- Early communication with babies: Speaking and singing to babies, even before birth, is encouraged, as infants can recognize familiar voices very early on.
- Language enrichment: Parents can enrich babies’ environments by narrating daily activities, reading aloud (including their own reading material), and exposing babies to varied language experiences.
- Interactive reading and labeling: When babies are ready, sitting together and looking at books, labeling objects, and encouraging babies to point or engage actively enhances language development.
- Recognizing and responding: Babies quickly learn to recognize voices and respond to language and gestures, laying the foundation for expressive and receptive skills.
- Importance of exposure: Ongoing exposure to spoken language and interactive reading helps babies build vocabulary, understanding, and early literacy skills.
Early Language Development
Children can build language skills in a variety of ways.
Nina Sand-Loud, MD, Child Development
