Speak in simple short sentences, respond to the childs communicative gestures and talk about what the child

is experiencing. Children are more verbal when they understand and are comfortable with what is being said to them. Example: Is that a cat? or Draw a cat. A child who is comfortable and is interested in it, will have many opportunities to communicate with you.

Children are more likely to imitate speech when they are interested in the activity and an adult says sounds and connects them to meaning.
Example:

The adults say, vroom vroom, while pushing a toy car.

The adults say up up up up as the toy car climb up the couch.

As children learn to speak, they typically say less than what they are thinking. When an adult expands what the child is trying to communicate, it gives him or her an opportunity to expand their previous utterance. Example:

Child: Car go
Adult: The car goes in the tunnel. Child: Car go tunnel.

Some children learning to speak are not ready to imitate speech on command. Fill-ins provide wonderful speaking opportunities.

Example:
Adult says, Ready, set, ____ and the child says, go! Adult says, Give _ and the child says me!

Providing a sound cue, including action words, helps the child communicate new words with less frustration. Example: Child is trying to open a closed container and does not use any words. The adult exaggerates saying o and the child replies open to request help opening a closed container.

Read books to him daily so he hears new words, phrases and ideas.
Point out environmental print to help him connect the written words to spoken language.