My baby Clarisse is 6 months and 3 weeks old now and I guess it’s about time we take language development a notch higher. She has already demonstrate her ability to understand words and phrases we constantly use to describe common activities (changing diapers, potty
time, eating time, bathing etc.) around her. Now that she is well into her sixth month, language development will slowly start to evolve. Babies will start learning to express themselves around this time.

From what I’ve gathered so far from various sources, experts agree that the way parents speak and react to their babies can make a difference in speech development:

Forget about pronouns like you, me or your. Those will be too complicated for you baby to understand. Subtitute ‘me’ with ‘mommy’. And likewise, ‘you’ or ‘your’ with your baby’s name.

It’s time to slow down the speed you talk to your baby even more. The slower you talk to them, the more pronounced syllables are made to sound, the easier it will be for your baby. Imagine your baby is learning a foreign language by ear. Well, actually it’s more complicated than that. Bear in mind, not only is your baby learning our language, she is also trying to create sounds to mimic every syllable.

Give extra emphasis on important words in a phrase. For instance, the words ‘wear’ and ‘
mitten
‘ in the sentence “Clarisse wear mitten”. Or better yet, show your baby the mitten, and say ‘Mitten’. Then show her an action by putting it onto her hands and say “… wear mitten”. Your baby will learn about actions being performed and the items used.

Point things out to your baby and ask ‘what’ and ‘where’ things are. And give them time to response. Whenever you read picture books to your baby, point out to objects, animals or people. Do the same in the outdoors or public places.

Baby Clarisse loves the dazzling lights on Christmas trees. I’d usually point the tree out and say ‘Christmas tree’ to her. And whenever there’s a christmas tree from afar, I’d ask baby Clarisse “Where is the Christmas tree?”. Pause for a moment and most of the time, she would eventually stare at the Christmas tree. I’m pretty sure it’s those lights on the Christmas tree that caught her attention but I’d give her a compliment anyway and walk to the tree.

Continue to repeat the sounds your baby makes. Start now if you haven’t do so yet. Being able to say ‘Da-da-da-da…” or “Ba-ba-ba-ba…” is a milestone for six to seven month old babies. Repeat every sound your baby makes even if it doesn’t sound like words. Doing so would encourage your baby to develop a habit of imitating your words. Hence, helps your baby speak faster.

Update 14 January 2008 - Instead of ‘Da-da-da …” or “Ba-ba-ba …”, my baby Clarisse utters “Mom-mom-mom …”. She’s definitely not calling me, her mom, I’m sure. It started more than a week ago.

Update 31 January 2008 - My baby’s first word is Mama! Or is it?!