What to expect

Now that your baby is 10 to 12-months old, you can help them to learn better language skills if you actively talk and play with them.

As often as possible get down on the floor and play with your baby. Roll a ball to them and help them roll it back to you. Your baby will love this special time together.

First words

Your baby may be getting ready to say their first word.

Baby’s first words are often names for objects or people such as mama, dada, ball or truck.

Babies first words will also have sounds that are easy to make. Sounds like p, b, n and w are usually easier for babies than g, s, ch, r and l sounds

Some babies may start saying words earlier or later than what is described here.

Parenting tips

When your baby points to a picture in a book you are reading to them, tell them what the object is. For example, “That is a cow. A cow says moo.”

Whenever you can, show baby what you are talking about. For example, as you grab their hands to wash them, say “Let’s wash your hands to make them clean.”

Asking your baby to do something with the toys that they are already playing with helps them learn language. For example, if they are playing with a toy dump truck, you might ask them to put something in the dump truck.

Did you know that….

📙 Your baby will learn language more quickly if you talk with them about what they are interested in at that time. For example, “That is a truck!” Point to the wheels and say, “The truck has wheels.” Now move the truck back and forth, and say, “The truck is moving.”

What can you do?

What is your baby focusing on?

Your baby may look and point to things that really interests them. For example, if they see a sheep, they might point to it and stare at it.

When you see them staring at an object, this is a good time to talk about what they see. You can respond, “That is a sheep!”

Your baby may use their eyes to look back and forth between a toy they noticed and you. They may point and make a noise to tell you where they want you to look. When you notice their interest in a toy talk about it. For example, if they are looking at a wagon say, “That is a wagon. Do you want to play with it?”

Set aside time every day to read to your baby, even if it is only for a few minutes. They love books with pictures.

Point and talk to baby about things

While looking at an object or person, draw your baby’s attention to it. Look at your baby, and say, “That is a kitty. The kitty is playing with a ball.”
While pointing at an object, encourage your baby to look at it. For example, say “See the dog, he is running after the ball!” Talk with excitement about the object. However, do this when they aren’t already looking at something else.
Give your baby new objects to handle and talk about them. You might say, “This is your blanket. It feels very soft. This is a block. It feels really hard.”

Take your baby on outings and talk about the different things that they see. For example, you might take them to the park or zoo and talk about the animals they see.