We wait for your first words with impatience and when they arrive, they give us great joy. And although each child has its rhythm, it is around seven months when they start with their "pa-pa", "ma-ma", "ga-ga" ... In the following months, the baby's linguistic development is unstoppable. Today we bring you a Decalogue to stimulate baby's language.
We know that there are common mistakes that do not help your child to talk and today we turn around to talk about what we can do to help them start talking, although we do not have to become obsessed with this issue since, as we said, each child It will carry its own rhythm.
Decalogue to stimulate baby's language
Talk to the baby by maintaining eye contact, looking into his eyes (place himself at the same level as him, something that acquires vital importance later), in a soft tone, vocalizing (in this way he will learn to discern the different sounds of the language) and varying intonation
Use onomatopoeia, speak "like the baby" (baby-talk or motherese, frequently repeats words and phrases, since repetition helps them to establish caves linguistic connections. This way of speaking to babies is more frequent in mothers than in fathers, but obviously the ideal is that do both.
Look at stories or magazines with him, while you "read" or name everyday objects, toys, food, animals, colors ... It is never too early to read with the baby, since it is an enriching experience for both, especially with books enlightened to stimulate their senses, to recognize figures, colors, animals ... and at the same time learn little by little to name them. It is a way to encourage early "reading", in what is known as before two years as "emergent reading": it is a first contact with the printed text, starting by differentiating drawings and objects from spellings, knowing that both relate to each other ...
Increase your expressiveness when you talk to him, sing or read him ... It is easy to accompany your words of gestures, exaggerate the intonation ... And it is that an expressive face and voice are very attractive to children, while well-pronounced words establish the basis of learning linguistic.
Sing her babysitters, children's songs or your favorite songs, which will relax or have fun if accompanied by a dance. Singing to the baby has multiple benefits for both of them and not only in children's language.
Play a lot with your son, as it is the best way to strengthen the bond and do not let him use electronic toys often. Play with the words, name everything you use in your games, make him touch your throat and lips while you talk to him… and take any opportunity to talk to him: show him the body parts while caressing or dressing him, food in the Supermarket…
Don't speak for him, don't finish his words, give him time to try to say them. It is especially important not to be "ventriloquist" of children when they have already developed language more widely.
Respond to your first communications before words. The baby already "speaks" in his mind before saying the first words and is going to communicate with his parents smiling, pointing, shouting ... It is important to respond, with his eyes, with his smile and with words (What do you want ?, Do you want that toy ?, That's a dog, there comes dad… ).
Of course, also when the vocalizations and pre-language arrive, you have to interact. Answer him when he makes his first sounds, since these first "dialogues" are very important. Imitate their sounds to encourage you to repeat them.
Help him exercise speech muscles: Do not interrupt when "talk" alone, remove the pacifier, change the bottle for the cup, allow solid foods when the complementary feeding is introduced (and not just porridge), since when chewing we start multiple movements involved in the articulation of the sounds of language.
In short, we can say that the key to language development is to establish direct and continuous contact with parents from birth, which with their gestures and words stimulate their brain activity while establishing a safe emotional bond in the family . The baby's first year is key to achieving their first linguistic steps, along with other important advances.
We hope this Decalogue to help the baby talk be useful to you But it should be remembered that it is not about trying to make our child speak before and better, because there are certain limitations that will only be overcome with the passing of the months. In any case, we must be willing to communicate more effectively with the baby and allow him to develop his full potential, stimulating him.
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In Babies and more | The first words: How and when do they start talking ?, How can parents help stimulate the child's language, Seven common mistakes that don't help your child to speak
