Language development: 3-12 months

Your baby’s communication skills grow dramatically in her first year of life. Here are some things your child might do:

• coo and laugh
• respond to you when you talk, by making noises or becoming quiet
• make eye contact with you
• make a series of different sounds, such as ‘aaieee’, ‘booo’, ‘ahh’
• at around three months, say ‘ah goo’ or another combination of vowels and consonants
• beginning at around four months, babble and combine vowels and consonants, such as ‘ga ga ga ga’, ‘ba ba ba ba’, ‘ma ma ma ma’, ‘da da da da’
• laugh when you play with her
• imitate some of the sounds and gestures you make
• at around five months, respond when you say his name
• play with making sounds – for example, she might try making different sounds and pitches at varying (sometimes earsplitting!) volumes
• at around eight months, make longer sequences of sounds, some of which have the tone and rhythm of normal speech
• around nine months, say ‘mama’ or ‘dada’, although he might not necessarily be talking about his mum or dad
• imitate sounds, such as coughing, laughing, clicking or making ‘raspberries’
• enjoy games such as peekaboo and other action games
• at around 10 months, understand the word ‘no’ (but she still won’t always do as you say!)
• use gestures to respond to or initiate a conversation
• communicate with purpose, mainly to request, insist, refuse, reject or greet someone
• ask for something by pointing, or by looking at a person then at something he wants
• at around 12-14 months, say a few words with a clear meaning, such as ‘mama’ or ‘dada’ to refer to her mum or dad
• understand very simple instructions with verbal and visual cues – for example, when you hold your hand out and say ‘ta’, she’ll give you the toy she was holding. 

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