Respond to what your child is communicating
Notice a look, gesture, sound or word, and respond to its meaning. Pause to allow another turn. The exchange matters more than requiring a repeated word on command.
These are illustrative examples of short exchanges:
- A baby looks toward a familiar person. The caregiver names the person, smiles and waits for the baby's response.
- A toddler points to a cup and says a word. The caregiver says, “Your blue cup. You want a drink,” then responds to the request.
- A preschooler describes part of a picture. The caregiver adds a comment and follows the child's interest rather than turning every page into a vocabulary quiz.
The talk and read together cards provide more prompts. Adapt them to the ways your child communicates; a child does not have to answer aloud to join an exchange.
Keep family languages in everyday life
Meals, dressing, songs, stories and conversations with relatives can provide repeated opportunities to use a language. You do not need to translate every sentence or make each language take up exactly half the day.
ASHA's multilingual learning guidance recommends using the languages caregivers are comfortable with and giving children opportunities to hear and practice them. A child's preferred language can vary by person, setting and topic.
Illustrative example: A child uses one language with a grandparent and another at care. At home, the family keeps the grandparent's language in songs and conversation. They share useful words with the care provider without requiring the child to abandon one language to participate in the other setting.
If a book is available in only one language, talk about its pictures in another. Retell a familiar story or explain a family photograph. The conversation does not depend on buying a bilingual edition.
Mixing languages is not confusion
Children may use words from more than one language in the same sentence. AAP and ASHA's parent FAQs explain that this can be part of multilingual development and does not, by itself, indicate a disorder.
Respond to the meaning instead of treating the mixture as a mistake that must stop the conversation. You can model the phrase naturally in the language you are using. Avoid making the child choose a “better” family language.
The same guidance explains that children with speech or language disorders can learn additional languages. Support should account for all the languages the child uses, rather than evaluating only the language of the appointment.
Bring a complete picture to an assessment
Tell the professional which languages the child hears and uses, with whom and in which settings. Describe communication in each one, including gestures, understanding and any skill that has changed. An English word count alone does not describe everything a multilingual child can communicate.
Ask about an interpreter or a professional who can assess the relevant languages. If your child is already receiving therapy, request activities that fit the family's languages and routines.
ASHA provides a professional directory. For a young child, you can also contact early intervention to ask about an evaluation. Assessment and program eligibility are determined by the relevant professionals, not by the number of languages used at home.
Use observations to raise concerns early
CDC's milestone resources can support observation, but they do not replace formal screening. If a skill is lost or something worries you, discuss it with the child's clinician rather than using this article as a diagnosis.
Talking and reading together offers everyday interaction ideas. Baby development explains how to record observations without making every conversation a test.