Reading, singing and talking to your baby all day long are great ways to expand his vocabulary. Here are a few specific tips to try:
Be silly. Pretend to put him in the tub without taking his clothes off first, try to put his shoe on his hand instead of his foot, or hand him a stick of butter instead of his cup when he is thirsty. At 12 months, he won’t verbally correct you, but watch him closely to see if he notices the mistake and looks confused. Laugh and tell him you made a mistake. As he gets older, he will find these little mistakes hilarious and he will use his words to let you know about it. Here is an example of a toddler setting daddy straight.
Make games out of household items. A paper bag becomes a puppet and talks to your child. A highchair has a name and “eats the food that falls down in it.” Use your imagination, make up stories, make your child laugh.