Do activities that require the child to gesture or talk to help improve communication. Show your child something and then put it out of view or out of reach. Wait for the child to gesture or ask for the item. For example, put a toy in a container and then hand it to the child. When the child has difficulty getting the toy, he will gesture or ask for help. Ask a few questions before opening the box, such as "Oh, what do you want?" or "Do you want me to get the toy?" These questions force the child to provide a response.
Read and talk about the same book every day with your child. Do not just read the words but talk about the pictures and what is going on. Point to objects and describe them, such as "See the cow. What sound does the cow make?" Provide the answer or encourage your child provide it.
To help your child learn new words, talk about the world around you. This includes what children see, taste, hear, smell and touch. Explore environments or play games and ask open-ended questions such as "What should we do?" Offer choices such as "up or down?" or "eat or drink?" Provide the beginning part of a sentence and let your child finish, such as "It's a big _____." Always repeat the word or answer your child gives.
Talk about the activity you are doing. This includes talking while feeding, talking while bathing and talking while playing. When dressing your child, talk about the types of clothes being used and the colors. You can also bring in the topic of weather when dressing. There are many things you can talk about during activities such as the actual process the child is going through and the items being used.