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Baby's First Words
Speech Milestones to Look For
By Mindy Hudon, M.S., CCC-SLP
It's hard to believe, but your baby is preparing to talk! From the moment he was born, your baby started communicating his basic needs to you. At birth, your baby's first cry meant, "Hey, I'm cold!" You responded to his needs and warmed him. That was Baby's first form of communication. As he continues to grow, he will start to make sounds, understand and use words and eventually participate in complex conversations. And you won't have to wait too much longer for all of this to happen!
During the first few weeks of Baby's life, the two of you are getting to know each other. When your baby cries, she changes her vocal volume and pitch to communicate her needs. You learn to recognize that your baby is hungry, uncomfortable, wet, tired or content by interpreting the difference between her cries. Your newborn baby hears sounds and startles or awakens to noise. By day three, she may be able to recognize her mother's voice and may even stop crying when she hears it. On the ninth day of life, she may start to track sounds with her eyes. She may turn her head toward her mother's voice and stop an activity if she hears an unfamiliar sound.
From birth to about 3 months, your baby may be heard repeating vowel-like sounds. This is known as "cooing" and is the beginning of her "vocal play." Vocal play eventually turns into the use of speech sounds. Research indicates that a baby is born with the ability to learn and use any language. Of course, your baby will only understand and use the language(s) that she hears the most.
By 3 months, your baby may start to smile. After such a positive connection, you will interact with your baby more by using words and facial expressions to encourage another smile. She may respond to your interactions by smiling and making sounds. You should follow your instincts and repeat these sounds to begin the process of language modeling.
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