Talk to Me, Baby!
Have you ever noticed a parent in the store talking to an infant as if the child might just respond in whole sentences? While it looks odd at first, that parent is teaching the child to speak through hearing all those sentences. Young children, even infants, must typically hear thousands of words daily to be ready to do well in kindergarten.
Some Tips for Busy Parents
Some authorities recommend that a small child hear between 17,000 words and 30,000 words a day! Here are some practical ways to reach that goal:
· Talk about everything you do, for example, “I am going to make dinner now. First, I’ll look for eggs and milk in the refrigerator.”
· Sing some songs you like. Words are said more slowly in songs than in conversations, which helps the child hear them better.
· When your child points to something, such as his cup of milk, say something like, “Oh, I think you are pointing at your milk. Do you want your cup of milk?”
· Once your child can speak, ask questions they can’t just answer with a simple yes or no. “Would you like an orange, banana, or strawberry for a snack?” works better than “Do you want an orange?”
· Conversations by phone with family members or friends can help add to the words heard in a day and bolster relationships.
· Read books with your child every day, even if the child seems only able to “book-look” and not yet read.
Your Local Library has FREE books and Storytimes for Kids.
Each county in our area has a library with programs for children of different ages, including one called Babies and Books. You can find details about the Jefferson-Madison Regional Libraries at: http://jmrl.org
On the website, you will see the schedule for each week for children’s activities. Here’s what you can expect when you visit the library near you:
· A librarian to help you choose age-appropriate books for your child.
· Weekly short programs aimed at helping your child develop speech and reading skills.
· Socialization opportunities for your child with other children and adults.
· Meet parents coping with kids’ needs, just like you. You can exchange tips with them.
How Do I Know If My Child is Developing Typically?
Below is a chart that gives some idea of what to expect at each age. While children develop differently from one another, you will find your child’s nurse or doctor asking about these milestones.
Speech might be affected if your child has many ear infections. The infection will make it harder for her to hear the sounds clearly enough to imitate them correctly. This is a temporary situation that your doctor can manage so that your child can catch up.
Some children do not complete each step of the chart one at a time. A few kids may not speak much and later suddenly talk in whole phrases. One child’s first “word” at age two was, “Give me back my doll, Keisha!’
Lastly, some children may benefit from a few sessions with a speech therapist if they seem to be struggling to meet the milestones. Tell your nurse or doctor about your concerns about your child’s speech.
If you are part of the Child Health Partnership, your nurse or family support worker will check your child’s development carefully every few months and let you know what activities you can do to help your child grow and be ready for school.
What to Expect in Typical Language Development by Stanford Medicine Children’s Health
Birth to 5 months
Coos
Vocalizes pleasure and displeasure sounds differently (laughs, giggles, cries, or fusses)
Makes noise when talked to
6 to 11 months
Understands "no-no"
Babbles (says "ba-ba-ba")
Says "ma-ma" or "da-da" without meaning
Tries to communicate by actions or gestures
Tries to repeat your sounds
Says first word
12 to 17 months
Answers simple questions nonverbally
Says 2 to 3 words to label a person or object (pronunciation may not be clear)
Tries to imitate simple words
Vocabulary of four to 6 words
18 to 23 months
Vocabulary of 50 words, pronunciation is often unclear
Asks for common foods by name
Makes animal sounds, such as "moo"
Starting to combine words, such as "more milk"
Begins to use pronouns, such as "mine"
Uses 2-word phrases
2 to 3 years
Knows some spatial concepts, such as "in" or "on"
Knows pronouns, such as "you," "me" or "her"
Knows descriptive words, such as "big" or "happy"
Uses 3-word sentences
Speech is becoming more accurate, but may still leave off ending sounds. Strangers may not be able to understand much of what is said.
Answers simple questions
Begins to use more pronouns, such as "you" or "I"
Uses question inflection to ask for something, such as "my ball?"
Begins to use plurals, such as "shoes" or "socks" and regular past tense verbs, such as "jumped"
3 to 4 years
Groups objects, such as foods or clothes
Identifies colors
Uses most speech sounds, but may distort some of the more difficult sounds, such as l, r, s, sh, ch, y, v, z, th. These sounds may not be fully mastered until age 7 or 8.
Uses consonants in the beginning, middle, and ends of words. Some of the more difficult consonants may be distorted, but attempts to say them
Strangers are able to understand much of what is said
Able to describe the use of objects, such as "fork" or "car"
Has fun with language; enjoys poems and recognizes language absurdities, such as, "Is that an elephant on your head?"
Expresses ideas and feelings rather than just talking about the world around him or her
Uses verbs that end in "ing," such as "walking" or "talking"
Answers simple questions, such as "What do you do when you are hungry?"
Repeats sentences
4 to 5 years
Understands spatial concepts, such as "behind" or "next to"
Understands complex questions
Speech is understandable, but makes mistakes pronouncing long, difficult, or complex words, such as "hippopotamus"
Uses some irregular past tense verbs, such as "ran" or "fell"
Describes how to do things, such as painting a picture
Lists items that belong in a category, such as animals or vehicles
Answers "why" questions
By Deborah Conway, Retired RN and MSN and Child Health Partnership Advisory Council Member.