talking and
learning

One of the most rewarding moments in parenthood is listening as your baby’s babble slowly turns into words that you can understand and seeing him learn new skills as each day goes by

By around 11-12 months your baby will have learned to respond to many familiar words, like ‘bath-time’ or ‘bed’. And he’ll probably be trying out a few of his own! These will be short words that won’t quite match the ‘real’ ones – for example, ‘tat’ for cat. Helping your baby learn to talk really starts at birth. All that early talking, cooing, singing and smiling at your baby really lays the foundation for language development. His first words start much later, usually around this stage, so keep talking to your toddler and read books. This all helps communication and language skills to grow and develop. There are plenty of things you can do encourage his newfound skills and make communicating a fun task for both of you.

praise

The first time he calls you by your name – ‘mama’, ‘dada’, etc – is a wonderful moment, so let him know how happy you are. Always give him lots of attention when he tries out new words, and don’t correct him if he gets it wrong, as this might put him off trying.


Instead, just include the correct version of the word in your response. If, for instance, he points and says ‘Ook, dare tat!’ reply ‘Yes, look, there’s the cat.’

repeat

Common concepts like hot and cold, up and down, several times, for example, ‘Shall we go up the stairs? Let’s go up together. Up we go.’ Repetition helps the words stick in your child’s mind. And always be clear – pronounce words carefully and slowly to help him grasp them.

 

count things

Everything you come across: fingers, toes, toys, spoons, steps… And mention the colour of objects too.

encourage

By now, you will be able to anticipate your baby’s needs. But try not to cater to them too quickly, as this means he won’t have to make much effort to communicate. For example, if he points to his empty cup, ask him what he wants. He will soon attempt to let you know verbally that he is thirsty.

 

listen

When your baby tries to talk to you, stop and listen, then respond, and when you ask him a question, wait for an answer. This helps your baby understand the ‘art of conversation’ and taking it in turns to speak.

 

 

You’ll find lots of great nursery rhyme books at mothercare.com.