Talking with your Baby

This is from a handout I was given by a speech pathologist.  I’ve been doing fairly similar things, based on the Baby Talk book by Dr Sally Ward.   So far so good!!

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Talking with your Baby (12-20 months or with very few words)

Make Listening Fun!!
- Spend some quiet play time together -with the TV and radio off
- Show where sounds are coming from
- Use sound making toys
- Speak more loudly and slowly
- Use rhymes and songs

Keep sentences very short (1-2 key words)
Not: “Let’s have a bath before dinner”
But: “Bath time! Hot water. Love bath! Splash!”
Repeat words to help them learn
E.g. “Here’s your drink. Big drink. Mummy drink?”

Match -
your words with what your child is looking at/playing with.
This is the way your child learns that words go together:
- Point to and name the objects played with
- Talk about what they are doing moment by moment
- Follow what they are doing. Comment on what happens

Respond to what your child does
- Repeat what they say
Baby: “ball” (pointing)
You: “Oh! Yes. Ball. Want ball” (give ball)
- Add another word: “Push ball”
- Avoid questions and directions as it interferes with their learning. Don’t try to prolong their attention span. Join in with what they want to do.