Speech develops over time!
Speech develops gradually in the first years of life. Before the appearance of language, a baby listens to his parents, then begins to use his tongue, lips, palate and teeth for gurgling, small sounds and cries. Although psychologists have been able to identify the stages of speech development that largely correspond to certain ages, each child is different and develops at his own pace. Thus, some children will reach a threshold earlier and others later.
First stages of language acquisition in children
- in the first 3 months of life, the baby begins to coo when happy;
- between 3 and 6 months, the baby begins to vocalize vowels;
- at about 6 months, the baby begins to play with the tone and voice intonation;
- up to 12 months, children already utter combinations of clear sounds and increasingly complex syllables, practicing intonation;
- at the age of 1, children utter their first words with meaning.
It is important to talk and interact as much as possible with your child in the first year of life. Express what you are doing in that moment, use a warm and melodious voice, and the child will get used to hearing you talk, will try to listen and communicate with you. When you talk, keep the child close to your face so that he or she can hear you well and see how you move your lips to pronounce the words. When the child tries to say something, you can imitate the sounds to encourage communication.
Be careful!
If your baby is still not vocalizing by 7 months, try talking to your doctor. But don’t forget that almost a quarter of young children have mild communication disorders, and boys tend to start speaking later than girls.
