Generally speaking (no pun intended), most babies start to say recognisable words round about their first birthdays. It’s a wonderful moment when your child starts talking to you, as well as being an important milestone. It’s also lovely that your child is communicating with you verbally and you can understand them.

Talking With Your Baby

Babies learn to talk from their parents and other family members. If they’re at nursery, they learn there too! It’s important to talk to your baby from the start; so he or she can hear words, watch your mouth move and learn about the rhythm of speech and the structure of conversation. Your baby won’t talk back for a while but you’re still laying important foundations.

A great way to help your baby learn is to get down to their level, or bring them up to yours. When you’re playing together on the floor, or if you’re nappy changing, you can use the opportunity for a chat. When you’re choosing a buggy or pram, consider one that allows you and your little one to face each other – it’s one of the best ways to encourage babies and toddlers to speak. Many parents also find using a sling is a great way to promote speech and social skills as the baby can easily see and hear the parent who is carrying them.

At about eight months babies start to babble and make word-like noises you can’t understand. When they “talk” to you like this, talk back! Show enthusiasm for what they’re trying to tell you and turn it into a two-way conversation.

Bathtime is also a great time to encourage communication, especially as mum or dad is kneeling down at toddler level by the bath. Chat about your day, what you both got up to, or talk about what you’re doing such as playing with the bath toys. If you were out at work, you can still talk about what happened to you and your child might like to try telling you something about their day in return.

Language and Tone

When you’re talking to a baby who is still too young to use words, exaggerating your tone and expression can be helpful in conveying your meaning. Once your little one is starting to use some words (in our experience, these are likely to be “no,” “mine,” and some words about food!), you can start to talk to them in the same tone you would usually use.

Keep your sentences simple – it makes them easier to copy. When you’re playing together, it’s enough to say, “the dolly is on the train” rather than something harder to follow like, “the fairy dolly is on the red train.”

Talking when playing can be really valuable and a great way to help your child expand their vocabulary. Remember not to interrupt the game with too many questions – often, a gentle commentary can be more effective. Instead of “where are you going to put that brick? Are you going to make a roof?” try, “you’ve put the brick on the top. That brick is the roof.”

When you are asking questions, try to avoid ones with yes/no answers (but do offer some guidance!). “Do you want an apple?” won’t necessarily encourage your child to do anything but nod or shake their head, but “do you want an apple or a banana?” demands that they say their answer out loud.

There are many great ways to get your baby or toddler chatting, and also have fun in the process. There are also techniques that we use at our nurseries and you can read more about them at Talking Point.

If you have any questions or concerns about your baby or toddler’s speech, just come and talk to us or contact your health visitor.