Language Development

From birth to one year your baby will go from crying to cooing to talking. Those are amazing milestones for your baby to accomplish in such a short time.

This section will take a look at what is happening in the first year as your baby is developing his speech and language skills. Please keep in mind that these stages of development are broad and no baby will fall exactly within the timeframe every time.

Don't be discouraged if your baby does not meet a certain milestone at a certain time. She is her own person and she will develop at her won rate. Encourage her and nurture her. She will catch up in her own time.

One month: Your baby will understand speech long before he can speak. From birth he will look at your face and listen to your voice. He will likely remember your voice from pre-birth. Mom, dad, and other household members will all be recognized by voice.

She will start to make little noises that you will associate with different needs. Baby's learn from a very early age that certain sounds produce results. He will continue to make these sounds as long as the desired result is the same. (Keep this in mind when you are dealing with day to day activities. If you pick baby up every time he whimpers, he will expect this result with the slightest whimper)

A Side note about picking baby up all the time. Many people will tell you that your baby will not develop properly if you carry him around all the time. You will have to research this and make you own decision. It is my opinion that babies are fun to hold and I held my babies every opportunity I had. They developed just fine. As a matter of fact, they excelled.

Your baby's cry is his first form of communication. Crying lays the foundation for speech as your baby learns to control the air that comes from the lungs and learns how to use his vocal cords. Crying is your baby's way of telling you that he is hungry, upset, cold or tired. If you listen to your baby, you will soon learn which cry is for which need. Your baby is communicating with you.

Two Months: Your baby is starting to pay more and more attention to his world. He will be fascinated by the sound of your voice and will follow it around the room. The different tones of your voice will keep him interested for short periods of time. Your baby will respond with a variety of cooing sounds. She is trying to carry on a conversation with you.

Talk to your baby as much as possible to encourage her cooing response. Look into his eyes to show that you are listening. This will establish signals of communication between the two of you.

Three Months: Your baby will turn his head towards you when he hears you talking. He will start to laugh out loud and often scare himself until he learns that he is the one making that sound.

Continue to talk to your baby as much as possible. Read her stories and sing to her. You can even read the daily newspaper or your favorite magazine to your baby.

Four Months: Your baby is learning more ways to communicate with you. She will be smiling spontaneously at everything around her. Her soft babbling will have an almost singsong sound to it often ranging into high pitched squeals as she learns to enjoy the sound of her own voice.

There will be lots of repetition to the sounds that your baby is making now. Be sure to respond to these 'oohs' and 'ahhs'. This is chat time and your baby wants to tell you something very important.

Baby will also start to communicate with body language at this stage. He may turn away if he is angry about something. She may cover her eyes if she isn't in the mood to talk.

Five Months: Your baby is becoming better at communicating. He may start to mimic sounds and gestures he sees and hears around him. If an older brother or sister get a positive result with a certain sound or action, baby will try the same sound or action.

Baby is starting to watch your mouth when you talk. She is trying to figure out how to say the words you say.

Six Months: Your baby is now using consonant-vowel combinations. He has discovered his image in the mirror and is probably having conversations with his new friend.

Here are some tips to help your baby develop his or her skills easier.

• Speak clearly, slowly and accurately.
• Don't use "baby talk". Speak to baby like you would anyone else. Baby will not learn how to say the words correctly if you are saying them wrong when you are talking to her.
• Identify objects as you hand them to baby.
• Use short sentences.
• Use a lot of repetition. Nursery rhymes and baby songs are good for this.
• Read to your baby often.
• Tell you baby what you are doing. "I'm going to wash your face now".

Seven Months: Your baby continues to learn his language skills. He has learned to wave goodbye and may accompany his wave with a sound. He can probably say mama or dada now.

Eight Months: Your baby is playing games like pat a cake and peek-a-boo. Even though she can't speak the words yet, she can babble and talk to herself. Your baby understands the word "no" and knows what it means.

Nine Months: Continue to play lots of games with your baby, especially games that involve singing. Your baby is starting to respond to small sentences such as "Take mommy's hand."

Ten Months: Your baby's language skills continue to develop. He is using his own gibberish language to interact with his family.

Eleven Months: Your baby can now say short, one syllable words such as no and bye. She will continue to use her own gibberish language most of the time. She will act like she expects you to know what she is saying. Her babbling is deliberate.

Twelve Months: At the age of one year, your baby's language skills are continuing to progress. He will discover more and more about he world around him.

Continue to talk with your baby. Read and sing with baby often. Point out colors and shapes. Tell him the names of his body parts.

Before you know it, your baby will be a non-stop talker.