Hearing is an important and necessary part of speech development. Babies are now given a hearing test at birth, as if there are any difficulties they are detected early so that measures can be taken to optimise the development of language and speech.

As with most development, it is an on-going process. So what can your baby hear at different ages?

In the first few weeks after birth, babies have a strong startle reflex – responding to bright lights and sudden noise. They jerk as a result, with both their arms and legs. Surprisingly they start to make simple sounds like 'owh' and 'eh'. This indicates a particular needs such as tiredness and wind. You can read more about this and how to interpret their sounds in a previous article I've written about the Dunstan Baby Language https://theparentingcafe.com.au/the-5-words-your-newborn-says/

They will respond to sounds, without understanding where they come from, and they love to hear your voice, which is a familiar sound from in utero!

From 6 weeks to 3 ½ months babies will start to turn in the direction of sounds they hear, and they will 'know' your voice and may show excitement when you speak, by smiling at you, or 'talking' to you.

From this very early age they are learning about conversation, and you may notice that when you speak to them, and then stop, they will often 'talk' back to you and wait for you to respond - simply amazing!

From 3 ½ – 5 ½ months you'll notice how they react to a variety of sounds and voices. Babies will often respond to their name, so make sure you use it in your talking with them. They often enjoy toys which make gentle sounds like rattles or soft music. When you sing with your baby and do actions to the song, you'll notice that your baby may attempt to do an action when they recognise the song eg moving hands when you sing 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star'. Babies brains are also starting to recognise often repeated words.

At 5 ½ – 8 months they repeat simple sounds like 'ba-ba' or 'da-da' At this stage 'da-da' doesn't mean Dad, it is a sound that they have learnt to say, and 'b' and 'd' are often the first sounds they are able to master. They are starting to make associations with the words you often say eg bottle, bed, book. Interestingly too, babies are able to store the sounds of different languages in their brain. This is particularly useful when there are two languages being spoken in the home. Their brains are able to accept that each item you pick up has 2 names eg 'bed' or 'seng' (in Danish).

By 8 -14 months they can point to objects you name and can say simple words eg 'bo' for bottle. Their speech isn't clear, but becomes consistent. They may be able to make animal sounds on request, or when they see a picture of the animal in a book. Their receptive language has increased dramatically and when you ask: 'Where's the ball?' they understand and will look around for it.

At all times it is your connection with them which is important – your voice, it's tone and volume. Your voice provides them with so much information. Be aware that they don't get this same level of engagement with a TV or iPad app, which is one of the reasons why they aren't recommended for children under two years of age. You are the most important one for their development!

If you notice your baby or toddler isn't responding to sounds, or isn't babbling, have their hearing checked. It maybe as a result of an short term infection, but needs to be checked by your doctor.

Happy talking with your child!

I had a mini-holiday recently, in a beautiful little seaside town. Daily I would walk to the beach, to absorb the sunshine and heat, as well as hear the sounds of the waves crashing, and the smell the scent of the sea and the bush surrounds.

On the beach were so many families from India, Asian, the Middle East and Anglos. There were Mums with kids, families with cousins & Grandparents, group of friends, surfers, and couples walking hand in hand.

What they all had in common, was a day of fun. There were so many smiles and the sound of laughter, and it was wonderful to participate in this event.

It made me reflect on all the amazing messages which were intentionally and unintentionally being shared with the children present.

They were messages about:

• Family – having fun together, and the different combinations of people which make up our families.
• Play – having fun together through walking, swimming, playing cricket or footie, building sandcastles, cooking and eating.
• Water – the power of the water, the sound of the crashing waves, the ability to stem the flow of water from a small stream by building a ‘dam’ wall of sand, and then breaking the wall to allow it to flow again, into the ocean.
• Beach safety – holding hands with the young children as they jump the waves, and seeing the presence of the Lifesavers and understanding what they do.
• Nature – appreciating the beauty of the place – the beach, the sand, the bush approaches, and the tended picnic grounds.
• Language – children heard the different languages of the the cultures present, realising that there is more than one way to speak.
• Sharing – sharing the ball, the games, the space, the food and the picnic tables.
• Taking ‘risks’ – showing younger children how to traverse the rocks, or jump across the small stream, to ‘dare’ to get your clothes wet whilst exploring the waters edge. Watching the older adults who safely surf or parasail.
• Rubbish – ensuring that your rubbish is taken away or placed in the bins – as well as many collecting any stray pieces which have blown there.
• Hygiene – re-inforcing washing your hands after using the public toilets or after collecting the rubbish.
• Exercise – participating in running, climbing, walking or swimming. Watching the people surfing or parasailing, with the idea that when the children are older that they can join in. Noticing that people exercising are having fun!
• Humanitarianism – the ethnicity of people wasn’t relevant….. everyone shared the space equally and enjoyed all it had to offer.
• Shared work – after a fun day, there are sand toys and bags to carry back to the car, and then unpacked and cleaned at home.

So many amazing lessons on the beach – many of them unspoken messages, but equally absorbed by the children.

We expose our child to these sort of spoken and subtle messages whichever environment they are in – be it the beach, the supermarket or movie theatre. It helps children to learn the ‘rules’ of their environments and our society, through us as parents, and by the others who use the same space.

Happy learning one and all!

Language begins to develop prior to birth, when babies hear the parents’ voices in utereo. When a baby, who has just been born, is placed between their mother and a stranger, and they both speak to the baby, she will turn towards the recognisable voice of her Mum – amazing!

From birth to 6 weeks, this recognition of both Mum and Dad’s voices continues, and the baby responds to sounds and voices, but aren’t yet able to localise them. Babies have different cries to indicate their need for food, sleep, or to be burped! When parents are able to correctly identify these cries, then they can quickly settle the baby .

You can read more about this, in a previous article I wrote: https://theparentingcafe.com.au/the-5-words-your-newborn-says/ 

You can help by: Look at your baby and talk with her. Smile at her. Surround her with gentle, pleasant sounds, and avoid sudden loud noises, which may startle her.

Between 6 weeks and 3 ½ months babies will now turn their heads towards the sound, and will look at their parents when they talk. They begin to make ‘cooing’ sounds eg ‘aaah’, ‘eeee’ or ‘oooo’. It’s also the time when ‘conversation’ starts – have you noticed how a baby of this age will ‘talk’, then stop? If you speak softly back to them, they will ‘listen’ and then respond. It’s a conversation with no words, but with sounds and eye contact!

You can help by: ‘Conversing’ with your baby, allowing him time to respond to you. Maintain eye contact as either of you speak. Make the same sounds as your baby does, as well as ‘regular’ talking. Tell him about his world and what is happening, as you bath him or dress him.

From 3 ½ months to 5 ½ months babies are more able to locate a sound eg over to the left and up. They react when hearing their name, and they enjoy listening to the sounds they themselves make – often squealing with delight. They show pleasure by gurgling and cooing. It’s also the time of blowing ‘raspberries’ with lots of dribble involved!

You can help by: Provide a variety of toys which make different sounds – bells, simple shaker toys and by playing different types of music. Use his name frequently so he gets used to hearing it. Sing simple nursery rhymes – it does not matter about the quality of your voice – it’s about the baby and you sharing a moment through sound! Continue to mimic his sounds, as well as using ‘regular’ words. If the baby wakes happily and is ‘talking’ to himself, let him have that time alone, to be able to listen to his own voice and sounds.

In the time from 5 ½ months to 8 months babies now attempt to mimic sounds, and they experiment with squealing. They start to associate often repeated words with people or objects, and continue to enjoy blowing raspberries! By 8 months babies are beginning to combine sounds eg ‘ba ba’ or ‘da da’, and will repeat one often, before starting on the next one. They are learning verbal and non-verbal forms of communication, eg facial expressions and gestures.

You can help by: When she is playing with a book and seems to be looking at it, name the picture for her. Similarly when she is staring at household object (eg the fan, or the clock), label it for her. When you wave, as someone leaves, and say: ‘bye bye’ she will begin to associate waving with a person leaving. Say rhymes or sing songs which have repeated phrases or words.

Next week we will continue looking at language development – from 8 months onwards.

Happy Parenting, Sonja