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Healthybaby because baby is soaking it all in
Pointing has become baby’s preferred method of expressing agency. Using their finger as a tool for communication—for locating things, keeping track, and indicating needs and desires.
Baby is achieving a new level of connection through jargoning. Right before your eyes, baby is adjusting to maintaining balance between independence and collaboration.
Strap in, the words are coming. Beyond imitation, baby is going to begin using words with purpose, asking for what they need and telling you how they feel. The language explosion is right around the corner.
Put on some music and sing together, adding hand and body movements to the beat. Help baby to “hear” language by using a sing-song voice when narrating, and make plenty of room for them to “answer.” Every diaper change, bath, and bedtime routine can have a musical element—the more you practice, the better for baby to learn to sing along.
Babies learn through pattern recognition and repetition. Singing the same songs over and over can help them to learn to recognize words in a sea of sounds and to notice familiar patterns in speech. Imitation also allows them to experiment with the skills necessary to form words, and to get a sense for the agency that comes with language.
Label anything and everything in baby’s world. Notice what piques their interest and, you guessed it, label it. “Are you looking at that lamp? Yes, that lamp is bright.” Don’t forget to label verbs, too. Labeling actions like, “we’re walking” helps baby develop a deeper sense of transitions. Labeling verb-actions also plays a role later in connecting two nouns. And it’s all about connection, right? Play the “where is the ___” game and label their findings. When baby says “wa,” expand the word and say, “Yes, that is your water.” Answer their attempts to communicate and take turns in conversation as if you understand exactly what the topic is. Leave lots of pauses for them to jump in and keep things fun and engaging.
Supporting and encouraging the use of language helps baby to develop skills more easily. Creating opportunity allows them to test various forms of communication—the most effective ways to be heard and understood. As they model speech patterns from those around them, they pick up the ebb and flow of conversation. Labeling helps baby to feel agency over their world and to recognize the power of the spoken word.
Use one of Our Wet Wipes or Our Dry Wipes and pretend the wipe is a bird flying in the air in front of baby. Every so often, land the birth on baby and label the body part where it lands: "This little birdie landed on your tummy!" or "This little birdie landed on your knee!". Have Fun landing on different parts of the body.
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By continuing to use an ever expanding vocabulary, this activity engages langauge development and helps your child learn how to integrate information to anticipate a response, known as cause and effect.
At times you may see baby get upset surprisingly easily. Totally normal. There’s a direct link between baby understanding what you say (think: receptive language) and the early tantrums you may be seeing. You see, the gap between receptive language (what they understand) and expressive language (what they express) can frustrate baby. The good news is that this frustration drives development and makes baby eager to find language to express themselves. It’s also important to note that frustration isn’t all bad. It’s important for them to learn to feel frustration and to recover from it. Baby still needs your help to calm down and navigate problems, but you can find ways to give them “just enough” help, but not take over. When baby is calm, try giving them time to struggle with a task before jumping in to fit the piece, fix the tower, or find their favorite car.
Yes on all three? Great! One or more No’s? Let’s talk about it.
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