The Imitation Hierarchy and Toddler Speech Delay Exercises

Imitation is the cornerstone of language acquisition, and it's how we learn everything around us, from the simplest actions to complex language. When working with toddlers who may be struggling with language development, it's essential to understand the Imitation Hierarchy, a roadmap that guides us through the developmental stages of imitation. In this blog post, we'll explore each phase of the Imitation Hierarchy and discuss how toddler speech delay exercises can be incorporated to support language development.

Phase 1 - Imitation With Objects:

In the initial phase, children learn to imitate actions involving objects, a critical step in their development. Children learn by observing and actively engaging in imitation. Typically, children will acquire two new object-related actions each month between the ages of 9 and 16 months. By the time they reach 16 months of age, they should be proficient in performing 16 distinct actions involving objects. For ideas about how to incorporate object imitation into your routine, check out our The Imitation Playbook.

Phase 2 - Imitation of Body Movements:

Children then progress to imitating body movements, from big movements such as jumping and dancing, to smaller communicative gestures such as waving, clapping, or using baby sign.

Phase 3 - Imitating the Face and Mouth:

In this phase, children imitate facial movements and expressions. To enhance language development during this stage, incorporate exercises that involve imitating facial gestures. Things like making a surprised face, blowing a pinwheel, and blowing a cotton ball across a table are things you can practice imitating with your child. Not all children need to work through this step and can often jump from imitating body movements to imitating vocalizations in play. If you aren't having luck with vocalizations, try this phase first.

Phase 4 - Vocalizations in Play:

Vocal imitation becomes prominent in Phase 4. Engage in speech delay exercises where your child imitates sounds and vocalizations during play. For instance, if you're playing with toy animals to be animals, encourage your child to mimic animal sounds like "moo," "quack," or "meow." This not only supports vocal development but also expands their vocabulary.

Phase 5 - Exclamatory Words:

Phase 5 introduces exclamatory words and expressions. Incorporate speech delay exercises that encourage your child to imitate these words in context. For instance, when sharing a delightful treat, prompt your child to say "yum" or "yay." This strengthens their ability to convey emotions and reactions through speech.

Phase 6 - Verbal Routines:

Verbal routines are an excellent opportunity to incorporate speech delay exercises. Use repetitive phrases and encourage your child to complete them. For instance, you might say, "Twinkle, twinkle, little..." and wait for your child to chime in with "star." This practice supports their participation in language exchanges.

Phase 7 - Functional Words:

In the final phase of the Imitation Hierarchy, children imitate functional words and common early vocabulary words. To support this phase, engage in exercises that involve naming objects and actions in their daily routines. Encourage your child to say common first words like "mama," "ball," "all done," and "dog."

Understanding and guiding children through these phases of imitation is a fundamental aspect of promoting their language development. By fostering imitation skills and combining them with targeted speech exercises, we provide children with the tools they need to overcome speech delays and navigate the world around them effectively.