Oh those precious, imperfect, and exiting first words! Commonly seen objects are often the very first things your toddler will try naming. Help your child by playfully withholding desirables while naming the object of interest a few times. Especially emphasize the first sound and syllable as this could be all your little talker can produce initially any way. Always bring the desired object to your mouth to help focus the child's attention on your lips as you articulate the sounds. Provide lots of models naming that toy or snack and don't forget to ask "What do you want?", teaching that we use words to answer questions too. Finally, imitate ALL the sounds your little one makes. It doesn't matter if some of these don't always sound like real speech! Silly sounds are okay too. Children love playing the Monkey see, Monkey do game and get super excited when the caregiver copies them back. Have fun and happy talking!