Babies: 0-1 year
During their first year, children develop the ability to hear and recognise the sounds of their parents’ language. They experiment with sounds by babbling (e.g. “baba”, “babamada”), and over time, their babbling begins to sound more and more like real words. What can most babies do?
• Between 0-3 months babies communicate by crying, cooing, smiling, and making eye contact
• Between 3-6 months babies communicate by crying, cooing, smiling, making eye contact, pointing, blowing raspberries and laughing
• Between 6-9 months babies communicate by babbling, using sounds made with the lips (e.g. b and m) in sequences like “baba” and later “bamada”
• Between 9-12 months babies communicate by babbling, using more sounds (e.g. d, m, n, h, w, t)
• Around 12 months babies begin to use words What do many babies still find difficult? Babies can’t say words the same way as adults do and often simplify words (e.g. biscuit becomes “bi”).
How can parents help? Children who do not progress through this stage of “playing with sounds” are at risk of speech difficulties later. Parents can help by talking to their infants and responding to any attempts by their infants to communicate (e.g. by copying their babbling).
For information about helping your baby to talk, see the “Helping your baby to talk” fact sheet.
The information above was partly extracted from Speech Pathology Australia's website. For more information, please visit - https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/SPAweb/Resources_for_the_Public/Fact_Sheets/SPAweb/Resources_for_the_Public/Fact_Sheets/Fact_Sheets.aspx?hkey=e0ad33fb-f640-45b1-8a06-11ed2b73f293
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