Picture books can enhance this entire process by reinforcing her budding understanding that everything has a name. Choose books with large board, cloth, or vinyl pages that she can turn herself. Also look for simple but colorful illustrations of things your child will recognize.
Whether you’re reading or talking to her, give her plenty of opportunities to join in. Ask questions and wait for a response. Or let her take the lead. If she says “Gaagaagaa,” repeat it back and see what she does. Yes, these exchanges may seem meaningless, but they tell your baby that communication is two-way and that she’s a welcome participant. Paying attention to what she says also will help you identify the words she understands and make it more likely that you’ll recognize her first spoken words.
These first words, incidentally, often aren’t proper English. For your child, a “word” is any sound that consistently refers to the same person, object, or event. So if she says “mog” every time she wants milk, you should treat “mog” with all the respect of a legitimate word. When you speak back to her, however, use “milk,” and eventually she’ll make the correction herself.
There’s a tremendous variance in the age at which children begin to say recognizable words. Some have a vocabulary of two to three words by their first birthday. More likely, your baby’s speech at twelve months will consist of a sort of gibberish that has the tones and variations of intelligible speech. As long as she’s experimenting with sounds that vary in intensity, pitch, and quality, she’s getting ready to talk. The more you respond to her as if she were speaking, the more you’ll stimulate her urge to communicate.
Last Updated 8/1/2009
Source Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5 (Copyright © 2009 American Academy of Pediatrics)
The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.
