Nothing can change the way a baby is hardwired, but you can aid your baby's speech development by following a few simple steps. Early interaction will foster the development of strong communication skills throughout life. By providing a loving, interactive learning environment, you can help your infant develop the skills she needs for independence.
Talk, Talk, Talk
Communicate with your baby. It may seem silly to narrate your trip to the shopping mall with your one-month-old, but he begins listening long before he is able to respond. Open, frequent communication will help the baby understand the basic building-blocks of language-- after a few months, he will understand that sounds can refer to objects and that a sentence's intonation reflects the person's mood.
Talk to your baby as much as possible to enable his speech development. Tell him where you are going, what you are doing and how you feel. Ask and answer your own questions. "Is this a dog? No, this is a hat. Are you a baby? Yes, you're my baby." These simple steps facilitate good speech development.
Gesture while you Talk
Babies understand and use gestures long before they master spoken vocabulary. While some parents turn to baby sign-language to improve a baby's speech development, others may common gestures alone. Exaggerate the gestures you use in everday conversation-- wave wildly when you greet your child and point to objects when you talk. When you say "yes" or "no" while talking to your baby, nod or shake your head. Over time, your baby will understand the meanings of these gestures.
Describe Everything
Don't just identify objects-- describe them in detail. Instead of pointing to an egg and saying, "egg," describe it thoroughly. The egg is white, small and shaped like an oval. Count the eggs in a carton, explain that twelve eggs make a dozen. By describing colors, shapes, textures and numbers in everyday life, you enable your baby's speech development. She may understand complex descriptions sooner than you expect!
Read Every Day
Reading is one of the most important steps that parents can take to encourage infant speech development. Illustrated books introduce new words to babies and foster a life-long love of learning. Make a goal to read at least ten children's books each day-- not an unreasonable goal, since most children's books take only a few minutes to read. It is never too early to begin reading to your baby; many parents start while the baby is still in the womb.
Know when There's a Problem
Even with proper parental care and interaction, some infants do not develop speech skills on "schedule". If your baby does not seem to listen or respond when you speak, it may be a sign of a hearing problem, cognitive disability or autism-spectrum disorder. By four to six months, most healthy babies should try to coo, babble or otherwise "talk" to their caregivers; consult your pediatrician if these behaviors are absent. By identifying problems early, you can help to prevent or mitigate their complications.
Consult your child's health care provider with any questions you have about your baby's speech development.
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