Stimulating Speech & Language Development

Do you notice the coos, gurgles and screeches of earlier months now giving way to recognizable syllables, like "ba," "da," "ga" and "ma"? Your child may even stumble on words, such as "mama" and "bye-bye," quite accidentally, and when you get excited she'll realize she's said something meaningful. Before long she'll start using "mama" to summon you or attract your attention. At this age, she also may say "mama" throughout the day just to practice saying the word. Ultimately, however, she'll use words only when she wants to communicate their meanings.

Encouraging Language Development

Even though you've been talking to your baby from birth, she now understands more language, and thus your conversations will take on new significance. Before she can say many, if any, words, she'll probably be comprehending more than you suspect. For example, watch how she responds when you mention a favorite toy across the room. If she looks toward it, she's telling you she understands. To help her increase her understanding, just keep talking to her as much as possible. Tell her what's happening around her, particularly as you bathe, change and feed her. Use simple and specific language: "I'm drying you with the big blue towel. How soft it feels!" Verbally label familiar toys and objects for her, and try to be as consistent as possible, that is, if you call the family pet a cat today, don't call it a kitty tomorrow.

Picture books can enhance this entire process, too, by reinforcing her budding understanding that everything has a name. Choose books with large board, cloth or vinyl pages that she can turn herself. Also, look for simple but colorful illustrations of things your child will recognize.

Whether you're reading or talking to her, give her plenty of opportunities to join in. Ask questions and wait for a response. Or let her take the lead. If she says "Gaagaagaa," repeat it back and see what she does. Yes, these exchanges may seem meaningless, but they tell your baby that communication is two-way and that she's a welcome participant. Paying attention to what she says also will help you identify the words she understands and make it more likely that you'll recognize her first spoken words.

First Words

The first words, incidentally, often aren't proper English. For your child a "word" is any sound that consistently refers to the same person, object or event. So if she says "mog" every time she wants milk, then "mog" should be treated with all the respect of a legitimate word. When you speak back to her; however, use "milk," and eventually she'll make the correction herself.

There's a tremendous variance in the age at which children begin to say recognizable words. Some have a vocabulary of two to three words by their first birthday. More likely, your baby's speech at 12 months will consist of a sort of gibberish that has the tones and variations of intelligible speech. As long as she's experimenting with sounds that vary in intensity, pitch and quality, she's getting ready to talk. The more you respond to her as though she were speaking, the more you'll stimulate her urge to communicate.

Excerpted from Caring forYour Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5, Bantam 1999

© Copyright 2003 American Academy of Pediatrics