What You Can Do To Encourage Your Baby’s Language Development
|
|
The first years of your child’s life are an exciting time for both of you. You treasure each specific milestone. You wait, for example, with baited breath to hear your baby’s first words. There are some things to, first of all, keep in mind when considering your baby’s language development:
- First, all babies develop language and other skills at their own pace. Some may develop language skills much faster than others, and this is not always a cause for concern.
- Girls tend to be faster than boys at developing language skills.
- Language and speech development can be slow and steady, or it can come in spurts.
Here are some general milestones when it comes to speech in the first three months:
- At around one week after delivery, a baby can tell the difference between her mom’s voice and another woman’s voice.
- After around 14 days, a baby can tell the difference between her dad’s voice and another man’s voice.
- During the first 3 months, baby can be startled by loud noises and calmed by gentle voices.
During this time, you can help your baby by just meeting her needs. Respond to her cries; talk to her, even though she doesn’t yet have a clue what you’re talking about. Use a calm and reassuring voice to let her know that everything is OK. When he makes a sound, try to repeat it back to him to let him know you heard him, and to encourage him to make more sounds.
Some milestones for ages 3 to 6 months include:
- After 3 months, a baby will start using vowel sounds, gurgling, and saying “ah.”
- Between the ages of 4 months and 6 months, your baby will coo and squeal to get attention. His hunger cry will become distinct during this time also. Your baby may seem to enjoy it when you talk to her, and she will watch your face intently when you talk.
During this time, your baby will be tickled when you copy her gurgles and coos. You might try to imitate her vowel sounds, and then repeat some words that use those vowel sounds. You can continue to talk with your baby; ask him questions, and when he “answers”, respond with enthusiasm. Also during this time, you can read to your baby books that have large colorful pictures. You can also emphasize single words such as “bottle” or “toy.”
Some milestones that occur between 6 months and 1 year:
- Between the ages of 6 months and 8 months, the baby will begin using some consonant sounds, and combining them with vowel sounds, to say things like “mama” and “dada,” although they aren’t connecting those words yet with mommy or daddy.
- Sometime between the ages 6 months and 1 year, your baby will begin to understand certain frequent words, such as “bye, bye” and “up” and their own name. Also during this period, they may try to sing along with music, and may laugh and imitate the sound of a cough.
During this time, you can focus on using names and repetitive word games. A good one is “this little piggy” for example. You can hold up a single object, and say “what’s that?” If you pause before giving the answer, he will eventually start to point at the object and try to make the sounds. Also during this time, you can use music and tempo to help with language learning.
Again, each child is different. If your baby doesn’t say “mama” and “dada” until after her 10th month, it doesn’t mean that she will have language or speech delays. If you are concerned that your baby may not be developing as he should, you should contact your pediatric health care provider who can help to evaluate the situation.
Related Articles:
if you have any questions or comments!