Language development in babies
Your baby is not even born yet, but its language development has already begun - it begins in the womb. From the 22nd week of pregnancy, your baby hears the first sounds, listens to your voice and perceives melodies.
When and how quickly babies learn to speak depends on many factors. You can support your little one in language development by encouraging baby to make sounds and enjoy music. Here you will find interesting facts and helpful tips for age-appropriate language development for your baby.
What does your baby need to learn to speak?
From birth, your baby should have everything necessary for language acquisition. These include the diaphragm, lips, cognitive abilities, tongue and, last but not least, hearing and vocal cords. All muscles and organs are designed and trained in such a way that learning to speak for your little one is a learning process that takes place in several developmental steps.
When does a baby learn to speak? The phases up to the first birthday
The first four weeks of life
Your little darling screams when he is hungry, tired or uncomfortable. He already communicates. Parents quickly find out what is bothering their baby. In the first four weeks of life, your little sunshine will recognize your calming speech melody among other voices
Second month
At about six weeks, your sweetheart begins to make his first noises, which are expressed in cooing and grunting. This is also referred to as the first slurping phase. Many babies now also show their first conscious laugh.
Third month
At this age, it begins with the first throat sounds. The tongue slides into the back of the mouth and the unconscious cooing turns into a gurgling with some R sounds.
Fourth and fifth months
Your little darling masters his own voice better and better. It is one of the first big milestones when your baby learns to speak, as he now uses his voice consciously. An early childhood monologue begins, your sweetheart laughs and cheers with joy and begins to "chat". Some children can no longer be stopped at all, while others are more reserved and only occasionally utter a few tones.
Sixth month
Around the sixth month, the second phase begins, which is already quite similar to the mature language. Your baby now strings together the first syllables - for example, it sounds like this: “lalalalal”.
Seventh to ninth month
Your darling now forms entire chains of syllables. During this time, “mamamamam” becomes “ma-ma”. Initially, this word has no meaning. However, based on your joyful reactions, your baby will quickly associate these sounds with you. Very soon, they will consciously call out “Ma-Ma” to speak to you.
Ninth month
The language development is now in full swing and the so-called delay phase begins. Although your little darling only consciously speaks very few words, he can already assign a name to hundreds of things, and more are being added every day. Now it is only a matter of time before the first words and later the first sentences bubble out of your treasure.
Important:
Every child is unique and language acquisition does not always follow the same pattern. There are so-called late talkers. These children absorb words like a sponge, but start speaking later than others. But then they caught up with their peers within a few weeks or months. During the regular U-examinations, the speech development of your sweetheart is checked. However, if you are concerned that your little darling is not learning to speak correctly, you should contact your pediatrician.
How you can encourage your baby to learn to speak
Reading aloud, singing and telling stories - all of these are of great importance for the language acquisition of your little sweetheart. It is important that you adapt the methods to the needs and level of development of your baby. Explain and show him the world, even if you know that your darling does not yet understand everything. Side noises such as television or radio usually overwhelm children. You should therefore reduce this to a minimum in the presence of your baby.
Toys that help children learn to speak
Books are ideal for helping your little one to learn the language - provided they show interest. It is important that you not only name the images, but also explain exactly what happens in the images. Hand puppets are also a great help - your favorite teddy goes too - with which you can tell stories or sing songs. Finger ankles also captivate children and support learning to speak.
Summary:
The first words of their little darling are something very special for many parents and are eagerly awaited. When your baby learns to speak, you can encourage and support them in many ways. The most important thing, however, is that you talk to your little one a lot from the very first moment, name all everyday things and include them everywhere. At some point, you will notice how much your baby already understands. Language development is then completed by around the fifth birthday. However, your little darling will learn new words and contexts throughout their entire life. You never stop learning.