The ABCs of Language Development

• Turns head toward direction of sound

Four-to seven months

• Responds to own name and “no”
• Babbles chains of consonants
• Imitates sounds

Eight-to-twelve months

• Communication by pointing, crawling, gesturing, grunting towards the target—but don’t let your baby get lazy! For example, if she points to a cookie, encourage the “c” consonant, and later “cookie.”
• Gibberish will have tones and variations of intelligible speech—the more you respond, the better!
• By age one, your child’s speech will generally consist of a few recognizable words: amazing! As for children in multilingual homes, if comprehension appears normal, there’s generally no need to worry.

Delays, concerns, and when to seek help

If your child does not reach developmental milestones on schedule, it does not necessarily mean there is a problem. But it is advisable to consult your pediatrician. Remember, one of the key roles of your baby’s doctor is to address your questions and concerns (even fears). Generally, if there is a problem, some helpful tips and strategies will be all that’s needed to put your baby back on track. Your doctor may refer you for formal hearing and speech evaluations, and if necessary, recommend “early intervention programs”—shown to be helpful and successful.        

Finale

Although you may, at times, wonder if your little chatterbox will ever quiet down, you are part of a most wonderful process. As linguist Benjamin Lee Whorf stated:

“Language shapes the way we think, and determines what we can think about.”