Comment More, Question Less: A Language Strategy for Late Talkers

Irene Gutierrez

Sep 18

3 min read

Updated: Sep 25

When your child is learning to talk, it is natural to ask lots of questions:

“What’s this?”
“What color is it?”
“What does the dog say?”
“Can you say ball?”

We want our children to talk, so we try to give them opportunities to practice!

But sometimes, all those questions can start to feel a little bit like a quiz.

One simple strategy we often share with families at Brainstorm Speech Therapy is:

Comment more. Question less.

Let’s talk about what that actually means.

Toddler using language strategies for late talkers with blocks.

Why Commenting Can Help Language Development in Late Talkers

Young children learn language through meaningful interactions with the people around them.

Responsive language strategies—including modeling words, responding to a child’s communication, expanding what they say, and giving them time to respond—are commonly used to support early language development.

Commenting is an easy way to provide those language models without requiring your child to give you an answer.

Instead of:

❌ “What is that?”

Try:

✅ “A big truck!”

Instead of:

❌ “What is the baby doing?”

Try:

✅ “The baby is sleeping.”

Instead of:

❌ “What color is the ball?”

Try:

✅ “Red ball!”

Your child gets to hear the language connected to exactly what they are seeing and doing.

Toddler playing arcade game using language strategies for late talkers

5 Easy Ways to Comment More and Help Your Late Talker

1. Talk about what your child is doing

If your child is pushing a car:

“Go car!”“Fast!”“Crash!”

2. Talk about what they are looking at

If they notice a dog outside:

“Doggy!”“Big dog.”“Woof woof!”

3. Keep your language simple

You do not need long sentences.

If your child is using single words, simple phrases such as “big ball,” “mommy eating,” or “car go!” can provide accessible language models.

4. Follow their interests

You do not need a special toy or Pinterest activity to work on language.

Cars. Rocks. Bubbles. The washing machine. A favorite snack.

If your child is interested in it, you already have an opportunity for communication.

5. Pause and give them a turn

After you comment, wait.

Your child might respond with a word—but they may also point, gesture, make a sound, use a sign, look at you, or communicate using AAC.

Those are communication attempts too.

Toddler playing with toys to support language strategies for late talkers.

Do I Have to Stop Asking Questions?

Absolutely not!

Questions are a normal and important part of conversation. Interactive approaches such as shared book reading may intentionally use questions as part of language learning.

The goal is simply balance.

If you notice yourself asking question after question, try replacing a few of them with comments.

Less:

“What’s this?”“What color?”“What does it do?”

“Oh! A train!”“Blue train.”“It’s going FAST!”

Notice how different the interaction feels.

Toddler playing with toys using language strategies for late talkers.

Your Role in Your Child’s Language Development

You do not have to become your child’s speech therapist at home.

Parents and caregivers are already incredibly important communication partners, and research supports caregiver-implemented language strategies as part of early language intervention.

Your job is not to make your child perform.

Play. Connect. Talk. Pause. Listen.

Language learning can happen right there.

Additional Resources for Families

For more information about late language development, visit the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Late Language Emergence resource. ASHA: Late Language Emergence

And remember: every child develops differently. If you have concerns about your child’s understanding, communication, vocabulary, or overall language development, a speech-language evaluation can help determine whether additional support may be appropriate.