Talking to babies even when they cannot talk back helps them to learn to speak and communicate.
Mums and Dads who talk to their baby when they are just babbling but not actually speaking are helping their babies’ language development.*
- It will help your child to speak. When a baby listens to your voice they learn to use language.
- It will encourage your baby’s brain to think because it helps to strengthen the connections that make learning possible.
- Language skills from the base for literacy therefore speaking to your baby will help them to become better readers and writers.
- It will help your child develop social skills and good relationships for interacting and communicating.
- It will show that you love and respect your child, enhancing self esteem because your child gets used to being listened to and responded to.
- It will help the two of you form a close bond and communication becomes the basis of your relationship.
- Talk to your baby in your native language it is the best way to give your child’s language development a strong start.
Provided by HSE Mid West Speech & Language Therapy Department Limerick: 061-483992
(Based on Northumberland Talk to Your Baby Initiative – Northumberland.gov) (*study from University of Iowa &Indiana University)
