Speech Milestones: Your Baby's First Year

By Ms. Katie, SLP 

When will my baby start talking?

With an estimated 3 billion search results on Google, it’s safe to say that this topic is one of the hottest for new and expectant parents. Everyone wants to hear their little one find their voice— and especially to recognize you as their parent. 

Much like with their motor skills, the progression from cooing to babbling and finally speaking is filled with subtle indicators of your baby’s developing skill set. In this blog, we’ll walk you through the speech milestones to be on the lookout for, in their first year. 

1 to 3 Months 

Brand-new to the world, your baby is at the start of her speech journey! As she’s learning her new environment, her indicators for speech are primarily physical, as she learns the ins and outs of communication, and begins to test her own voice. Some of the milestones that you can look forward to from one to three months are: 

  • Making and holding eye contact 

  • Crying differently for different needs (hungry, tired, etc.) 

  • Turning head towards sounds or voices 

  • Cooing and smiling

In this phase of their lives, babies are developing and showcasing a real interest in faces. Make sure to make eye contact with your little one when speaking or singing to her. As babies’ eyesight continues to develop, human faces are often amongst the first objects that they can recognize. But don’t be discouraged if your little one turns away early— all that visual processing can be tiring, at first!

4 to 6 Months 

Between four and six months, your baby usually finds his voice, and is eager to start using it! This is the start of the (adorable) babbling phase, as your baby builds the foundation of consistent sounds, and begins on his journey to piece together sound and their meaning. Be on the lookout in the coming months for: 

  • Babbling to draw your attention. 

  • Makes different kinds of sounds to express unique feelings. 

  • Listens and responds when spoken to. 

  • Using consonant sounds when babbling (start getting ready for “ma-ma” or “da-da”)!

Also, get ready to break out the noisemakers (dancing cactus, anyone?) because your baby will begin to notice and react to toys that make sound. 

7 to 9 Months 

Next up for your little one (between seven and nine months) is a mimicking stage. She knows that certain sounds are distinct, and now she is beginning to understand that certain sounds relate to certain things in her environment. As always, she takes her cues from you— so make sure to continue to experiment and engage with her! Some of the new skills your baby will start developing include: 

  • Recognizing the sound of their name 

  • Looking at familiar objects and people, when named. 

  • Participating in two-way communication 

  • Using simple gestures (i.e shaking head for “No.”) 

These skills help to solidify and strengthen your child’s communicative ability— and gets her ready for the moment you’ve been waiting for: her first words. Get the cameras ready! 

10 to 12 Months 

As he approaches his first birthday, your baby understands communication fundamentals like eye contact, and connecting specific words and meanings. The skills in place as this major milestone nears include: 

  • Learning one or two words (“mama,” “papa”, “hi”) 

  • Using speech (not crying) to get and keep your attention. 

  • Pointing or gesturing to indicate wants 

  • Enjoys games like “peek-a-boo” or “pat-a-cake” 

Your baby’s understanding of language will only continue evolving from here— during this phase, you may also notice him beginning to respond to simple requests, such as “come here”. As his understanding of words and their meaning grows, he’ll be on track for a “word spurt” in his toddler years that will vastly increase his vocabulary.  

Looking for more ways to support your little one’s development? Check out the video below for some tips to support your child’s communication!

Bolstering Communication with Baby Sign Language 

Today, more and more parents have also begun to turn to baby sign language to help their little one communicate her needs more specifically from a young age. You can begin this process with your child as early as 4 to 6 months old. Baby sign language is a great way to reinforce communication skills and teach your baby an early way to let you know they’d like “more” or if they are “hungry” or “tired”.  

To get started, experts recommend consistency: 

  1. Pick a few signs you would like your baby to learn— preferably their most common wants, to ensure you’ll repeat them, daily. 
  2. Begin by clearly demonstrating the sign you’d like your baby to learn, paired with the word itself.

For example, if you want your baby to learn the word for “milk” let him watch you make the sign — make two fists, extend your fingers out, and bring them back into fists — say the word aloud “milk” and then give him his bottle of milk.

3. Repeat the sign and spoken word for each time the baby wants the object in question. 

This repetition and reinforcement is critical for your baby’s learning process. Don’t be discouraged if it takes a few months for your baby to be able to sign effectively —this usually isn’t expected until they are 6 to 9 months old. Like learning any language, your baby will be able to understand what is being communicated before he can sign the word for himself. 

What if My Baby is Delayed? 

Don’t panic, do speak up. Help is out there, and you and your child will be okay. 

While the reason your child isn’t meeting their milestones may seem unclear, you have access to a number of resources— many in your own community. Here in the Triangle, we have a number of free resources available for new & expectant parents, such as: 

  • MSM (Moms Supporting Moms): A Triangle-based organization supporting expectant and postpartum moms through the transition of baby’s first year and beyond 

 

Here at Therapy Smarts, our mission is to turn challenges into triumphs for children and their families. We are experienced at helping parents find the answers they need to help their child thrive. 

If you are concerned about your child meeting their speech milestones, we offer free screenings. Give us a call at (919) 378-1340 to learn more!