We’d like our kids to have every advantage. Communicating with your baby is a beautiful thing. From learning their different cries to hearing or seeing their first words. Here are 5 things that we felt helped our boys develop the impressive speech and language they have at 2 years old.
Speech develops differently for every child, knowing that as a speech therapist I did everything with my boys I recommend to the parents and children I provide treatment for, with some exceptions (we used pacifiers for 2 years, I let the parents go on this one now). The more they are able to communicate, the less they cry. There is motivation right there, less crying.
READ, READ, READ as soon as their born, literally. I was talking to a developmental expert yesterday and she said that she recommends reading a familiar children’s book during pregnancy. She explained that if you routinely read the same few books during pregnancy, reading them to your baby after their born will help calm them down when they’re crying. Babies develop their earbuds at 18 weeks gestation. This makes sense, there is research out there that looked at the rate of infants sucking on pacifiers when listening to a different language and voices. http://faculty.washington.edu/losterho/Eimas.pdf They are definitely listening and learning. Pretty cool stuff.
Breastfeed if possible. Breastfeeding contributes to proper oral motor development required for speech production. This is why, look at all the oral motor components required for a proper latch during breastfeeding:
Baby’s jaw extends over milk ducts
Tongue raises against soft palate
Muscles involved include- suprahyoid,
infrahyoid, mylohyoid, geniohyoid,
masseter, medial and lateral pterygoid,
and temporalis and temporalis.
Tongue elevates lateral borders to form a
trough to direct milk to be swallowed.
There are some great articles found on http://kellymom.com/bf/normal/speech-development/
Use sign language to start. This is huge, my husband and I report that signing decreased crying by 20%. We used the Sign with your Baby DVD by Dr. Joseph Garcia. http://www.amazon.com/Sign-your-Baby-Joseph-Garcia/dp/1932354026
The best signs to start with are milk, more, and help. We started at 8 months and the boys started using milk at 10 months. They started saying their first words, “dada”, “mama” around the same time.
I’m always surprised when I hear about people being afraid that using sign language will either keep them from talking. Providing them with a mode of communication at an age that they are cognitively able but anatomically not ready starts pruning the neural pathways used for language development. The earlier you start, the more your child develops in the area of language and communication.
Skip the sippy cup and babyfood.
You can start to introduce solids as early as 6 months or when your baby can sit up independently. We used a combination of homemade purees and solids. I felt that they were hungry enough to “eat” the solid food but not able to mechanically handle it early on. I would give them both. For example, if we were having broccoli, I would give them the solid and along with the solid, I would give them a puree form of the broccoli. Introducing solids not only does wonderful things for eating but for oral motor development, which in turn promotes speech development. I highly recommend the book-Baby-Led Weaning: The Essential Guide to Introducing Solid Foods – and Helping Your Baby to Grow Up a Happy and Confident Eater
I never found a sippy cup that we liked, so we went straight from the bottle to the straw. This happened at 12 months. To introduce the straw for the first time, present it held by your finger. This way you can control the amount, get a little at the end of the straw and hold it in with your finger tip on top. Present it at an upright angle to let gravity work it’s magic and release your finger when your little one seals their lips around the straw. You may have to do this a few times before you feel them suck with the tip of your finger. Once you feel them suck, place the straw in a cup and watch it happen. They do have to learn how to control the flow at first and may cough, remember not to panic. Coughing is a protective mechanism to keep them from choking. It’s a good thing. Straws unlike sippy cup spouts and nipples require more oral motor control including tongue retraction and lip control. This all impacts speech production.
Minimize screen time
I’m not saying to totally take it away. We’ve all heard the warnings. I’m just saying, challenge yourself to have screen free days, it’s easier than you think. If you do need to, be involved, asked them questions as you watch to keep them active rather than passive watchers. Limiting screen is great and you’ll have amazing conversation with your toddlers if you do.
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