Today Tile Triggered Content

Your baby enjoys listening to conversations and is gaining valuable knowledge about how conversations work. When you're talking with another person when your baby is with you, listen to their vocal sounds (they're probably trying to get involved!). 

It’s all coming together! Your baby may be uttering their first few words. Their persistence in working out how to engage in interaction, use knowledge of objects and routines, along with their developing skill at making sounds consistently is all paying off!  

At first, your baby might use the same words for a few objects. This is perfectly fine. The words you may hear will most likely be “mama,” “baba,” or “dada,” – these are the sounds that were used initially in their babbling phase. The difference now is that your baby is using these sounds consistently with the objects and people they are ‘talking’ about.  

Put simply, receptive language means your baby is understanding the words you say. They are connecting words and look at objects when you name them. Your baby is now also able to connect some action words (verbs), like kiss, clap or drink. These first verbs are the easiest to understand as they always mean the same.

Research shows us that, universally, babies have a greater ability to learn the names of objects rather than verbs. So, why does your baby learn certain words before others?

Of course, all babies are different, and yours will learn particular words based on what they see and experience on a regular basis. But, according to research, babies, on average, have a greater ability to learn the names of objects than action or performing words.

You might have heard the term, ‘serve and return’ and wonder what this means, ‘serve and return’ is a term used to describe the reciprocal interactions that adults have with babies and children. In these interactions the baby or child offers a ‘serve’ this could be as simple as looking at you or at an object, making a sound or moving their arms and legs and then, as your baby develops, it could be making sounds or saying a word.  The adult notices this serve and returns it, so this could be by looking where the baby is looking, pointing, commenting, offering a gentle touch or a smile.  Responding to your baby’s ‘serves’ helps to build your relationship with them, shows them that their interests will be noticed and encourages curiosity. Your responses also provide the opportunity for them to hear the words to name the things that they are looking at, it might be a while before they say words but hearing the names of objects helps them to link words and the things that they see.

Let’s think about ALL the little noises your baby is making... not just crying!