Learning to talk

Babies and young children love it when you chat, play and read with them, even if you think they're too young to understand. You can turn almost anything into a game. And every little thing you do together will help set them up nicely for the day when they start school.

Here are some tips and activities to help your baby develop their speech skills:

• take turns to make noises or speak with your baby, even with young babies, as you can respond to their babbling by copying back the sounds you hear and then waiting for them to take another turn
• talk to your baby in short, simple sentences, as it helps them understand what you are saying and makes it easier for them to have a go at copying when they are ready
• try playing with things your baby is interested in, and get down on the floor with them, be at the same level while you're playing together
• as soon as you notice your baby looking or pointing at something, talk about it before their attention moves on to something else – that might be within a couple of seconds for babies
• use picture books to introduce your baby to new things – point to the pictures and say what you see
• make reading, singing and playing fun by using lots of actions and different voices
• use the same song or book – babies and young children learn a lot when they are familiar with particular songs and books