When a couple becomes parents, one of their greatest desires is to hear their baby speak, which is why the first words They are usually experienced as a magical and unforgettable moment. Human beings are social beings. And the desire to communicate is very strong, which is why parents eagerly await the moment their son or daughter begins to speak and communicate with them. However, there's no need to rush: it's important to respect the natural rhythm of each babyHowever, we can accompany it with affection and suggestions that stimulate speech and language.
Learning to speak is a process that begins from birthThis is when the baby experiences the sounds of voices, environmental noises, gazes, and gestures. Long before saying "mama" or "papa," your child is already communicating through crying, facial expressions, body movements, babbling, and, little by little, with words. By the time a child is around two years old, most have a broad vocabulary at a comprehension level (they understand it) and are able to express some words to convey their needs.
In the following lines we will go through, step by step, How language develops from birth to approximately 18 monthsWhat you can expect at each stage, what specific activities you can do at home, and what signs to watch for that might indicate a need to consult a professional. All of this while maintaining the original content and enriching it with more ideas, always with a respectful and evidence-based approach. how the child's brain works.
From birth to three months
Your baby even before birth I heard your voice through your belly, and now it does so more clearly. It recognizes your tone, your rhythm, and calms down when it hears you, because for it, your voice is a source of security. When it makes little noises or early chirps, it's because it's trying to imitate the sounds it hears. and plays with her mouth, her tongue, and her breath.
In these first months usually:
- React to loud sounds with sudden movements or stops.
- To be quiet or to calm down when he hears your voice nearby.
- To emit guttural sounds and warblingespecially when he is relaxed.
- Differentiate cries according to their need, such as hunger, sleepiness or discomfort.
To stimulate your baby's speech, you can help them learn different voice tones by singing to them. children's songsTalk to him naturally every day (tell him what you're doing at every moment), describing what you see and how you feel. But remember that this is something you can also do before he's born, because When he's in your womb he can hear you too. and is already preparing his brain for language.
It is also important that you get used to talking to your baby whenever you have him closeEven if they don't understand your words, they love seeing your smile and hearing your voice; they enjoy listening to you and observing your gestures. When you talk to them:
- Get down to their level and keep eye contactbecause that's how they learn to associate gaze and communication.
- uses a soft, clear and well-articulated tone, varying the intonation to make it more appealing.
- Reinforce his sounds by answering him, so that he feels that their "conversation" has a response.
Likewise, it is also necessary that you allow him times of silenceBabies need time to babble, move their bodies, and play quietly without constant stimulation (no television, no constant background music, no excessive noise). It is in this balance between interaction and calm that their brains best process all information.
From 3 to 6 months
From three to six months the baby is learning to to differentiate how people communicate with each otherHe observes gestures, looks at mouths, notices facial expressions, and begins to react with smiles when you speak to him affectionately. His babbling becomes more varied, and he starts experimenting with different tones and volumes.
In this stage usually:
- To coo and babble more often, especially when he is playing or feeling happy.
- Responding to changes in the tone of your voicelaughing or complaining depending on how he perceives it.
- Direct the a look at the sounds things that catch his attention, like your voice or a noisy toy.
- Enjoy the The music and notice that some toys make different sounds.
You can help him become a "talker" by talking to him closely, looking him in the eyes, and smiling at him. If your baby babbles, you can imitate their sounds so they realize you're paying attention to them.If your baby babbles or tries to make the same sound as you, repeat it again to give them a chance to hear it clearly and try again.
Furthermore, you can:
- Use onomatopoeia (meow, woof, vroom, tweet-tweet) when showing animals or objects.
- Playing «phone"with a toy, bringing it close to their ear and then to yours while you 'talk'."
- Read to him very simple and illustrated storiesnaming and pointing to objects, colors, and animals.
- Sing songs with gestures and clappingbecause the combination of music, voice and movement promotes language learning.
Between the 6 and the 9 months
Between six and nine months, babies begin to to play with sounds more intentionallyThe syllables are repeated, combinations such as "baba", "papa", "dada" or "mama" appear, although they do not always always associate them with mom or dad in a stable way.
In this stage:
- Babies smile when they hear a cheerful voice and they may complain or cry when they hear an angry voice.
- They babble with rhythm and intonationas if they were having a conversation.
- They start to recognize your name and they turn their heads when you call them.
- They understand simple gestures, like waving or shaking your head.
Although the baby may not yet understand the meaning of all words, they can understand simple things like questions accompanied by gestures: "Who am I? Mommy!" or "Where's the kitten?" while you show it to them. This combination of verbal language and non-verbal language is key to its development.
Any ideas To stimulate language at this stage, the following are used:
- Play "Where is… ?" Hiding a toy in plain sight and asking him several times while you look for it.
- Show him books with large pictures and make animal sounds: the cow goes "moo", the dog goes "woof-woof".
- Always respond to their gestures and sounds with words, so that he understands that he is being heard.
- Offer him short periods without a pacifier so he can move your tongue and lips freely, something fundamental for speech.
Between the 9 and the 12 months
Between nine and twelve months your baby will start to understand simple words and very simple commandsYour child will be able to look at you and understand when you say "no" or "not that," especially if you accompany it with a clear gesture. If someone asks, "Where's Mommy?", your child will quickly look for you in response.
During this period usually:
- React when you hear his name constantly.
- Understand frequent words such as water, breast, bottle, stuffed animal or ball.
- Participate in social games simple ones, like palming or peek-a-boo.
- Imitate gestures such as clapping, blowing kisses, or waving your hand to ask for something.
The baby will point, look, make sounds or use his body to convey what he wantsFor example, if your baby wants to be held, they might raise their arms and make noises to signal that they want to be picked up. If they want to play, they might give you a toy they're holding or bring it closer to you.
This is a good time to start with "Hello" and "Goodbye." Although they may not yet say it in words, they will be able to use hand gestures to show greetings and farewells. This stage is key for the comprehensive languageThis is the ability to understand what is said to them, even if they cannot yet express it with words. But remember that every child develops at their own pace, and if at this point they still don't understand or respond to greetings and farewells, don't worry; they are still very young.
To to encourage their language At this stage you can:
- List everything you do in the daily routines (bath, food, walk, diaper change).
- Play games that involve repeating simple sounds like "pa-pa-pa" or "ma-ma-ma" and encourage him to imitate them.
- Point to parts of your face (eyes, nose, mouth) while saying their name with clarity.
- Avoid exposure to screensbecause they reduce the time of real interaction, which is what truly stimulates speech.
Between the 12 and the 15 months
Between twelve and fifteen months, babies begin to use their first words with communicative intentSo they'll start using words "in their language" to communicate with you. For example, they might say things like "bobo" to mean "balloon," "guagua" to ask for water, etc. Many babies can say between 1 and 3 words at these ages, but understand 25 or moreIf you ask him to give you a toy he knows, he will give it to you, even if he doesn't name it yet.
At this moment of development:
- The calls appear holophrasesThat is, a single word that expresses a complete idea ("water" means "I want water").
- Your baby uses more gestures combined with sounds to make oneself understood.
- You can follow very simple instructions, such as "come here" or "give it to me", especially if you accompany them with gestures.
To enhance speech at these ages, you can consider the following:
- Name the things he/she uses most often and give the child time to be able to name them.
- Ask them questions about the things they see every day (at the park, in stories, at home) and give them time to name the things. If they don't, don't worry about it and name it for them so they know what it is.
- Smile and to praise every time he says the things he sees, even if he doesn't pronounce them perfectly.
- Add information to the words they say. For example, if they say "dog" because there's a dog walking by, you can say something like, "Yes, it's a very nice and very big dog, look how it wags its tail!"
- Listen to everything they have to say, even if it doesn't make sense or is hard to understand, showing genuine interest.
- Ask him everyday questions that he might know the answer to, such as "Where is your glass?".
- Give them options so they can choose: "Do you want milk or juice?", accompanying the question with visible objects.
- Build sentences about what your child says. If, for example, it says, "ball," you can say something like, "It's a big red ball."
- Enter the symbolic play (feeding a doll, covering it with a blanket) to start conversations during play.
Between the 15 and the 18 months
Between fifteen and eighteen months, your child will begin to do more complex gestures for communication With you, and what's more, he'll be building his vocabulary more and more. He'll be able to take your hand, walk to the library, and say "story" to show you he wants you to read to him.
At this age, if you say things like, "Where's your nose?" and then point to your own nose, they'll soon be able to... to point out hers when you ask them the same question. And then you can do the same with other easily distinguishable body parts such as the ears, fingers, eyes, mouth, hands, feet, etc.
You can also stimulate his curiosity and initiative by hiding a toy from him. while he is playing. Afterwards, encourage him to find it and share in the joy of his success. Another essential aspect to enhance his speech skills is to describe to him in simple words the objects that are interesting to him"It's a red car that goes vroom-vroom," "It's a soft teddy bear." This will get them paying attention and help them expand their vocabulary.
In this age group It is also advisable:
- To favor that Chew textured foods appropriate for their age, because chewing strengthens the muscles they will later use to speak.
- Limit the use of pacifier at specific times (for example, for sleeping), so that they have their mouth free to experiment with sounds.
- Avoid speaking for him or finishing his sentences; it's better. give it time so that he can try to express himself.
- Continue reading stories daily, asking him to point out objects, animals, or characters he already knows.
General activities to promote language development from 0 to 18 months
Throughout all these stages, there are a number of common strategies that you can apply to promote your baby's language development in a natural, fun, and consistent way:
- Always maintain eye contact When you speak to him, get down to his level, look him in the eyes, and let him see your face as you speak.
- Use a warm and varied toneenunciating well. The so-called "baby-talk" with short, repeated, and sing-song phrases is especially appealing to them.
- Accompany your words with gestures Clear and expressive. Exaggerated faces, hand movements, and changes in intonation help him understand better.
- Name and point out The objects, animals, colors, and people that appear in stories, at home, or on the street. This is how they connect the sound of the word with what they see.
- Play music Play a variety of songs and sing lullabies or nursery rhymes. Music stimulates rhythm, memory, and attention, all of which are related to language.
- Play with words and onomatopoeia: woof-woof, meow, boom, yum-yum… They are easier to remember and fun to imitate.
- It always responds to their sounds. and babbling, as if you were having a real conversation. This encourages him to keep "talking."
- Help him exercise his mouth and tongue removing the pacifier when it is no longer needed and offering appropriate chewable foods according to their development.
- Avoid screens (mobile phones, tablets, television) in the early years. They do not replace human interaction, which is what truly drives language.
- Don't correct in a negative way His mistakes. He repeats the word correctly, but naturally and without reproach.
As your baby grows during this period, you will be able to adapting the activities to their level of development: more onomatopoeia and imitation games at first, and more and more words, stories and short conversations as he approaches 18 months.
This whole process of respectful accompaniment It not only improves their vocabulary and pronunciation, but also strengthens the emotional bond, their self-esteem, and their ability to express needs, ideas, and emotions. Every shared glance, every song, every story, and every little babble you respond to contributes to building their language.
Throughout these first months and up to around 18 months, your baby will gradually build their way of communicating: first with crying, then with gestures and sounds, later with single words and, progressively, with more complex messages. Be presentSpeaking to him calmly, listening attentively, and enjoying that daily exchange makes the language journey much richer, more respectful, and full of special moments that you will remember forever.
