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Your baby: starting to talk
Find out how you can help your baby's language skills develop by providing a rich communication environment
Reproduced with the permission of Practical Parenting. Subscribe and save up to 25 percent
0-6 months
From the first moment your baby starts to suckle - breast or bottle - he's already beginning to develop the muscles he needs to help him form words. Although he may not appear to respond, he's taking in a lot more than just his feed. Within a very short space of time, he'll be able to recognize your voice.
What you can do
- Don't be self-conscious. Tell him what you're doing: changing his nappy, getting his bath ready.
- Let him look at your face when you're talking. He learns by imitation and by matching the sounds you're making to the shape of your mouth.
6-12 months
By now your baby will be trying out sounds for himself. Speaking uses a lot of muscles and is a sensual act. He enjoys the feel of his tongue on the ridge of his teeth and the bubbly sound (and the bubbles) his lips make when he blows through them. Ma-ma and da-da are usually his first definite 'words', and are similar in all languages.
What you can do
- Copy his sounds and let him see that it's a fun thing to do.
- He'll quickly relate 'ma-ma' and 'da-da' to you and your partner, and is laying the foundations of a vocabulary. Reward him with big smiles and tell him how clever he is.
- Other sounds may not make much sense, but encourage him to experiment and let him see how pleased you are with his attempts.
- When visiting friends, encourage him to associate 'hello' when greeting people so that he absorbs the ideas of sociability. 'Goodbye', 'please' and 'thank you' also have their place here, and if he sees you chatting easily he'll soon want to try things out for himself.
12-18 months
At this age your toddler will probably be trying out his first words. Children are great imitators and will quickly pick
up the words you use and the way you say them. Remember, conversation is a two-way process so respect his efforts by listening to him, and when he's struggling with words give him time.
What you can do
- Repetition is the key. Offer him a biscuit and say 'biscuit' - it won't be long before he's trying to say it, too.
- When you recognise a word he says, repeat it and look for the smile as he realises you've understood him.
- Try to avoid too much anticipation or finishing off what you think he wants to say, as this won't stretch his skill. Reward him with praise when he gets words right.
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