From birth to one year your baby will go from crying to cooing to talking. Here we look at the period from 4 to 6 months. Always remember, this is only an indication of development. Every baby develops at their own rate.

Four months. Your baby is learning more and more ways to communicate with you. They will be smiling spontaneously at everything around them. Their soft babbling will have an almost singsong sound to it, often ranging into a high pitch that delights them as they learn to like the sound of their own voice. There will be lots of repetition to the sounds that your baby makes.

Make sure that you respond to baby’s “oohs” and “ahhs” with your own voice tones. This is your “chat time” with your baby and you should take advantage of these chatty times as they learn what conversation is all about. Your baby may also be starting to let you know when they are not in the mood for talking with you. They will turn their head in the other direction and may put their arm over their face. They may be showing signs of anger or frustration by crying out, especially if something is taken away from them.

Five months. Your baby is becoming better at communicating. They may start to mimic sounds and gestures which allows them to express their needs. They’ll be able to let you know if they’re happy or sad. When your baby wants attention they’ll start to babble until you respond to them. If you respond to their cooing, laughing sounds they’ll repeat the noises often because they know that they can get your attention this way.

Your baby will now be watching your mouth when you talk. If you talk to them from across the room they’ll be able to locate you easily. They are learning to control their vocal sounds as well as watch your response to their sounds.

Six months. Your baby is now using consonant-vowel combinations. They have discovered their reflection in the mirror and may be having conversations with their new “playmate”. Your baby’s language is becoming much more precise.

There are many ways that you can assist them to continue to develop their language skills by:
Speaking clearly, slowly, and accurately.
Identifying objects as you say their names.
Using short sentences.
Using repetition when singing songs and nursery rhymes; the repetition will help them to learn.
Reading as often as you can to your baby, asking questions about the pictures in the books so that your baby is interacting with you.

Never talk “at” your baby, let them respond in their own way.

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