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The first words: at what age does baby start to speak?
Language learning consists of several stages. From the first vocalizations to the rich and complete sentence, including the baby’s first words, each child evolves at his own pace. In just a few weeks, he will know how to express himself.
Baby’s first words: communicate before speaking
Long before pronouncing his first words, the baby or infant tries to communicate with those around him. You have to be very attentive to these signals in order to understand them and correctly meet the expectations of toddlers.
Infants begin to communicate by listening to their parents and showing attention. Whenever he can, he responds with a smile. Crying is a very popular means of communication at this age. It expresses fatigue, hunger, fear, anger, a dirty diaper, etc.
To enter into communication with an infant, it is necessary to adapt his language and the tone of his voice. Thus, the child knows that he is being addressed and he can enter into communication. With toddlers, it is essential to use non-verbal communication as well. You have to touch the baby and cuddle him.
From infant vocalizations to baby’s first words
The baby’s first voluntary vocalizations arrive around the age of 4 months. The baby then makes his first sounds and the famous “areuh”! Usually the child tries to communicate by making sounds. He chirps, he laughs out loud and even tries to reproduce the intonations he hears. It is at this age that he recognizes his first name and simple words like eat, sleep, play or walk.
To help the child to progress, it is necessary to respond to vocalizations. Your baby should know that those around him are attentive and that he can communicate with them. Parents can reproduce the child’s vocalizations. They must also and above all congratulate him on his progress.
Baby’s first words: language learning
Over the weeks, baby will vocalize more and more. These will turn into words. Baby’s first words are the easiest. Most often, it’s dad, mom, sleep, give, blanket, etc. Every day, he enriches his vocabulary. He learns new words, integrates them and reuses them. This step takes a long time. Each language is very rich and it takes months or even years to acquire the language.
It is estimated that a child speaks well around the age of 3. However, he knows how to make sentences from the age of 18 months. Between these steps, you have to talk to him, let him know that you understand him. He must be confident in order to progress.
How to help baby say his first words
To help a baby grow and succeed in language learning, you have to help her on a daily basis. To do this, there are 1001 solutions. Reading is one of them. It allows the child to learn a multitude of words. From an early age, picture books are very powerful learning tools. The child shows a picture and the adult tells him what it is! Reading stories allows you to recognize words that baby knows but also to develop the imagination.
Another way to help her say more words is to introduce her to the world. During a ride, in the car, during the races, making the child discover each environment will enrich his vocabulary.
It is also possible to sing nursery rhymes to him or simply let him play with his brothers and sisters or children of his age. The little ones help each other and progress!
Let a child express himself
Baby’s first words are a key stage in life. They mark a turning point in its evolution. It is important that parents help the child. To do this, they must imperatively let it express itself. Sometimes it can be tiring or even annoying for a child to speak, speak, speak without expressing anything. By doing this, the child develops new sounds and works on the pronunciation of new words.
During baby’s first words, it is better not to correct him at the risk of discouraging him. It is imperative not to say no after uttering a word. The child might think that speaking is a mistake. The correction can be made beyond 2 years. At this age, it is necessary to make repeat but not to insist.
If a family speaks more than one language, the child should be encouraged to speak all the languages he knows. During the first years of his life a child will learn a foreign language very quickly and will very quickly be bilingual.
Language acquisition is essential for a child’s development. From the first moments of his life, the child communicates. The tweets and vocals turn into words and then into sentences. Thanks to personalized support, the child will quickly master his mother tongue (s).