Chatter matters
Talk to your baby
Babies love to listen to the voices of their parents. They are highly
receptive to tone and rhythm and may move their bodies in time with
the adult’s speech. They also
imitate facial expressions, and
begin to learn how these are related to the meaning of the words.
Many adults speak to young babies in a special way, adopting a
higher-toned, sing-song voice, with exaggerated smiling and wide
open eyes. Others use the same tone as to adults, but choose phrases with lots of
repetition,
‘nonsense’ words and sounds, perhaps imitating the baby’s noises. All of these are good ways to
communicate. It does not matter greatly which approach you prefer, but it does matter that the baby
receives warm, positive attention, with lots of eye-to-eye contact.
Babies quickly learn that ‘conversations’ happen by taking turns, and you can support this
learning by making sure that you listen, then respond. Remember, though, your baby is using
a lot of his