It’s amazing how quick language development happens. In the course of a year, your baby’s Expressive Language, which started with cries, will have turned into coos and then babbles. Her language skills will continue to blossom as she uses more and more of your words and gestures to grab your attention. She will also begin to use inflection of tone when babbling to you.

Be prepared for an explosion of language development as your baby learns the different sounds of language, including speech, non-speech, and even animal sounds. Pay attention to what she says to you, and you will likely hear her repeating syllables (such as “ba-ba-ba”) or stringing together different sounds.^1,2 Continue reading nursery rhymes, and try to use fun nonsense words in your conversations to help her to develop her ear for the variety of sounds in the world. This will also keep her interested in copying the sounds she hears.

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During this period, your baby will also hit another big Expressive Language milestone: she will start to address you by “Mama” and “Dada” (or whatever name you’ve taught her)!³ Nothing will make your heart melt faster than when you first realize that she’s intentionally calling you by your “parent” name!

Your baby will likely develop another funny expression at this age. By the age of one, she may start to use emphatic “uh-oh’s” to express accidents that occur, such as when she drops her plate on the floor. This cute little admission of guilt, with her eyebrows set high and her eyes wide with surprise, is one of many funny behaviors your baby will develop as she matures from being a late infant into an early toddler.

Play Tips:

Do you want to know how you can support your baby’s development of these Expressive Language skills at this age? It’s easy! Read on for some simple tips to incorporate into your daily play time together.

1. Vary your tone and expression when you speak. Varying your tone and expression will increase your baby’s emotional and expressive range. Try it when you speak, read, or sing together.
2. Show excitement every time your baby speaks. Positive reinforcement is one of the most important ingredients in your baby’s learning. If you understand her words, even partially, you can support her learning by repeating what she said correctly. For instance, when you see her reaching for a ball and shouting “bah-bah,” ask her, “Do you want that ball?” By using the correct word, you are helping her better grasp the word, as well as letting her know that she was heard and understood. With positive support, she will build her self-confidence and feel free to communicate.
3. Respond to your baby’s attempts to communicate. Support her communication skills by encouraging “back and forth” conversations together. Expand her attempts to speak by repeating what she says and asking her questions.

(SPECIAL OFFER: Sign up for Playful Bee’s Bee Well developmental learning program to give your baby the best start in life. The first 10,000 children enroll for FREE! Sign up today.)

Developmental Milestones:

Has your baby achieved the following Expressive Language developmental milestones yet? If yes, check off all the skill(s) she has already mastered to date using Playful Bee’s  developmental milestones tracker. It’s absolutely FREE and easy to use, just click HERE!

• Babbles with changes in tone; that is, babbling sounds more like speech.
• Repeats sounds or actions to get attention.
• Makes exclamations, like “uh-oh!”.
• Tries to say words that you say.
• Says “mama” and “dada” to parents (specific).

Sources:

¹Minnesota Department of Human Services and Department of Health (2007). Minnesota’s Early Learning Guidelines for Birth to 3.

²Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral Association (2006). Ohio’s Infant Toddler Guidelines.

³Life’s Little Mysteries Staff (2012). Why Are “Mama” and “Dada” a Baby’s First Words? Live Science. Retrieved December 15, 2013 from http://www.livescience.com/32191-why-are-mama-and-dada-a-babys-first-words.html.

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Playful Bee

Education Team at Playful Bee

Playful Bee is an e-Preschool that delivers inquiry-based preschool learning from the classroom to your home. Our preschool curriculum was created by our talented team of rock star teachers. With years of hands-on preschool and Kindergarten teaching experience, they've developed a high-quality preschool experience that is convenient-to-use and easy-to-teach by you, grandparents, or your nanny at home.

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