How to talk with your baby

From birth to six months of age most babies will:
● Startle or cry when hearing loud or different noises.
● Make a variety of different sounds such as coos, gurgles, and cries.
● Respond to you by listening, looking, smiling, and making sounds.
● Usually stop crying when someone talks to them in a soothing voice.
● Will make sounds back to you when you talk to them.
What you can do to help your baby communicate:
● Talk to, hold and cuddle your baby.
● Give your baby a chance to communicate back to you with smiles and sounds.
● Interact with your baby. Copy the movements, faces and sounds your baby makes.
● Use different kinds of faces, voices and playful sounds when you are with your child.
● Talk to and sing to your baby while doing a variety of daily activities such as feeding, diapering, bathing and when travelling.
From six to 12 months of age most babies will:
● Respond to their name and understand simple words like “up”, “bye-bye”, “Daddy”, “hot” and “no”.
● Understand simple sentences and questions like “Get the ball” or “Where’s mummy?”
● Make sounds, babble a lot and may try singing along with you. Imitate your actions such as clapping and banging toys.
● Imitate your sounds such as coughs, kisses and tongue clicks.
● Communicate with you by pointing, reaching and making sounds.
● Enjoy repeating the sounds they make.
•    Try to use a word or two.
What can you do to help your baby communicate:
●Use short sentences such as “Baby go out” and “All gone” when you talk with your baby.
●Watch to see how your baby responds.
●Use picture books that have large, simple, colourful pictures and few words. Talk about what you see.
●Play singing and action games like “patty cake” and “peek a boo.”
●Give your baby a chance to copy what you do.
●Copy the actions and sounds your baby uses.
●Use the same words over and over again so it is easier for your baby to learn them.

Source: parents.com