Teaching Baby to Talk

You do not need flashcards or anything fancy to teach a baby to talk. The 2 best things you can do are #1 read a book to baby every day and #2 have conversations throughout the day.

Literature is a perfect way to introduce your child to our language. Through books she gets to snuggle up to mommy or daddy, hear your animated voice as it relates to the illustrations, get to interact with the story as you pause and ask her to find something, and get a really great story. Keep lots of books at her reach for her to look at independently.

Flashcards are cold, boring, uninteresting and too rigid (my professional opinion). That isn't to say that I do not have them in my house because I do but I never ever have sat down and given my children a lesson with the flashcards. Instead I allow them to sort, explore and check them out independently as they would any other toy.

Talk to your baby all day long. As you are making breakfast describe what you are doing. As you are driving in the car point out the trees, other cars, trucks, buildings, etc. Play children's music in the car - this will give your baby exposure to rhymes, new vocabulary, and the repition kids crave.

If you can do the above things and let language be a natural part of your every day lives your daughter will develop her language skills well (unless there are learning issues). And remember, language is a natural development that is learned from caregiver's interactions, playing & modelling. Have fun with it!

A.

Doctors get moms all worried for nothing. My oldest daughter didn't talk. Why? She didn't have to because I wouldn't shut up. I'd rattle off question after question until I hit the thing she wanted and she'd grunt. Do you want juice? Milk? Water?

When I finally stopped she started talking more. Reading also helping. I'd get books with nothing but pictures and she'd turn the pages and we'd say what the objects were.

Now she's all grown .... and she never shuts up. lol

OMG!!! You are describing my son!
HE is 16-months and excels at everything BUT won't speak. We were recommended to EI (early intervention) and he was evaluated as having a 33% speech delay. He begins Developmental therapy in our home in 2 weeks thru the state. The cost is minimal and very few specialists work with little ones. Ask your pediatrician for a referral for EI.
I also have been using Baby Signing times and teaching him (and my daughters) some basic signs. IT has helped so he is not as frustrated.
I hope the helps!!

Hi D.,
I am a mom of a 13 month old, aunt of 2 toddlers, I am also a speech therapist. I wouldn't worry about your daughter's vocabulary. It sounds like she is on track. Based on my experience, speech and language development is even more varied than the motor developmental milestones. But, if you are really worried when she gets to 18-24 months, then ask your doctor for a referral for a speech-language evaluation. They can put your mind at ease by telling you that your daughter is fine, or give you good, professional advice.
J.

Hi D.

Sing,Talk and read with your daughter. Spend time with her daily and do all of the above. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star/Itsy Bitsy Spider/Farmer In The Dell/Old MacDonald/The ABC song. Count with her. Talk with her while she is eating. Sit and read with her. They have an abundance of baby books in Barnes & Noble.....tiny books for her hands to hold with the alphabet and farm animals and little by little, she'll learn words and start chatting away.

D. ~
JUST SING!!

Yep - Start SINGING!! – all the kids songs, all the ‘good ol
songs’ you can remember. Sing the ABC’s – sing numbers. YOU Don’t have to be GOOD – just sing. This will improve her vocabulary now, and help her later when you start singing spelling words <IN YEARS to come>!!!

Good Luck.

Hi D.. My daughter just turned 16 months as well. The doctor, at her 15 mo check up, said she should be saying 3-5 words. It is still just babble, but several moms I've talked to said their little ones didn't start talking until 2! She responds to us and takes direction well, and babbles ALOT, so I'm not too worried. Hoped that helped!
T.