In a recent Facebook post, we discussed how to assist our littles in producing their first words. We wanted to expand on this topic in a blog because it’s just so important! First, let’s talk about milestones. Research shows that first words typically develop somewhere between 10-18 months. For American-English speaking children, first words are typically composed of early developing consonant sounds such as /p/, /b/, /m/, /t/, /d/, and /n/ and vowels. For example, common first words are “mama” or “dada”. These words are often “first words” because they contain earlier consonant sounds which are easier for children to produce and imitate. Also, “mama” and “dada” are heard a lot throughout the day!
When choosing words to practice with your child, keep the following in mind:
- Show your child that a word has meaning. You can do this by pairing an action with a word or an object with a word. For example, say the word “up” and pick your child UP. Build blocks and model “up” as you stack each block. Blow bubbles and model the word “more” or the word “bubbles”. Once all the bubbles have been popped, pair the word again with your action. On the third try, pause, and wait to see if your child attempts to communicate. It’s essential to choose activities that your child enjoys and will want to continue.
- Choose words that are fun! Animal sounds (e.g., moo, baa, neigh), environmental noises (e.g., pop, beep beep“), exclamatory noises (e.g., uh oh, wee!, yay!), and actions (e.g., push, go, knock-knock) allow you to bring emotions and life to your games which will surely keep your little engaged!
- And lastly, don’t forgot to model! The more often your child hears a word and pairs it something meaningful, the greater the chance they will imitate it.
Thank you for reading our blog and please let us know if there’s a topic of particular interest you would like to hear from us about!