11 simple ways to encourage your baby to talk

One of the most anticipated moments for parents, without a doubt, is watching their baby start to talk. But of course, for that, patience is needed, after all, you can’t “accelerate the steps”: you have to respect the child’s development.

Nathália Sarkis, pediatrician at Hospital Santa Lúcia, in Brasília/DF, and member of the Brazilian Society of Pediatrics, comments that the acquisition and development of language in children are part of a set of skills developed in the first years of life. “Thus, with the exception of some health problems, children usually start producing their first words at 12 months and, at 18 months, they are able to pronounce at least 6 words. At age 2, they produce sentences composed of 2 words, and at age 3, more complex sentences,” she explains.

Bruna Brainer, speech therapist at the Paraouvir Auditory Devices clinic, in Brasília/DF, reinforces that the child, in the first year of life, already has the ability to emit babbles with and without meaning. “Your baby will gradually learn to use words to describe what he experiences, hears, feels and thinks as he completes the mental, emotional and behavioral developmental leaps. Researchers now know that long before a baby mumbles its first word, it learns the rules of language and understands how adults use it to communicate. At one to two years old, he will begin to form sentences with two or three words,” she comments.

Despite being part of the child’s natural development, for them to continue developing their skills with speech, it is necessary to stimulate them. And this can (and should) be done in different ways. Below you can see what are the main guidelines of the experts.

1. Talk to the baby still in the womb

Bruna explains that the conversations between mother and baby start to take action from the mother’s womb. “From the 24th week of gestation, the baby is able to hear/feel the mother’s heartbeat and voice,” she says.

2. Talk to the baby on a daily basis

Bruna points out that post-birth conversations give the baby an environment conducive to learning, such as: “the possibility of imitation, of the visual analysis that babies do at the point (where we position the articulators – such as lip and tongue – and the way we speak – with or without vocal fold vibration). This turn-taking between us talking and then the baby talking is also a sign of learning in the face of stimulation. Simple day-to-day conversations in baby care can enrich and determine this child’s development,” she says.

3. Naming actions

Nathália reinforces that the conversation with the baby must be done in an active and constant way. “The caregiver must verbally express the actions in which the infant is inserted. For example, at feeding time, describe to the child what he is eating and what utensils he is doing it with,” she says.

Phrases like “how delicious to take this bath, huh?”, “now you’re lying down to sleep” are also examples. “Naming things in the child’s daily life will give them access to vocabulary that, in the long run, will make it possible to form increasingly complex, well-pronounced and complete sentences,” says Bruna.

4. Associate words with rapid movements

Speech therapist Bruna explains that the first part of language development will take place through the repetition of words. “And the former are usually associated with other motor skills, like saying ‘yes’ and ‘no’ with head movement, for example,” she says.

So, it’s worth betting on that on a daily basis: whenever you say “no”, shake your head negatively; and, whenever you say “yes”, move it up and down, in a positive sign.

5. Naming the objects, body parts and everything else

Bruna points out that the stimulus to reinforce speech is in day-to-day activities. “A game, a diaper change or a meaningful bath can be rich in possibilities between the family and the baby. For example: ‘let’s wash your FOOT!’, and show the child where the foot is… This causes the child to associate the word ‘foot’ and the part of their body”, he exemplifies.

“Therefore, naming objects, parts of the body, imitating the sounds of animals are fundamental stimuli in the development of speech. Some research shows that children with whom parents talked a lot in early childhood have a higher IQ,” says the speech therapist.

Nathália reinforces that it is necessary for parents and/or caregivers to actively dialogue with the child within a context, describing what they are doing. “Like, for example, saying ‘Mommy will get the book/toy’ and, immediately after speaking, pointing to the object, handing it to the child,” she says.

“Every time we verbalize the actions that are being carried out together with the children, or when we associate names with objects, we contribute to the acquisition of new words and to the development of language”, highlights the pediatrician.

6. Vary voice tones when talking

The tone of voice with which caregivers speak to the baby also makes a difference. “Parents and/or caregivers should pay attention to the intonation of the voice when talking to babies. Through the voice, babies learn to express themselves properly, they can identify feelings and decode emotions”, highlights Nathália.

Bruna reinforces that emotions are intrinsic in the tone of voice. “Feelings, such as joy, anger or sadness, are easily perceived by the child and, if this feeling does not generate comfort, it will not be well received. The way a person talks to a baby brings a sense of affection, but as the child matures, it is necessary to adapt the way of talking,” she says.

7. Sing to the baby

Singing is very positive in language and speech development. “This action allows access to rhythm, vocabulary and intonation, which are part of the language acquisition process. In addition, children’s songs are full of meaning: naming, movements, repetitions and contagious rhythm that is able to access other brain pathways, thus improving the fixation of this content”, highlights speech therapist Bruna.

Nathália also explains that singing to the baby or with the baby stimulates their attention and memory, develops language and also other skills. “Songs for babies usually have a repetitive pattern, slower rhythm and simple and familiar vocabulary, providing identification and better understanding of language”, says the pediatrician.

8. Read stories to the baby

For Bruna, reading is one of the richest moments that can be offered to babies. “When we read to a child, we offer them the possibility of new words, correct pronunciation and access to imagination, which will bring them a rich listening experience and, consequently, more arguments and tools to speak. The development of brain memories and intelligences support the development of speech and bring about a taste for reading,” she says.

Nathália comments that reading children’s books, through images or small texts, stimulates the imagination and increases the child’s vocabulary.

“Reading promotes cognitive development, expands vocabulary, awakens creativity and empathy, and contributes to increased bonding with parents and/or caregivers. Reading, even through images, and storytelling, when performed in a playful and pleasant way, stimulate the discovery of words and the acquisition of language. A recent study shows that children who hear stories told by parents and/or caregivers have a higher vocabulary index at three years of age, when compared to children who did not receive this stimulus”, adds the pediatrician.

9. Using pranks

Children learn by playing, it’s a fact! Nathália explains that pleasurable games promote language acquisition, the expression of different feelings, the discovery of desires and the socialization of experiences. “There are many ways to stimulate speech through play, such as imitating the sounds the baby makes, hiding and finding, singing, etc.,” she says.

Bruna points out that the first possible moments of dialogue will be exactly within the jokes. “All new vocabulary will be used as a basis for accessing new learning. Naming games, theater, puppets are examples of playful activities that will help in the acquisition of speech. Every stimulus matters,” she says.

“Talking to the child has to be something that brings comfort and well-being, but it is necessary to create in them the need for this action”, adds the speech therapist.

10. Stimulating coexistence with other children

Interaction and socialization with other children stimulate babies’ speech. “The coexistence allows the imitation of sounds, the acquisition of new words and the repetition of others”, says Nathália.

Bruna comments that the child who lives with others (who speak) understands in everyday life how speech facilitates. “The child must feel necessary to speak so that he really produces the will and develops speech. Offering everything without speaking or trying to be understood, such as just pointing out, generates a behavior contrary to the need to speak”, she says.

“Speaking for the child, giving complex meaning to a few sounds or to speech that is not articulated, generates a complacency in the child who maintains the behavior of not speaking or of speaking wrongly. We must provide an environment with correct models of speech and the need for it to generate in the child the curiosity of learning”, guides the speech therapist Bruna.

11. Using synonyms

When the child is in the stage of asking questions, such as “what is this?” or “what is the name of that?”, take the opportunity to give more than one answer, using synonyms whenever possible: for example, “this is a car or an automobile”.

This type of attitude makes the child gradually enrich his vocabulary.

However, a very important tip is to be patient and respect the child’s time – of course, always attentive to their correct development, according to the pediatrician’s guidelines.

“Parents and pediatricians should pay attention to the evolution of language in the first year of life and subsequent sentence formation in the second. Delays or absence of language may occur and do not always have the same origin. Therefore, care for children with such characteristics must be performed by a qualified professional for an individualized diagnosis and better resolution”, highlights pediatrician Nathália.

Bruna reinforces that the child’s first year of life will be the first stage for the creation of meaning of the sounds emitted by her. “Henceforth these babbles must take on form and meaning. Children with hearing problems stop babbling at around six months, which may be an indication of the need for evaluation. At the age of five, physically, the child has all the tools to make all the phonemes, however, there is an order of…