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Newborn babies can’t talk yet, but mothers can invite them to chat to stimulate their development. So, how do you talk to a 0-6 month baby?
In the beginning, you may feel awkward because you feel like you are talking to yourself. However, inviting your little one to talk is not a waste of time. The words you say are very important to stimulate your little one.
Playing peek-a-boo with your little one, talking to them when changing their diapers, singing sleep songs, these are all good activities for your little one’s brain. The baby’s brain absorbs the sounds, tones, and language that they will use to later be able to say their first words.
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As a parent, Mother plays a big role in this matter. According to WebMD, children who have parents who often talk to them tend to develop stronger language and conversation skills than children who don’t.
How do babies learn language?
Since your little one is born, all types of growth and development begin to move. In fact, recent research shows that speech and language development begins in the first few hours after birth.
The study looked at whether newborn babies could differentiate between speech sounds during the first few hours after birth. Researchers found that newborn babies can tell the difference between vowels presented forward (or normally) and backward. The baby’s brain response to normally produced vocals is faster.
Quoted from Motherly, the study’s author, Guillaume Thierry, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at Bangor University, explained, “Newborns may benefit directly from being talked to from the first moment they leave the womb. Clearly, environmental change of mind begins on day one.”
Talking to babies is good for brain development
Babies tend to pay more attention and respond more enthusiastically to baby talk than to normal adult conversation. The exaggerated, high-pitched playful tone of Mother’s voice sounds pleasant in your little one’s mind.
As much as 80 percent of a baby’s physical brain development occurs in the first 3 years. As their brains get bigger, they form the connections needed to think, learn, and process information. These connections, called synapses, form at a superfast rate, about 700 per second in the first few years.
Talking to babies can activate important synapses in the part of the brain that handles language. The more words they hear, the stronger the mental connection becomes.
This process can strengthen your little one’s future language skills and overall learning ability. Babies who get to talk more will know more words at the age of two than their peers, Mother.
Introduce your little one to language and how to speak
Mothers: To support your little one in speaking and encourage his language development from an early age, here is how as reported by Motherly:
1. Invite the baby to talk from the womb
Studies have shown that babies prefer their mother’s voice after birth, likely because they recognize it from when they were in the womb. So read them a story and invite them to chat from the time they are in the womb, Mother. This is one simple way to prepare your little one for success in language development.
2. Start talking to your baby immediately after birth
Stimulating your little one’s brain with lots of new words and sentences is one of the best things you can do for him. Speech therapists always recommend parents to talk to their children frequently to strengthen their communication development.
An easy way to do this is to tell you what is happening around and around you. Explain how you prepare breakfast, the steps needed to get dressed, or what you saw in the park.
This helps your little one learn how to produce sounds in our language, understand proper speech intonation, learn new words, and learn how to arrange words in sentences.
To get maximum benefits from getting into the habit of talking to your little one, mothers can do the following things:
Talk to them often. Talkative parents tend to have talkative children. Make time alone with your little one. Baby talks are most beneficial when done one-on-one between parent and child, with no adults or other children around. When your little one tries to talk back to Mom, don’t interrupt or look away. They need to know that you care enough to listen to them. Look into your little one’s eyes. They will respond better to speech when they look directly at you. Limit how much TV they watch and listen to. Too much can hinder language growth. Throw in some adult talk too. Your baby needs to hear the sounds of words in everyday conversation.
Now that you know the importance of talking to your little one, to find out the right way to chat with him, please click on the next page, Mother.
So, to be able to communicate with your little one, here are several ways you can do it, summarized from WebMD and Motherly:
1. When he is 0-3 months old
At this age, your little one communicates with Mother by cooing, making gurgling sounds and of course, crying. They also start to listen, perhaps smiling, moving their arms and legs, or making sounds when you speak to them in a certain way.
At this age, mothers can play peek-a-boo with their little ones. Celebrate, smile, and act excited when they make noises and smiles. Around two months of age, babies begin to make vocal sounds (“ah-ah” or “oh-oh”).
Imitate these sounds and incorporate some real words too, Mother. When they make a sound, you have to make a sound too, then wait for them to respond. This will teach them how to have a conversation.
2. When he is 4-6 months old
At this age, they will start trying to imitate the sounds they hear. You’ll see them exploring their own sounds and inflections. They may even raise or lower their voice as they try to express their feelings.
Use the sounds they make to encourage words. If they say “bah,” say “bottle” or “book.” Expand the conversation, Mother. When speaking, speak slowly and start emphasizing certain words.
For example, hold a ball and say, “You want a ball? Here’s your ball.” Then remain silent to encourage them to respond. Also introduce your little one to various objects. When they see something, point it out and tell them what it is.
3. Use an interesting tone of voice
Mothers may speak differently to their little one compared to adults, with a different rhythm and perhaps a higher pitch. Mothers may know this as “baby talk”, and speech therapists call it Parantese.
Parentese involves speaking in an engaging rhythm and tone of voice, while still using correct speech and grammar. Research shows that speaking to your little one frequently in parantese prepares children for successful language development.
4. Teach your baby sign language and body movements
Using gestures or signs can help your little one communicate before they say their first words. You can try giving them simple sign language to use.
For example, you can use blocks. When your little one looks at you or reaches for her, show her the block and wait a few seconds. If they don’t gesture toward the blocks, model a sign like “more,” “want,” or “please.” Encourage your little one to imitate Mom and then give them a treat.
5. Read the story together
Research shows that children who hear more words ultimately learn and use more words. One study showed that when parents read just one book a day to their child, by the time the child entered kindergarten, they had heard 1.4 million more words than children who had not been read to.
So build a story time routine at the start of their lives, Mom. Your little one will benefit from exposure to new words.
That’s the importance of getting your little one to talk and how to get him to talk. To help stimulate language, don’t forget to invite your little one to chat, Mom. Hopefully the information is useful.
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(rap/rap)