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In between four and eight months, you might notice your baby starts to make a lot of little repeated babbling sounds.
This is their early attempts to form words the way they've seen adults do it.
But did you know that you can really help their development by responding to their babble to make up little 'chats'?
We asked the experts to explain why babbling back to your baby is so important at this age. Watch the video below to find out what they said.
Do you know, responding to your baby's babble, often repeated sounds, shows them they're connecting with you through speech?
A great tool when they start to talk. Don't worry if they're not babbling yet. They'll be making sounds. And all babies develop differently.
But the most important thing is to respond to them and chat with them.
They're really tuning into you and your sounds, listening to words and wanting you to interact with them.
By responding, you're showing your baby they're making a difference with their sounds, so keep doing it!
What is baby babble?
Babbling is when your baby makes a combination of sounds. These could be single syllable sounds like “pa” or “ba,” as well as more complex sounds like "a-da" or a long, repeated sounds.
These babbling sounds are the starting point of language and, over time, they will develop into word-sounds and basic words.
Even the silliest sounds and noises help your child practice the mouth movements they'll need for their first real words, so don't worry about babbling back to your baby.
This is actually helping their language development.
Why should you respond to baby babble?
When babies are babbling they're actually having their first go at talking and practising the speech sounds they'll need when they start saying their first words.
When you babble back to them, they get to tune into your sounds and watch your mouth movements closely. This helps their brains process the mechanics of speech, and you might find their mouth copying your movements.
So by babbling back, you're helping them link together the noises and the shapes that your mouth makes when you speak.
Responding to your baby's babble also shows your baby that their words and sounds are important.
By having these mini-conversations, you're letting them know that they can make a difference with their voice. It's also teaching them the basic building blocks of language and conversation.
See the science of responding to baby babble in action in our Speech Lab.
Fun activities to encourage baby babble
- A simple game of copy cat let's your child know that they're listened to and you're ready to communicate with them.
- Spending one to one time with your baby is a great way for them to develop their listening skills.
- Babbling with your baby is a fun way to develop their communication and conversation skills.
