How to Help Your Late Talker — Without More Words

You've been talking to your toddler all day — narrating every diaper change, every snack, every walk to the mailbox — and he's still not talking (or very much). So everyone tells you the same thing: talk to him more. Here's the truth, after nearly forty years working with toddlers and the families raising them: talking more isn't the fix. Language isn't built by how many words you pour in. It's built by the back-and-forth between you and your child — and that changes everything about what to do next. In this episode, Erin Hyer, speech-language pathologist, breaks down why "just talk more" is the advice every worried parent hears — and why it quietly misses the mark. You'll see what actually builds talking, why screens can't do it, and the one small shift you can start today. You'll walk away understanding: → Why talking AT your child isn't the same as talking WITH him → The "thirty-million-word gap" — and what the research that came after actually found → Why screens (yes, even the "educational" ones) don't build language → What "serve and return" is — and how to start it at breakfast, bath time, and with a book → The one shift that does more for his brain than a thousand more words Send this to every mom wondering why her toddler isn't talking yet. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Talking all day — still not talking? 0:58 "Just talk more" — the advice every mom hears 14:40 The 30-million-word gap (and what it got wrong) 19:22 Talking AT vs. talking WITH your child 20:23 Why screens can't build talking 22:12 What happens the moment you say less 24:48 The one small shift to try today 33:59 What comes before words — your next step ───────────────────────────── The real building blocks underneath language, so you can see where your child is right now. 📘 FREE GUIDE — The 10 Things That Come Before Talking: https://hyerlearning.myflodesk.com/sk... 📞 One question about your child you can't get a clear answer to? Book a Clarity Call with Erin — link below. 📩 Join the INSIDERS list — weekly insights, tips, and real talk for the first three years — link below. 🔔 Subscribe for a new episode every week. ───────────────────────────── Talking Toddlers | Erin Hyer, M.S. CCC-SLP Early intervention. Prevention over remediation. Real information for the first three years.