Your baby changes and grows so much in this first year. Track your baby’s development month by month, encourage your baby’s learning with our suggested activities . Find practical information on health and safety. We can help you with tips on crying, sleeping or even what to look for when choosing a baby sitter. Have questions about basic care? We have the answers !
Ideas for encouraging listening and talking (baby)
Help your baby build listening and talking skills with these ideas below.
Young babies make sounds and move their bodies.
- Listen and talk to your baby throughout the day. Get to know the meaning of your baby's cries and gestures. Listen to the sounds the baby makes and watch the way the baby's body moves.
- Take your time while feeding, diapering, and bathing your baby. Sing songs, say nursery rhymes, and smile and coo back at the baby's smiles and coos. In this way your baby will learn that you think what he or she says is important and that people take turns when talking with each other.
Young babies listen to the sounds and voices around them.
- Talk to your baby about what you both are doing and what he or she sees and hears. "I see you looking at your mobile. I'll touch it gently to make the faces move back and forth."
- Tell your baby through your words and actions how much he or she is loved and valued.
- Give your baby simple directions with words and gestures. Point, look toward something, or hold out your hand while talking to the baby. Ask, "Are you hot?" Then, lift up your arms and say, "Please lift up your arms so I can take off your sweater."
- Around 9 months babies start to babble. He probably copies sounds and soon will be saying words. Talk to him often. Play a game in which you say sounds—“ma-ma-ma-ma,” for example. Give him time to repeat the sound to you. When he makes a sound, say it back to him.
- When your baby is older (9-12 months) you can play 'Animal sounds": Cut pictures of animals from old magazines. Share the pictures with your baby. Tell him the name of the animal. Point out the animal’s features. Say things like, “This is a blue bird. It flies. See its feathers.” Make the sound each animal makes. Encourage your baby to repeat the sound.
Related tips
- Baby Smiles
- Your baby’s smile might be telling you more than you think.
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- Baby talk
- As your baby begins to make purposeful sounds, questions may come to mind. When does my baby begin to learn language?
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- How to communicate with your baby
- As your baby grows you will both develop more complicated ways of communicating with one another. Here are a few ways that you can keep the lines of communication open.
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- How your baby communicates with you
- Luckily for parents trying to figure out what your baby needs gets easier over time. Here are some ways your baby communicates with you.
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Comments
Cathy P. Miller AKA The Literacy Ambassador
Great tips! I have one more: Parents can also talk with their baby about the world around them - grocery shopping is a great time to chat about the various objects, foods, cans, boxes, treats in the store. Engaging the baby in conversation (or reflective responses if they aren't yet verbal) makes the shopping experience quicker and more pleasant for both baby and parent.
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