Enrich Your Infant's Ability to Communicate

How to communicate with your infant

During the first year of life, infants communicate mostly through a combination of sounds, gestures, posture, facial expressions and noises. Both parents and children are learning how to recognize what the other is trying to communicate. Infants obtain vast amounts of information through all of their senses to develop and enhance their communication ability with their caregiver and the world.  

How to enrich your infant ability to communicate

• Listen to crying. Infants use crying as a way to communicate their different needs, for example hunger, anger, or discomfort. Try to understand what your child is crying about so that she will feel that you are listening to her. Your consistent, dependable, and nurturing responses will enable her to build a sense of trust and learn that when she communicates with you, you will meet her needs.

• Gaze at your child.   Eye contact and a pleasant facial expression let your child know that she has your full attention; this action also promotes a sense of respect. This is the beginning of how both parent and child learns each other's communication cues.

• Show love with touch. Gentle loving touch promotes a sense of security and love in your child. It is a powerful form of communication between parents and children.

• Expose your child to different sounds. Introducing your child to many sounds will help her develop speech. Sing and speak to her, play music for her, and give her noise-making and musical toys. Infants will begin to make sounds such as "baba,” “gugu,” and “dada,” and toddlers will begin to use two to three word phrases. Show pleasure at her first sounds and phrases and repeat them back to her.

• Introduce new words. Talk about the day's activities and say the names of objects when interacting. For example at feeding time tell your child what foods you are feeding her. Point to and name different objects in her surroundings.

• Read out loud.   When reading to your child, hold her comfortably in a face-to-face gaze. Recognize that she has a short attention span and follow her cues for "more" and "let's stop."   Point to and name pictures in the books. Introduce books into routines, such as bedtime.

• Listen and talk with your child.   This "give-and-take" also teaches your child about taking turns and waiting. These skills will be enhanced overtime; remember that she is still learning and developing these skills.

• Play with your child.   Introduce simple activities to your child. Play peek-a-boo, clap hands, and help her play with her toys. Point out the different toys and objects as you play; this also helps to increase her vocabulary.