Talk to your baby
Sometime around 2 months, you will likely hear your baby start to make sweet cooing sounds such as “ahh” and “ohh.” Research shows that these coos can change based on the timing and quality of your speech.
Even though it can feel a little strange to talk to your baby before they’re able to talk back, “conversations” with your baby will help develop their language skills. Helping your child with language early on gives them the best opportunity to meet their communication milestones. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are some easy ways to work talking with your baby into their day:
Try “parentese”
“Parentese” or “infant-directed speech” is a high-pitched, deliberate, and exaggerated way of speaking that’s been shown to boost language skills. Studies show that babies may absorb words and speech patterns more easily this way.
When you speak in parentese, articulate your words slowly and clearly, raise the pitch of your voice, stretch out vowel sounds, and use a rhythmic pattern. Always try to use complete sentences (“Do you want to go on a walk with me?” rather than “Mama and baby walk now?”).
Narrate their day
Between birth and 12 weeks, your baby’s brain is not ready to learn the meaning of specific words, but it is tuning into different voices, tones, and the rhythms of language. Letting your baby hear you describe what they are doing, what you are doing, and what’s going on around you is most helpful for them right now.
To start, you can pick one regular routine—like a diaper change—to narrate: “It looks like you need a clean diaper. I’m placing you on the table right now, so it’s easier for me to change your diaper. I’m going to unzip your onesie… Oh, this is the yellow onesie with the lion on it.”
Continue narrating each step of the diaper change.
At this age, it’s easy for your baby to become overstimulated, so use a soft voice and follow their cues. If they are sleepy, for example, it may be better to be quiet. Nighttime feedings and diaper changes aren’t a good time to engage your baby in animated conversation.
Imitate their accidental sounds
Imitation is the foundation for back-and-forth communication. If your baby coughs, sneezes, grunts, or makes other accidental sounds, you can mimic them, making eye contact or touching them as you do. Research shows that the language areas of babies’ brains are activated by watching their parents speak. Imitation helps prepare your baby to one day imitate words.
Learn more about the research
Gratier, M., Devouche, E., Guellai, B., Infanti, R., Yilmaz, E., & Parlato-Oliveira, E. (2015). Early development of turn-taking in vocal interaction between mothers and infants. Frontiers in Psychology,6(1167), 236-245.
Imada, T., Zhang, Y., Cheour, M., Taulu, S., Ahonen, A., & Kuhl, P. K. (2006). Infant speech perception activates Broca’s area: a developmental magnetoencephalography study. Neuroreport, 17(10), 957-962.
Weisleder, A., & Fernald, A. (2013). Talking to children matters: Early language experience strengthens processing and builds vocabulary. Psychological Science, 24(11), 2143-2152.
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