How to teach your baby to talk

Babies absorb so much in the first few years of life. It is amazing what an impact everything you do has on an infant and their development. With infants, it can sometimes be hard to tell what they are really taking in because they cannot yet communicate with words. Teaching a baby to speak is fundamentally important for their development. What they are able to absorb and learn in the very first few years of life will lay the foundation for all of their learning for the rest of their lives. No pressure, right?

Talk to your baby all the time, and I mean all the time. As you are changing them, tell them exactly what you are doing, step by step, and always speak in a soft, calming voice. Go through each step of everything you do with them. It may seem strange to say, "Now, I am taking off your diaper. I see that you are wet." or, "Look at this nice big bowl of applesauce! Doesn't it look yummy?" But babies respond to it, even if it may be hard to see it. Be sure to talk to them all through out your day. When you go to the store, point things out to them, tell them what you are buying, and keeping them entertained that way is a lot better than letting them play with your keys or your cell phone. You may get some funny looks from the other shoppers at the store, but who really cares?

Watch your baby's responses. When you talk to them, pause, as you would in a normal conversation, and give them time to respond. You know...just like you would if you were talking to an adult. Sometimes they may smile, babble, or giggle, or sometimes they may just make a face or sit there and watch you. This shows them that they can talk back, make noise or a face, or whatever. Either way, you are showing them the patterns of communication that they will use later on in life. It is also important for them to learn that it is just as important for them to talk as it is for you to talk. They will begin to feel that it is important for them to respond.

Read to your baby at least once every day. Show them the pictures in the book and point out things in the pictures that go along with the story. Even if you are just reading a baby book of words, point out the picture of the ball, or the cat. They identify with things that they can see. They make the connection between the words that are spoken and the pictures that they can see. Even taking objects that they are familiar with and speaking the name of the object will enhance their vocabulary, and will help them make important connections between words and the world around them.

Reading to your baby doesn't have to be a long process. Babies don't have very long attention spans. It should only be about a five minute activity. Just pick a book to read to them, and also pick one for them to hold onto, and most likely chew on. Hold the book so both you and baby can see it. Point to the pictures as you name them off, or read the story. Books that also make noise or have fun textures for your baby to play with are also a great idea. It gives the book an added level of interest for when they are just playing with the book, making it a toy as well.

One more thing that I have used in raising my daughter, as well as my time working in child care, is sign language. Some may see this as a negative step towards teaching a baby to speak, but it only enhances their knowledge and their connection to the world around them. It improves a baby's ability to communicate. Teaching them to sign words like please, thank you, and more, gives them an outlet for communicating when speaking the words is still beyond their grasp. It eliminates some of the frustration babies experience from not being able to communicate their needs.

Being able to communicate their needs is important for learning communication skills, as well as fostering a bond between the child and the caregiver. If the infant feels his or her needs are being met, trust is formed between the child and the caregiver, and the infant learns that through communication, he or she can get what she needs or wants. It is basically a cause-and-effect learning situation.