child learn new words and sounds. Here’s how to make the most of it:

• Sing together often. Repeating favourites helps your child join in and feel confident.
• Sit face-to-face. This helps your child watch how you move your mouth and hear the words clearly.
• Make it fun! Use big actions, silly voices, and lots of expression to keep your child interested.
• Pause between lines. Breaking the rhyme into short parts gives your child time to take it in.
• Highlight the rhyming words. Say them a little louder or with more expression — this helps your child notice the patterns.
• Leave a word out. Once your child knows the rhyme well, try pausing at the end of a line and let them fill in the missing word:
  “Twinkle, twinkle, little…” (wait and see if they say “star”!)

Clapping Words – A Fun Way to Break Words into Beats

This activity helps your child listen to the different parts (syllables) in words. You can call them “claps” or “taps” to make it easy and fun!

Try it like this:

• Say and clap the word together. For example, “Let’s clap the name Char-lotte – that’s two claps!”
• Use everyday objects. Tap or clap out the beats in words like pen (1 tap), pen-cil (2 taps), ru-ler (2 taps), or ba-na-na (3 taps
• Point to pictures in books. Ask, “How many claps are in sun-shine or ae-ro-plane?”
• Start by showing them. Children learn best when they see and hear you do it first — then invite them to join in.

Playful Phonics – Learning Sounds Through Fun and Games

Phonics is all about hearing and playing with the sounds in words — and it can be loads of fun! Here are some easy ways to help your child learn:

• Use picture cards or sound books. Try fun resources like Jolly Phonics or Read Write Inc. where each sound has a picture — sometimes even a little story or action to go with it!
• Add music and movement. If the sounds have actions or songs, sing them together and get moving! Wiggles, claps, and silly sound effects all help your child remember.
• Sound spotting game. Lay out the sound cards on the floor. Say a sound — like “sss” — and see if your child can find the matching card. You can swap roles and let them be the “sound teacher” too!
• Make it part of play. Use sounds during playtime — pretend a toy snake goes “ssss” or a bouncing ball says “buh buh buh.” The more fun, the better!

Listening Game – Are the Words the Same or Different?

This simple game helps your child become a great listener by tuning into how words sound. It’s a fun way to build early phonics and attention skills!

Here’s how to play:

• Use a puppet or soft toy to “talk.” Let the toy say two words, one after the other. Your child’s job is to listen carefully and say whether the words are the same or different.
• Start with easy ones. Pick words that sound really different, like “sausage” and “egg.” These are easier to tell apart.
• Make it a bit trickier. Once your child gets the hang of it, try words that sound more alike, such as “sun” and “mum.”
• Level up with sound twins! Try words that only change by one sound. These are called minimal pairs, like:
  • fun – sun
  • dog – frog
  • book – look
  • man – van
• Use toys, pictures, or actions to help. If your child finds it tricky, acting the words out or showing pictures can help them connect the sound to the meaning.

First Sound Fun – Spot the Starting Sound!

Helping your child notice the first sound in a word is a great early phonics skill — and you can turn it into a game wherever you are! Remember, Your child doesn’t need to say the words perfectly — these activities are all about helping them listen carefully to sounds. Speaking clearly will come with time.

Try these fun ideas:

• Treasure hunt for sounds!
  Say: “Let’s find things that start with the ‘ssss’ sound!”
  Walk around the room together and look for items that start with that sound — like sock, spoon, or soap.
  If your child picks something that doesn’t match, gently tell them the correct sound it starts with.
  If they get it right, celebrate! “Yes! Snake starts with ssssssss!”
• Take turns thinking of ‘sound buddies’.
  Choose a sound like “b” and say: “I’m thinking of things that start with ‘b’… bed, ball, banana!”
  Invite your child to come up with their own ‘b’ words. It’s okay if they need help — just model it and keep it light and fun.
• Play ‘I Spy’ with sounds.
  Try: “I spy with my little eye, something beginning with ‘f’!”
  Help them listen carefully to the first sound in words and match it to objects they can see.

These activities are a great starting point to help your child while you wait for your appointment. They’re simple, fun, and can make a real difference to your child’s communication skills. Don’t worry about doing everything perfectly — just giving it a go really helps. Once you have been seen by a Speech and Language Therapist they will recommend more ideas from the Children’s Speech and Language Therapy (CSLT) Toolkit Speech – Leeds Community Healthcare.

Children communicate in lots of ways—not just with words, but also through sounds, gestures, facial expressions, and actions. It’s important to notice and support how your child prefers to communicate, whether that’s verbal or non-verbal.

Children need a reason to communicate, like asking for help, saying no, or sharing something exciting. You can gently encourage communication by creating chances for them to ask or show you what they need—like pausing before giving a snack or toy.

Most importantly, give your child opportunities to join in. Wait, watch, and give them time to respond. Let them have a go before jumping in to help or speak for them—it’s in these moments that their communication skills grow!

This video from South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust explains means, reasons and opportunities – the things which children need to communicate.

These easy, everyday activities help build your child’s understanding and encourage them to use more language. These ideas are designed to be used at home, during routines, play, and family time.

• Enjoying: Show interest in what they try to communicate, even if they are not using words. This helps them feel motivated to communicate more!
• Commenting: Talk about what your child is doing and interested in, using simple language to model what they might say next.
• Pausing: Give your child time to respond. Waiting helps them process language.

Fun and Engaging Ways to Support Your Child’s Learning:

• Create a calm environment. Try turning off the TV or background music to keep the focus on you and your child.
• Pick the right time. Choose moments when both you and your child are feeling relaxed and ready to play.
• Follow your child’s lead. Watch what catches their attention and join in on what they’re already interested in.
• Start with fun activities. “People games” like tickles, songs, or rhymes are great for getting their attention!
• Keep it short and sweet. If your child starts to lose interest, it’s time to change the activity.
• Make play exciting! Use lots of expression in your voice and face to keep things fun.

These tips are a great starting point to help your child while you wait for your appointment. They’re simple, fun, and can make a real difference to your child’s communication skills.

We recommend you check out the following toolkit sections. You don’t need to work through every section – just pick the one that feels most relevant to where your child is right now. Whether they’re just beginning to show interest in sounds, starting to understand words, or saying a few themselves, there’s something here to support you both.

Trust your instincts – you know your child best. And remember, small steps make a big difference!

Children’s Speech and Language Therapy (CSLT) Toolkit Early Communication – Leeds Community Healthcare

Copying: Children learn a lot through copying! This section encourages back-and-forth imitation – like facial expressions, gestures, sounds or simple actions – which helps build the foundations for communication and connection.

Turntaking: Communication is a two-way process. Taking turns in games or play helps children learn that interactions go back and forth – a key step before using words.

Early Listening Skills: Good listening is an essential part of learning language. This section supports your child in paying attention to different sounds and tuning in to speech.

Encouraging Sound Making: Making playful sounds helps children get comfortable with using their voice, which is a step towards words. This section gives fun ideas to encourage early vocalisations.

Communicating Before Words: Even before talking, children can communicate a lot through gestures, pointing, facial expressions or sounds. This section helps you recognise and support those early communication skills.

Creating Verbal Routines: Repeating the same words and phrases in everyday routines helps children learn what to expect and may encourage them to try saying words themselves.

First Words – Understanding: Children need to understand words before they can use them. This section offers strategies for helping your child connect words with actions, objects and routines.

First Words – Speaking: This section gives ideas to encourage your child to use their first words in everyday situations, helping build their confidence in speaking.

First Words – Activities to Try: These simple, playful activities are designed to make talking fun and natural – helping your child learn without pressure.