TALK to Your Baby!
It is never to early to start talking to your child! Research shows that
language recognition and
development may begin prior to birth.
Just like reading, talking to your child
stimulates his language development
and thinking skills. The more baby
hears, the more baby learns.
SPEECH/LANGUAGE MILESTONES
3 months - baby begins cooing
(making vowel sounds)
6-9 months - baby begins babbling
(ma-ma-ma, ba-ba-ba)
12 months – baby has three to five
words he uses appropriately.
(i.e. Mama, Daddy, no, more, doggie)
24 months - child has a vocabulary of
200 words and puts words together.
(i.e. Go bye-bye. Where Daddy?)
Age 3 - child speaks in longer
sentences (4+ words) and is about
85% intelligible.
Name objects and items for your baby. Name body parts when bathing or name food items at the grocery store.
Put expression in your voice. The more fun and interesting your voice is, the better your child will listen.
Keep speech short and simple (1-3 words) when talking to your baby. Short phrases are easier to understand and imitate. (i.e. Doggie run, Mommy go bye-bye).
Take a few minutes each day to sit on the floor and play with your child. Talk and teach concepts. ( Tommy pushes red car. Car goes fast. Car goes slow. Car goes under table. Car goes behind table.)
Repeat words. This gives kids many chances to hear, understand and imitate. (i.e. Big ball. Red ball. Throw ball. Catch ball.)
Involve your child in your everyday activities and talk about what you are doing. (i.e. Laundry: “Put clothes in. Add soap. Close door. Turn washer on.”)
Never force your young child to imitate. It is most important for the child to hear the words.
As your child begins to talk, expand on what he says in order to teach new words. (i.e. Child: “Doggie run.” Mom: “Yes, doggie runs fast.”)
PARENT ACTIVITY: Talk to your baby in the womb every day.
READ to Your Baby!
MAKING THE CASE FOR READINGChildren whose parents read to them have longer attention spans and better listening skills. Reading aloud will help your child develop a larger vocabulary.
WHY START NOW? Children who do not have basic
developmental skills when they start
school are more likely to drop out later.
Reading is a critical part of
development. A child with lower
reading levels often falls behind in
classmates and can’t catch up.
HOW TO GET STARTED Find time that is good for you and your child. Maybe 20 minutes in the morning before the rest of the household is awake. Or, 20 minutes of stories before bedtime may work better. Grandparents, child care providers and older siblings can read with your baby too.
Read to your baby 20 minutes each day. You do not need to be able to read in order to read to you child. Naming and describing pictures is just as effective.
Hold your baby while you are reading so he or she
can feel and hear your voice.
Read slowly and let your baby turn the pages.
Let the baby see each page as you read so he or she can
focus on the pictures.
As you read, point to pictures and actions on the pages.
Read in any language - if you speak Spanish, read to the baby in Spanish.
Keep reading the same books. Babies love to hear the same words, stories and pictures over and over. Read simple picture books to small babies and work up to story books for older kids. Find books that stimulate your child’s sight and hearing. In addition to 20 minutes of reading with your baby each day, remember to read other things aloud too - the newspaper, junk mail or a label.
PARENT ACTIVITY:
Using the book in your Newborn Baby Package read to
your child or unborn child for 20 minutes each day this
week.
Make music with your Baby!
MATH AND MUSIC!
Music combined with math; unite the two hemispheres of the brain making a powerful learning force.
Consider the skills your child uses when she sings a song such as “This old Man”. She is matching and comparing (through pitch, volume and rhythm), patterning and sequencing (through melody, rhythm, and lyrics), and counting numbers and adding. Add dramatic hand movements or clapping to the beat, and you have created an entire package of learning rolled into one song!
Take time to sing counting songs too. Remember “One potato, two potato” or “10 little monkeys”? Songs like these help children learn about number by giving them a “hands on” experience.
Research has shown that music can increase a
baby’s learning potential by increasing the number
of connections in the brain. Sensory experiences
build and reinforce connections that encode all
varieties of edges, shapes, and spatial relationships,
forming the foundation for continued intellectual
development.
Sing simple tunes. It doesn’t matter how well (or poorly) you sing - make music with your baby and for your baby. He’ll become familiar with and delight in the tunes you sing just for him.
Sing as you diaper or try to comfort him. If he’s teething or tired, you can DISTRACT him and, through your songs, give him the reassurance and comfort he needs.
Use a familiar melody and MADE UP words. As you bathe him in a small tub, sing a song that incorporates what you’re doing: holding him safely and swish-swishing his little body gently through the warm water.
Try different kinds of songs to see what your baby likes. Some prefer lullabies, while others may enjoy show tunes to help them fall asleep.
Experimenting with sounds provide your baby with
basic lessons about music. Make a paper bag rattle
by filling it with rice, pasta, beans, buttons, etc.;
stick masking tape on his high chair and encourage
him to peel it off and listen to the sound it makes;
give her a wooden spoon and help her hit plastic
bowls and metal pots to make different sounds.
PARENT ACTIVITY:
Play the CD included in your Newborn Baby
Package for your child to experiment with music.
