Many first-time (and veteran) parents often wonder what kinds of things they should be doing with their newborn baby. Between the feedings, the diaper changes, and the sleep deprivation, it can be an overwhelming time! However, making the first year count is key and the possibilities to do so are endless (and pretty simple, too!). Listed below are some of my favorite ways you can incorporate language into your baby’s life:
1. READ: Babies need to hear 21,000 words a day to help grow their brains (this is equivalent to reading The Cat in the Hat 12 times!). Any kind of exposure to new words will benefit your baby, and it is never too early to start making books a part of your daily routine. Cloth books and board books are great for young babies. The Indestructibles series by Amy Pixton is another safe choice—they truly live up to their name!
2. NARRATE: Talking with your baby—even before he can understand you—is crucial and many studies have shown that a child’s language development is a direct result of early exposure to a language-rich environment. Talk out loud about all of your experiences together! You can talk to him when changing a diaper (“Your diaper is dirty! Let’s get a wipe and a clean diaper. Wipe, wipe, wipe, all clean!”), having a snack (“Mmm, crackers! Crackers go crunch, crunch, crunch!”), getting him dressed (“Let’s find your pants! Here are your pants. Put one leg in. Good! Now the other leg. Pull up your pants! Pull, pull, pull!”)—the opportunities are endless. Even if your baby is too young to understand what you’re saying, you’re exposing him to language while establishing important skills that develop before he is ready to talk (for example: joint attention, which happens when you and your baby are focusing on the same object).
3. REPEAT: The repetition of key words is a simple yet important strategy to help with language development. Using specific vocabulary words like “diaper” instead of generic words like “it, this, or that” can help increase your child’s exposure to words that are important in her world. The more your child hears a specific word, the easier it will be for her to begin to recognize it and understand its meaning. In the above example, you’ll notice the repetition of nouns and verbs: “Your diaper is dirty! Let’s get a wipe and a clean diaper. Wipe, wipe, wipe, all clean!” By using these words repeatedly, your child starts to recognize them faster. This strategy is especially important for children with hearing loss, as research indicates that children with hearing loss need more exposure to words in order to learn them than children with typical hearing do.
4. SING: Singing is one of my favorite ways to teach language because it can be done in a fun and meaningful way. It is also a great time to incorporate motor skills like clapping hands and social skills like joint attention and eye contact. Activities that interest and excite your baby are the best way to teach him new words, and babies love music!
5. PAUSE: Pausing to give your baby a chance to “talk” can be one of the most challenging yet most important strategies to use. Parents (and therapists!) often want to jump in and talk for the child before even giving him a chance to say something. If you ask a question or make a comment, pause and count to 10 in your head before saying anything else. This gives your baby an opportunity to process what you’ve said and to respond to you. Pausing helps teach your baby that it’s his turn to “talk” and offers him a greater chance to communicate his needs and desires.
6. EXPAND: Expand upon the sounds or words that your baby says to help maximize his exposure to language. For example, if your baby says “dog,” reply with, “Yes, dog! A big dog. The dog says woof!” This will introduce your baby to the back-and-forth nature of conversation while also teaching him new words and concepts.
