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Language development

Talk to your baby

Babies love to be talked to, and regular exchanges of sounds help your baby to lay the groundwork for his future development of speech and language. It’s important to listen to and watch your baby with real interest, watching and responding in a way that’s not random but is to the point and relevant, continuing the exchange.

Wait for your baby to express his thoughts

One of the main things you can do to encourage language growth is to wait patiently for your baby to formulate her thoughts. If you don’t rush the answer from her, she’ll start to develop an early capacity for thinking things through and solving problems. It’s also worth asking open-ended questions which need more than yes or no answers.

Learn to speak your baby’s language

Experts refer to the language that parents use with their young baby as "parentese." This is a form of melodic and slow speech that’s ideally suited to helping your baby to learn to talk. Vary the tone and pitch of your voice, speak slowly and distinctly, and repeat words and phrases. Do try and talk about real things and make real sentences to help your baby develop good speaking habits.

Find interesting subjects to discuss

Look for interesting subjects to cover in your conversations, based in the real world. If you try and discuss anything too abstract with your baby her attention may wander off. Base conversations on real experiences – for example, how you might try to transport water between a tap and a sand-box – and encourage her to work out the best way to achieve what she wants to do by discussing various options with you.

Ways of improving language development

• Read or say nursery rhymes to your baby so she can hear the rhythm and flow of language.
• Sing simple songs with her.
• Amplify and exaggerate your baby’s experience of the song or story by using body language.
• Name an object as you look at it with your baby and discuss its colour, size, weight and shape together.
• Introduce new words using stories, magazines, books or by making cards that include a word and a picture.
• If you go out on a walk together, name the things that you see together, and encourage your baby to ask about words written on signs.