Every mother eagerly waits for her baby to say his first word. Most often this word is “mother”. However, you should not rush your baby, since children’s speech skills develop at different speeds. It depends on heredity, on the sex of the child and on how often parents, grandparents, and older brothers and sisters communicate with him.
The first words are the most important
Time for conscious pronunciation of words
All parents want to know when their child says “mama.” The time for conscious pronunciation of words varies for each child and is determined by the following factors:
- Gender (boys usually start speaking later than girls);
- Heredity;
- The presence or absence of abnormalities in the development of the palate and tongue (for example, speech development may slow down with a shortened frenulum);
- Features of the bite;
- Individual temperament of the child.
The physical well-being of the baby also plays a big role. Often sick children begin to speak later than their peers.
Approximate age of first words
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The question of what time children say “mom” is difficult to answer unambiguously. A healthy baby, already at 9-10 months, tries to name objects that are in his field of vision. Such speech cannot yet be called conscious. The baby simply imitates adults, copying the sounds they make. After a year, the baby begins to understand how to use speech; It is precisely at this time that the first conscious words belong. Thus, a toddler can call his dad, mom, or “babu” to him, using a specific word in relation to a specific person. When a child begins to say “mom”, “dad” and other words consciously, you can already talk to him almost like an adult.
As the year progresses, the child’s vocabulary increases significantly
Humming and babbling
In the first two months, the baby can express all his emotions exclusively by crying, perhaps with different intonations. Closer to three months, the first word appears - “agu”. Humming occurs due to random positions occupied by the lips, tongue, larynx, that is, the organs included in the vocal apparatus. It occurs in the same way in all babies in the world. Starting at this age, you should try to talk more with your baby. Don't think that he doesn't understand anything. The main thing is that he will get used to the sound of his native speech, and a little later - accumulate a passive vocabulary.
After six months, the humming turns into babbling. The little one begins to pronounce and repeat simple syllables - ma, ba, and others. At this time, the baby, one might say, tunes in to the peculiarities of the language spoken by the adults around him. And if there are no signs of babbling before eight months, then this is a reason to check the baby’s hearing.
After about eight months, the babbling begins to change. It becomes longer, more emotionally charged, and the syllables are repeated several times. Often during this period, parents mistakenly rejoice, believing that the baby has spoken his first words. But in most cases, repeating “mom” or “dad” many times does not make any sense. The child simply repeats the syllables after adults and trains his speech apparatus.
But he has a noticeable understanding of some words. For example, if a mother constantly pronounces the names of objects to her toddler, then he will answer the next question “Where is the clock?” will turn his head in their direction. He also gladly imitates adults in simple actions - he tries to drink from a cup - and is very happy when he is understood.
Variants of the first words
Daily routine of a 5 month old baby
Statistics say that the first word in the vocabulary of 70% of children under one year old is “mom.” However, this is not at all necessary. Other options are also possible: “nanny”, “woman” or even “kisya” (if the baby is shown a cat every day and repeats its name). The first word can be any word, except those that contain consonant sounds that are difficult to articulate: “sh”, “sch”, “ts”, “r”. A young car lover can say “beep” for the first time; a girl, seeing a beautiful doll, can say “lala.” If the mother is often away, the baby may be the first to name the adult with whom he communicates most: these are grandmothers, aunts, brother or sister (“Anya”, “Lelya”, “Yulia”). Therefore, you should not wait for the child to say “mom”. Perhaps he will say a completely different word first.
In “children’s” language, the baby tries to name everything that interests him
Interesting. The baby's articulatory apparatus develops gradually. At first he pronounces only sounds (the so-called “humming”), then the consonants “m”, “n”, “l” are added to them, as the most convenient for pronunciation. Perhaps this is why the word “mother” sounds similar in all languages of the world - the sounds “m” and “a” are the easiest for a baby to pronounce.
When a child speaks simple words
By 9-11 months of age, the baby begins to speak its first words. At first they may not be pronounced quite consciously. The first words are: “mother”, “father”, “grandfather”, “woman” and others. Over time, conscious words appear. For example, if a baby sees his mother, he says the word “mother.”
Girls develop speech slightly faster than boys. This is explained by the fact that in boys the connection between the two hemispheres of the brain is less formed, which slows down the transfer of information. By the age of 1, girls have about 10 words in their vocabulary. In boys, this number of words appears only by 13-14 months. This is a physiological norm.
By 12-14 months, the baby can also meaningfully pronounce the words: kitty, yum-yum, aw-aw (dog), ga-ga (goose), bo-bo, bi-bi, lalya and others. By the age of one and a half years, he begins to speak in short phrases. Often the baby utters phrases in the imperative mood: “Mom, give”, “Mom, go.”
By 18 months, plural words begin to appear. By the age of 2, children already have up to 1000 words in their vocabulary. By the age of 2, children begin to ask questions: “What is this? Why?" The child is also able to say phrases, small sentences: “This is a kitty,” “This is a table,” “This is a chair,” “Give me a doll,” “Where is mommy?”
Stimulating the baby to conscious speech
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When babies begin to speak their first words, it becomes a joyful event for parents. A completely healthy child can remain silent for a long time, “like a partisan,” if his parents do not encourage him to utter conscious words. It is known that the brain areas responsible for the development of speech actively develop during any manual actions: finger games, drawing, sculpting. To hear the first words faster, parents should:
- Play with your child more often in construction sets, cubes, pyramids to develop coordination and fine motor skills;
- Name the baby objects that he sees every day (cat, dog, spoon, car);
- Sing children's songs to the baby and tell age-appropriate fairy tales (“Kolobok”, “Ryaba Hen”);
- Look at children's illustrated books with your baby and make up short stories based on the pictures.
You need to pronounce all words in a conversation with your baby clearly, correctly placing the emphasis and pronouncing all the letters. If the pace of speech is too fast, the child is unlikely to understand anything, so the conversation between an adult and a child should be calm and measured. It is not recommended for your child to play modern children's songs that sound at a fast pace (for example, the Kukutiki ensemble); such music is for children aged 3 years and older.
Games for the development of fine motor skills contribute to the development of conscious speech
Helping the little “silent one”
It happens that parents are actively engaged with their baby: they sculpt, draw, sing songs and read fairy tales, but the boy (girl) is still silent. To gently and unobtrusively help your baby learn to speak, you need to:
- Visit an orthodontist and dentist (speech delay may be caused by problems with teeth or bite);
- Start weaning off the pacifier (prolonged pacifier sucking can significantly slow down speech development);
- Ask the child more often what exactly he wants, so that the baby does not show with gestures, but names objects in words;
- Tell your child about everything he sees at home, on a trip, on a walk.
It is known that children of silent parents, as a rule, are also not talkative, this is normal. Heredity plays an important role in the acquisition of speech skills. The most important thing is to work with your baby every day, then the baby’s vocabulary will begin to grow very quickly.
Under no circumstances should you put pressure on a 12-16 month old baby, forcing him to pronounce a specific word (for example, “mom”). At this age, children pronounce only what they are able to pronounce; each person’s speech apparatus develops individually. For some it’s easier to say “mom,” for others it’s easier to say “dad” or “baba.” Sooner or later, when the time comes, the baby will master all the sounds of the Russian language without exception.
If a healthy baby is silent for a long time, this is not a reason to worry
Don't make mistakes
Almost all adults forget that they were children too, misbehaving and breaking the rules.
You should not try to turn your children into those you yourself could not become. Let them develop their own selves. A harmoniously growing person does not need to rebel to prove his worth.
Pedagogical climate
Weaning away from evil is through understanding. It is worth accepting that the son is really talented in folk dancing, and mathematics is a cosmic distance for him. My daughter likes architecture and design, and not at all the need to continue the dynasty of physiologists. Overcoming any psychological difficulties and behavioral problems lies in self-acceptance and approval of loved ones. Provide both!
Be purposeful
In your desire to change your child’s behavior, pursue one single goal - to help him become better, and not just wean him from swearing. And there is absolutely no need to voice your goals out loud. Just know what exactly you want and act comprehensively, systematically and rationally.
Act consistently
Consistency suggests that the rules of good speech are for everyone. There is no situation in which dad is allowed to utter a colorful interjection. “A very well-mannered plumber constantly says while working: “Look!”
Shame is a bad helper
Don't confuse it with shyness! Shyness is a positive character quality, shame is a strong negative emotion. The feeling of shame entails the experience of guilt, and guilt leads to isolation, decreased self-esteem and aggression. Verbal aggression increases under the influence of shame.
Correct censure
To understand this principle, decide for yourself: do you not like your child or are his actions unpleasant? Surely only actions. They are the ones who should be condemned. The child himself must remain selflessly loved.
How to reprimand a child who swears:
- Optimal: “You probably wanted to say that you are dissatisfied?”
- It is acceptable: “I don’t like how bad you swear; It doesn’t make me feel proud of you.”
- Unacceptable: “You are a rude, unscrupulous, disgusting goofball. I didn’t raise you like that.”
Empty prohibitions have no meaning
Strict guidelines and prohibitions create a desire to break them. To comply with child psychology, they must be rational and justified, and everyone must be offered an alternative behavior - what to do instead of what is prohibited.
Signs of speech delay
If after one and a half years a boy or girl continues to remain silent, a pediatrician or neurologist may diagnose “delayed speech development.” It should be borne in mind that such a diagnosis is most often made against the background of other concomitant disorders and diseases. If the baby is practically healthy, you don’t have to worry and just wait a little. You should sound the alarm if:
- The baby not only does not speak, but also does not understand the speech of adults;
- The baby does not respond to words addressed to him;
- The child does not show interest in the world around him and does not like to look at children's picture books;
- The little silent man's medical history includes congenital neurological pathologies.
Experts say that intensive speech development is facilitated by a child’s attendance at a child care facility (nursery) and age-appropriate developmental group classes, as well as active communication with older brothers and sisters (if there are other children in the family). If a baby spends a lot of time alone and is often left to his own devices, he may not utter his first words for a very long time.
Parents should monitor not only the quantity, but also the quality of the first words. Children after one year can already be delicately corrected, stimulating them to speak correctly (for example, not “bibika”, but “machine”). In order for the development of speech skills to proceed correctly, speech therapists categorically do not recommend teaching children under three years of age a foreign language, even in the form of a game.
The exception is bilingual families, where parents initially speak different languages; in this case, a healthy baby easily learns both, but this happens gradually.
Attention! If a healthy baby actively communicates with others in his own language, which no one understands, this is a variant of the norm. The child is already speaking, just in his own way for now. If a child one and a half years or older is constantly silent, is wary of others, often shows aggressiveness and refuses to communicate, this may be a sign of autism.
If the baby is already one year old, but he is in no hurry to please his elders with his first words, there is no need to panic. A healthy, physically well-developed baby will definitely speak; the main thing is to encourage him to do this by personal example. If the baby suffers from any neurological disorders or is often sick, a delay in speech development may be caused by serious disorders that require specialist supervision.
Recommendations for parents with speech pathology
Deviations can be noticed by kindergarten teachers, parents or a pediatrician. It is very important for parents to observe the child themselves and read more books about the development of preschoolers. The main principle in diagnosis is regular visits to the pediatrician. During the first year, you should go to the pediatrician every month. In the second year of life, the child is brought to the doctor once a quarter. The pediatrician will definitely see the pathology and tell the parents about it.
If there is a delay in speech development, you should contact a neurologist and speech therapist. Specialists will refer you for an examination to identify the cause of the disease. The speech therapist will conduct a speech therapy examination, begin classes, and give recommendations to parents on working with their preschooler at home.
The earlier disorders of speech and general development are identified, the easier it is to eliminate the pathology.
Consultation with a speech therapist is required for healthy children from the age of 3, and then annually until the age of 7. If deviations are detected earlier, specialist help is indicated before the age of 3.
