Sit in front of your baby and look directly into his or her eyes as you speak. Alternatively, sit with your baby in your lap or carry your little one around as you converse. Converse with your baby at every opportunity. When you change your little one’s diaper or feed your baby, for instance, talk through the activity. Conversations with your baby will likely consist of both babbles and “real” speech. If you don’t know what to say, say anything. Tell your baby about your plans or ask rhetorical questions. Your baby may not understand the words, but he or she will learn how to respond to different inflections and intonations. [1] X Research source
Repeating after your baby’s babbles will let your little one know that you are giving him or her your undivided attention. Since your baby wants your attention, he or she is likely to babble more often in an effort to keep it. Similarly, you can respond to your baby’s babbles with unrelated expressions that let your baby know you’re listening. After a string of babble, you could excitedly respond with “I see!” or “Really!”
You could also follow up your baby’s babbles with simple words that contain the same sound as the babble your baby just made. For example, if your baby says, “bah,” you could respond with “bah-bah-ball. " If your baby says “dah,” you could reply with “dah-dah-dog. “[2] X Research source
Some studies suggest that babies learn to babble partially because they engage in lip-reading as they watch you speak. By slowing down your words and forming them deliberately, you allow your baby a greater opportunity to observe the movements of your mouth and repeat them. [3] X Research source
Aside from using a positive tone of voice, you should also speak praise phrases, like “Good job!” Nonverbal communication is also important. Smile, laugh, clap your hands, and wave. Both verbal and nonverbal expressions of excitement are necessary if you want to show your baby that babbling is a positive thing. [4] X Research source
Talking encourages both receptive and expressive language. Receptive language is the ability to understand speech, and expressive language is the ability to make speech. [5] X Research source Talk to yourself and talk to your baby as you go about your everyday tasks. When you wash the dishes, talk about the chore and the different dishes you wash as you handle them. Even if your baby is looking elsewhere, your little one is still listening as long as he or she is awake.
Your baby will likely get used to the sound of your voice. Suddenly speaking in a different voice will usually cause your little one to refocus his or her attention on you in an effort to understand how that different sound is being made. This works especially well if you speak in a “silly” voice. No matter how you change your tone, though, keep it positive.
When you give your baby instructions, follow through by showing him or her what those instructions mean. Say “bounce ball” and bounce the ball. Your baby may not be able to perform the action immediately, but once your little one gains the ability to do so, he or she will be thrilled to both do the action and know what that action is.
When choosing a word to emphasize, pick an object rather than an action or descriptive term. Language has more meaning at this age when it is related to a tangible object.
You don’t need to limit yourself to kids’ songs, either. Singing your own favorites can be just as effective. Singing to your baby presents language in a manner that differs from basic speech. This variation can help further your baby’s understanding of language and may boost development. It can also be helpful to pick one song to use whenever you need to comfort your baby. After a few repetitions, your baby will learn to calm down as soon as the song starts. This also teaches your baby that speaking and singing are positive behaviors.
Make sure that you choose books aimed at your baby’s age. In this stage, the best books are picture books with bright colors and a lot of contrast. The words should be simple and easy to understand. Reading picture books to your baby also creates a cognitive link between the 3D and 2D world since you are teaching your baby to associate real objects with pictures of those objects.
A good labeling activity to begin with is the labeling of body parts. Point to your baby’s nose and state, “nose. " Point to your baby’s hand and state, “hand. " Most babies are naturally curious about their own bodies, and describing the body will encourage your baby to babble in imitation of your descriptions. You can also name people, like “Mama,” “Daddy,” “Grandma,” and “Grandpa. " If you have pets, label the pets, as well. When starting out, label the pet by type rather than individual name, e. g. , “dog” instead of “Spot. " Any object that is part of your baby’s usual environment can work, especially if your baby is already looking at it. You can label anything from “tree” to “ball. "
Mix things up by telling a simple story one day and an elaborate one the next. The more you vary your stories, the more engaged your baby will become.
Your baby may even begin moving his or her mouth or repeating the same babble sounds when you stop patting to encourage you to start up again. This activity can be used with any baby learning to babble, but it can be especially helpful if your baby struggles with strength in his or her facial muscles. [6] X Research source
Some tools can be used to help your baby learn the names of different objects. For instance, you could tell your baby a story about a cat and use a cat puppet as you speak. Other tools will simply make the act of speaking more interesting to your baby. For instance, a baby might see you speak on your own phone, then babble into a toy telephone as a way of mimicking your actions.
