The ability to associate a word with the object it represents is essential to understanding and communication. You can help a child learn to identify the names of objects by using simple name games. For example, gather together several common objects. You might focus on a theme such as food. In this case you could collect a box of crackers, a bowl of grapes, a bag of carrots, a container of yogurt and a bunch of bananas. Start by holding up each and saying what it is. Pronounce your words clearly. Ask your child to repeat the words back. Next, ask her if she can find one of the objects, calling it by name. Have fun whether she gets it right or wrong, but repeat the question until she finds the object connected with the name. This is a good game to play with young children in the two-to-four-year age range.
Putting words to music can stimulate language development for all age groups. When children learn the words of a song, like the "Alphabet Song," for example, they are more easily able to retain the information because they use more of their brain when learning it. You can make up silly songs to teach words and their meanings, or you can use existing songs. "Dry Bones" and "The Grass Grew All Around" are other songs that can help increase vocabulary.
For infants and toddlers, imitation and repetition are both important for stimulating language development. When your infant starts to make babbling sounds, repeat the sounds back to him. This helps to reinforce the sounds. As your child grows bigger, try introducing new sounds and see whether you can get him to repeat them back. Do a lot of imitation using the same sounds, facial expressions and body language. Very young children enjoy repetition, and it reinforces what they are learning.
A great activity for a child who hasn't yet learned to read or who is in the early stages of learning to read is to read a short story to her and then ask her to retell the story to you in her own words. This activity promotes a grasp of higher concepts, logical order of events and a broader vocabulary.