Our handout for our babies this week has been on Hearing and Speech. Talking to your baby is of the utmost importance in order to develop communication and social skills. I am sure many parents have experienced the joy and wonder of talking one-on-one to their baby, when their face is close to yours, you are looking into their eyes and they are staring intently back at you. Even in these early stages, babies are communicating with their caregivers. They are showing them through eye contact that they are paying attention, a little frown may signal concentration (or something else ), and looking away may mean baby is tiring, or overstimulated. They may even try and mimic your facial expressions. While sometimes these early communication signals are difficult to read, this is where singing songs or reciting nursery rhymes can come in handy. Your baby is still hearing your voice and the language you speak, as well as learning about the rhythm of words and the vocabulary of their first language. As baby becomes more responsive, and starts to smile and laugh, and gurgle in response, you may find conversation with your little one flows more easily. It is important to leave little spaces when you are talking, or wait a moment when you ask baby a question as though waiting for a response, so your child can learn the art of conversation, and the pauses and etiquette of language and communication that occur when speaking and interacting with other people. Babies are very social creatures, so why not start teaching and equipping them with the accepted social cues right from the very beginning!
Posted on: Sat, 10 May 2014 13:37:36 +0000
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