A mother should know that one of the most important signs of her newborn’s health—both sensory and cognitive—is their ability to communicate and express needs. Early speech development indicates proper coordination between the brain and senses.
Pediatric consultant Dr. Khairy Abdel Dayem shared with Sayidaty & Your Child simple steps for helping babies communicate and start speaking early—from birth until the age of one—according to their monthly developmental milestones.
From Birth to 2 Months: Early Visual and Emotional Communication
Eye Contact: Newborns are not just tiny bodies—they are full of emotions and instincts. From the first moments, babies recognize their mother’s presence, for instance, by the scent of her clothes.
Respond to Crying: Attend to your baby’s cries immediately. This reassures them of your presence and strengthens bonding and early communication.
Visual Interaction: Encourage early eye contact to stimulate brain development. This interaction helps release oxytocin, a hormone essential for cognitive, motor, and emotional development.
2–3 Months: Begin Talking to Your Baby
Face-to-Face Conversation: Talk to your baby directly, observing their reactions.
Wait and Respond: Give your baby time to respond in their own way; each infant reacts differently. This encourages early attempts at vocalization.
3–4 Months: Describe Your Daily Activities
Narrate Your Day: Talk about household tasks as if your baby can understand them. For example, say “I cleaned the kitchen” while holding your baby in the kitchen, pointing and repeating simple words.
Listen for Cooing: At this stage, babies may produce cooing sounds resembling a mix of laughter and speech, signaling early vocal experimentation.
5–6 Months: Babbling and Vocal Play
Interactive Sounds: Respond to your baby’s babbling (coos, gurgles, early sounds).
Turn-Taking: Encourage back-and-forth vocal interaction. This strengthens the connection between hearing, speaking, and muscle control needed for speech.
Observe Emotions: Notice joy, excitement, or comfort expressed through sounds—they are important for communication skills.
7–8 Months: Naming Objects
Use Real Names: Start calling objects by their real names (e.g., “water,” “bed,” “diaper”).
Repeat Often: Repetition helps your baby build a vocabulary and associate words with meanings.
Functional Understanding: Your baby may start to anticipate actions, like opening their mouth for water when you say “water.”
9–10 Months: Use Gestures
Introduce Gestures: Encourage pointing, waving, clapping.
Associate Words and Actions: Link gestures with routines (feeding, diaper changes) to help your baby understand communication cues.
Observe Reactions: Notice signs of understanding, satisfaction, or joy as your baby responds to gestures and words.
11–12 Months: Encourage First Words
Listen and Encourage: As your baby attempts first words like “ba” (early for “papa”), respond positively.
Name Everything: Keep repeating the names of objects around your baby to reinforce learning.
Patience: Allow your baby to experiment with sounds; do not get frustrated if words are mispronounced.
Post a Comment