Why Teach This Early?

Language development begins at birth. Babies who hear more words develop larger vocabularies. The "30 million word gap" research shows that early language exposure predicts later academic success.

Progressive Sub-Goals

Cooing

Target: 2-3 months

Coos and makes vowel sounds

💡 Tip: Talk to your baby constantly - narrate your day. Respond to their sounds as if having a conversation. This builds the foundation.

Babbling

Target: 4-6 months

Babbles with varied consonant sounds (ba-ba, da-da)

💡 Tip: Repeat their sounds back to them. Vary your pitch and tone. Babbling is language practice!

Gestures

Target: 7-9 months

Uses gestures (waving, pointing) and understands simple words

💡 Tip: Teach simple signs: more, all done, milk. Point and name objects. Read books daily. Receptive language comes before expressive.

Responds to Directions

Target: 9-11 months

Responds to simple directions (come here, no)

💡 Tip: Use simple, consistent phrases. Pair words with gestures. Celebrate when they follow directions!

Imitates Sounds

Target: 9-12 months

Imitates simple words or sounds

💡 Tip: Model words clearly. Repeat words they attempt. Don't correct - just model correctly.

First Words

Target: 10-12 months

Says 1-3 words with meaning (mama, dada, ball)

💡 Tip: First words often come around 12 months. Celebrate attempts! Don't correct - just model the correct word back.

Teaching Tips

1Talk, sing, and read to your baby constantly
2Respond to babbling as if it's conversation
3Use simple signs to bridge the gap before words
4Point and name objects throughout the day

Global Context

Research shows that babies in language-rich environments develop faster. Some cultures use baby sign language to bridge communication before speech. The key is responsive, interactive communication.