All babies around the age of six months begin to make sounds to communicate. These are verses and vocalizations defined as lallation, which should be encouraged to help the development of language. Talk to your baby during these moments and let him know that communicating is a fun and positive activity.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: The Basics of the Lallation
Step 1. Have a conversation
Take the time to have a conversation with your baby. Focus on him as he talks, just as you would any other person you would be having a conversation with.
- Sit in front of him and, as you speak, look him straight in the eye. Alternatively, you can hold him or carry him around while conversing with him.
- Use any opportunity to talk to him. Changing diapers or breastfeeding, for example, are activities you can chat with.
- Conversations will be made up of both vocalizations and real speeches. If you don't know what to say, talk about anything. Describe your plans or ask rhetorical questions. The child may not understand the words, but he will learn to respond to different inflections and intonations.
Step 2. Repeat what it tells you
When the baby starts whining, repeat his sounds. His verses should be repeated by you in the same way he issued them.
- Repeating his vocalizations allows him to understand that you are giving him all your attention. Since he knows he has you all to himself, he will make even more sounds to hold your interest.
- Similarly, you can respond to his verses with other phrases to let him know that you are listening to him. After a series of sounds, you can respond with a "Really?" or "Of course!".
Step 3. Introduce new verses
When the baby finishes his vocalization, make similar but different sounds. For example, after repeating his "ba-ba-ba", he continues with "bo-bo-bo" or "ma-ma-ma".
You can also say simple words that contain the same sound you just made. For example, if he said "but", you can reply with "but-no"
Step 4. Speak slowly and easily
Whether you are repeating his verses or speaking sensible words, you should do it in a slow and thoughtful way. This way the child will be able to understand your speeches before he even learns to make them himself. Making speeches simple and not too articulate will make this process even faster and encourage him to experiment with new sounds.
Some studies report that children also start whining because they read the lips of their interlocutors. By slowing down the pace at which you speak and moving your lips well, you will allow him to observe the movements of his mouth and learn to repeat them
Step 5. Try to be positive
During this activity, try to show yourself vital and happy. If you react positively to his sounds, you will let him know that it is a good exercise to repeat more often.
- In addition to having a lively tone of voice, you should also say encouraging phrases, such as "You are great!", "Great job".
- Non-verbal communication is also important, such as smiles, laughter, applause and hand gestures. You will be able to show your child that it is a beautiful activity, expressing emotions of joy and happiness with both verbal and non-verbal communication.
Step 6. Keep talking
Talk to the child as soon as you can, even if you are not having any kind of conversation with him. Children have a tendency to imitate, and just listening to your voice regularly will encourage them to use yours more frequently.
- Speaking encourages receptive and expressive language. The receptive one is the ability to understand speeches, the expressive one is the ability to make them.
- Talk to yourself and talk to your baby as you go about your daily activities. When you wash the dishes, describe what you are doing and the items you handle from time to time. Even if he looks away, your little one is still listening to you, at least as long as he stays awake.
Step 7. Change the tones of voice
Vary the tones and volume of your voice throughout the day. Such a variation will grab his attention and arouse more interest in this vocalization process.
- Your baby will become familiar with the sound of your voice. Speaking all of a sudden in a different voice will force him to refocus on you in an effort to understand how it is possible to make a different sound.
- This is especially true if you make a somewhat ridiculous rumor. No matter how much you change your tone, try to keep it positive.
Part 2 of 2: Additional Activities
Step 1. Teach your child some simple commands
Even if he's just lalling around right now, it's still a good idea to start teaching him some simple commands. Provide instructions that encourage him to interact with the world around him. For example, try teaching him actions like "kiss mom" or "hug dad".
When you give him instructions, show him what it means to what you are saying. If you are telling him "throw the ball", you have to throw the ball. He will likely not be able to replicate that action right away, but since he has the physical potential to do so, he will be eager to emulate that command with awareness
Step 2. Emphasize each word
When talking to your baby, to emphasize certain words, try to emphasize them deliberately, clearly and by raising your voice. Accentuating a single word in a sentence will help him understand its meaning faster.
When choosing which word to underline, use an object or take an action. At this stage, language has many more meanings when it is connectable to tangible objects
Step 3. Sing to your baby
You can sing classic baby songs, like a lullaby, but you can also talk to him by intoning the words, as if you were humming. Many children like to hear words in tune and try, by reflex, to repeat them by humming.
- Don't limit yourself to children's songs. You can sing your favorites too, producing the same effects.
- Singing makes the child understand that language can have different ways of being used. This variation can help speed up development.
- It may be helpful to have a comforting song in case of need. After a few repetitions, the baby will learn to calm down as soon as he hears it. It will also teach him that talking and singing are positive activities.
Step 4. Read aloud
Buy children's books and read them regularly. He probably won't understand everything right away, but he'll start working the right gears in his mind. Listening encourages him to whine, while sight can prompt him to develop an interest in reading later in life.
- Make sure you choose books that are appropriate for her age - at this stage, the best books are those with light colored images and lots of contrast. The words you enter should be simple and easy to understand.
- Reading picture books will help him connect three-dimensional images with two-dimensional ones; he will thus learn to associate real objects with their photos or images.
Step 5. Assign names
Children are usually very intrigued by the world around them. Name the objects that are part of his world and repeat it. In this way he will try to reproduce those names, developing his communication skills.
- You can start teaching him what parts of the body are called. Point to his nose and say "nose". Do the same with your hand and other parts of the body. In fact, many children are curious about their body and describing the different parts will only encourage the repetition of these names.
- You can also teach him to say "mom", "dad", "grandpa" or "grandma".
- If you have pets, do the same. Define the animal based on its category rather than its proper name; for example, it is better to let him learn "dog" rather than "Billy".
- You can take advantage of any object that is part of your little one's universe, especially if it catches his attention. You can try to teach him "tree" or "ball" and so on.
Step 6. Tell him a story
Use your imagination to tell a story. Try to use different intonations and expressions; the vivacity you put in your voice can intrigue him to the point of wanting to repeat what you say through his verses.
You can try to tell him a story several times, on different days, but enriching it each time with new details. The more variety you put into it, the more attention you will receive
Step 7. Tap your baby's mouth
When the child is starting to make verses, try lightly tapping his mouth when he makes a certain sound. Next, give it a few light taps before it starts to whine. Often, in fact, a child connects this gesture with the sound made and may repeat that verse when you give him that command.
- The child may also repeat that line even when you are not nudging him, just to encourage you to do so.
- This action can be used with any child who is learning to whine, and can be especially helpful with those who have difficulty using their facial muscles.
Step 8. It is useful to have objects available to display words
In this way, the association of the word with the object it refers to will help the child to better develop his learning and development skills.
- You can make use of some objects to help the child learn their names. For example, you can tell him a story about a cat while you mime it with a cat-shaped puppet.
- Using different objects can make language learning more interesting. For example, the child may see you talking on the phone and then try to do the same with a toy phone in an attempt to emulate you.
