• watches your face with interest when you talk
• tries to "talk" with you
• enjoys "talking" with you, smiles at you
• coos and squeals for attention
• has a special cry when hungry

• are any of the above behaviors absent?

• Mirrors are a wonderful tool at this age. Sit in front of a mirror with your baby or hold one so your baby can look into it Use 'parentese' and ask "Who is that baby?"....wave at the baby or make faces and see how she laughs and enjoys this.
• Play "where's the toy" with baby. Take a hand towel or scarf and cover up a toy. Ask "where's the toy?" Then uncover it. This teaches a concept called 'object permanence'. Object permanence allows your baby to understand that just because she can't see something doesn't mean it isn't there.
• Mimic any sounds your baby makes. This encourages more vocalizations. These are also the sounds that will turn into words.
• If your baby begins making words, take these words and elongate on them. For example...if the baby says "mama", you might say "Yes I'm your momma". This encourages taking turns and is the beginning of a conversation.
• Again, body parts is a wonderful concept to begin teaching. You can make up a rhyme and sing it to him. Such as "Tap, tap, tap, on my baby's nose, tap, tap, tap, on my baby's toes..."

  6 months to 1st birthday

Speech Development and Milestones - Index
Early detection of difficulties at any age can make learning to talk easier. If your child shows any of the warning signs listed for his or her age group, please contact the Speech-Language Pathologist at your Local Health Unit for more information.