Parenting: Ten Things You Can Do to Develop Your Baby's Language
Skills
The growth of your baby's language skills is an amazing process.
In the short space of a year, she goes from crying to speaking
intelligible words.
Can you do anything to help baby along? Apparently yes. There
are ways to help the baby develop her language skills more
easily and quickly.
Keep in mind that these are only general guidelines. All babies
do not respond equally to these actions. In some cases, you
might not notice any effect at all.
1. Talk to your baby. Babies can understand speech long before
they can speak. Talking to your baby helps her become familiar
with words. Speak slowly and clearly, using short sentences.
2. As early as two months of age, your baby will have a
collection of coos and other sounds for communication. To
encourage her to keep communicating, listen to her attentively,
looking directly into her eyes.
3. Sing to your baby and read stories to her. The more you talk
to her as well as listen to her, the faster she'll develop her
language. When you read, ask questions about the pictures in the
book. That way, you can turn the session into an interactive
one.
4. Respond to your baby's sounds with your own voice tones and
words. Have 'chat times' with baby and you can hold
'conversations' with her. When she gets one or two words right
or almost right, repeat them back to her.
5. At times, your baby will tire of communication. She may turn
her head away from you or cover her face. When this happens,
don't attempt to force her to talk to you.
6. Don't talk to the baby continuously. Allow her space to
respond in her own way. Let her complete sentences herself;
don't do it for her.
7. Identify objects by their names. When the baby shows
curiosity about any object, use it as an opportunity to help
expand her vocabulary. Name animals, trees, colors, objects and
more.
8. Repetition helps the baby learn. Repeat object names,
sentences and nursery rhymes.
9. Play games like peek-a-boo or pat a cake. While the baby
can't speak real words, she'll respond with her own babbling
language.
10. Some studies say that background noise like television can
hinder a baby's ability to pick up language. Adults who are hard
of hearing may struggle to understand conversation at a noisy
party. The situation is even worse for a baby who doesn't even
understand the language in the first place. So try to minimize
such background noises.