Importance of Baby Talk

You new parents must admit that, besides the lack of sleep, dirty diapers and odd feeding times, having a baby in the house is fun! It naturally brings out your inner child that’s been hidden away for many years. You now find yourselves playing peek-a-boo, singing silly songs to your little one and speaking to her in high-pitched voices. Sometimes you may feel a bit awkward about the one-way, cartoony-sounding conversation you carry on with your little, nonverbal human, but talking to your baby is very natural and important. It actually benefits your baby! Especially how you talk. Research says the more you exaggerate your vowels and raise the pitch of your voice while talking to your little cuddle bug, the more your baby will babble.

New findings in research confirm that the quantity of words you use with your baby is not what spurs early language development. The style of speech and social context in which speech occurs are what matter most. Parents in the studies who used a raised voice pitch while talking to their babies individually (with no one else around) had 1-year-olds who babbled the most.

Believe it or not, babies understand the general meaning of what you’re saying long before they can speak clearly, and they also absorb the emotional tone. Here are some ways you can encourage your baby to learn to communicate with you before he can say words clearly:

• Imitate. Let your baby know that what he is feeling and trying to communicate with you is important. Have a back-and-forth conversation in baby talk. This teaches baby the give-and-take of an adult conversation. Also, imitate her vocalization—“goo-goo,” “da-da,” etc. Smile and mirror her facial expressions and gestures, too.
• Don’t interrupt. When your baby tries to talk back to you, don’t interrupt or look away. He needs to know you care about listening to him.
• Use your eyes. Eye contact is important when communicating with your baby. She will respond better to speech when you are looking right at her.
• No TV. Limit how much TV your baby sees and hears. Too much has been shown to stunt babies’ language growth. Your voice is much more entertaining than the one on the big screen. Right?
• Narrate your activities. During meals, baths or play, tell him what you’re doing and what he is looking at. For example, “I am washing the bowl. This is a bowl.” Keep your sentences short.
• Repeat. Say something more than once to your baby. It’s good to say the same thing over again because babies need to hear words many times to understand them and learn new words. This is a key aspect of baby talk.
• Read. Take out one of her books and read to her. Point to and talk about the pictures you see.
• Copy his sounds. When he makes a sound, you make the sound, too, and then wait for him to respond. This teaches him how to have a conversation. These will be your first conversations together!
• Use nonverbal cues. Use an expressive face when you speak to show the emotions you are feeling at that moment. If you’re unhappy with what he is doing, make large eyes and a frowny face to let him know that you are not happy. Smile when you are having fun, and laugh when something is funny. This helps little ones connect verbal communication with nonverbal cues.
• Sing songs and silly rhymes. This is a fun way to help your baby develop language skills. No matter if you’re in the car, giving her a bath, or putting him to bed, sing! It doesn’t matter whether it’s off-key—your baby will love it. As the old Sesame Street song reminds us, “Don’t worry if it’s not good enough for anyone else to hear, just sing … sing a song!”
• Add on words. When your baby gets a little older and says a word, add on to that word. For example, if baby says, “Car,” you say, “Yes, red car.” This helps get her into the next stage of talking.
• Teach your home language first. It’s important for babies and children to learn to speak in their home language first. They’ll learn English later.

If your baby isn’t speaking as quickly as you thought she would, don’t worry. Every little one develops at her own pace. However, if you have concerns of any kind, talk with your baby’s pediatrician about it.

Kansas City mom and author Gina Klein has two teenagers who no longer appreciate the high-pitched, playful voice, so she uses it when talking to her dogs, cats, bunny and bird instead. They respond well!