Nurturing Your Baby's Speech Development - What You Need to Know Now
Published: 29/01/2010 by Kyra Bradbury
The way you speak to your baby will help to develop both his or her receptive and expressive language skills. The receptive language (what he or she understands) will be the first to evolve while the expressive (what he or she can say) language will develop a little later. There are ways that you can help both of these skills along.
When talking to your baby, keep your words simple and avoid a lot of flowery words. The clearer and the simpler the better. Also try to speak slowly to your baby so that he or she can absorb every word. If you notice that something you said is of particular interest to your baby, repeat it as many times as he or she will listen.
Talk about whatever is going on with your baby and emphasize single words. For example you might say, "It's time to wash your hands". You might want to put particular emphasis on the word "hands" and perhaps when you say the word you touch your baby's hands. Then you might say, "These are your hands" and "Can you clap your hands?" Try to make the words that you emphasize things that would be very relative to your baby's everyday world or routine. Remember to pause between sentences and let your baby absorb what you have just said.
Try to limit the usage of pronouns. The complex nature of words like "he", "she", or "it" will have little meaning to your little one right now. Try to be more specific and give the real names of items and people.
Play copy cat games. Words are built around simple combinations of consonants and vowels. Try to make simple sounds and encourage your baby to copy the sounds, or better yet copy whatever sounds that he makes. Show him that you're having fun and it's a game. Be enthusiastic about your imitation. This will teach your baby conversation skills as well. When you are speaking, it's time to listen, when you pause it's time for him to talk. Usually this game will begin with you imitating his sounds, but before too long he'll be trying to imitate your sounds and your words. Use simple sounds like "Ba, ba, ba, ba" or "Da, da, da, da" and progress from there.
Read your baby simple nursery rhymes and songs and repeat them often to him. The repetition will delight your little one and the consistency will teach him rhyming and sounds of words and phrases. Let your baby listen to CD's or music that is designed for babies. They'll especially love this if you can act out the songs. Motion combined with the music and words will keep your baby interested in this little learning game.
It's never too early to read to your baby. Don't break out Tolstoy's War and Peace just yet, but a simple book with lots of colorful pictures will do just fine. Don't worry if after the first couple of pages, baby is not interested anymore. His or her attention span will increase over time. Try to point out single, simple objects to baby in the pictures. Once you point the object out, try asking your baby, "Where is _____?"
You can then guide your baby's finger to the picture of ______. Pretty soon he'll be pointing to the object himself when you ask the question.
Give your baby time to respond. After you say something to your baby or ask him a question, give him time to answer even if you know he cannot speak yet. Give him time to make even a grunt or laugh or whatever. Giving him time to process whatever you said will also let him know that it's his turn to talk.
Most importantly, don't rush your baby or feel like there's something wrong with him or her if his ability to communicate doesn't progress as quickly as you would like. Every baby will develop at different rates, no two baby's development is exactly the same. If you do have any concerns about your baby and his or her speech development, discuss the concern with your baby's pediatrician. If there is any cause for concern, he can send you for an evaluation to help determine what kind of help your baby may need.
Kyra Brandbury has been a freelance writer for over ten years and mother of three. She is currently doing some work for a website for scaffold ladders that helps consumers find the best scaffold planks on the market.
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