Your baby is listening even before they are born, as soon as they are born they begin to learn the sounds of their language. They listen, watch and learn from your words, body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice.
How does my child learn to talk?
Children learn by hearing and seeing things repeatedly. This helps them recognise what things are called, understand their purpose, and know how to use them. When you follow the same routines, such as at bathtime, you can help your child by talking about what you are doing and what is happening. This supports your child in learning what the word “bathtime” means. The words you use during these routines, for instance, “bath”, “water”, “splash”, or “hot”, are likely to be picked up and used by your child.
How do children progress from making sounds to using words?
Babies copy what they see and hear. Babbling is your child’s attempt at copying the sounds and words they are hearing. Copy your baby’s babbling and see if they babble back. You can try to keep the noises going by taking turns to copy each other’s babbling.
Some of the sounds your baby makes might be their attempt of a word. ‘Dadadada’ may be your baby’s first attempt at ‘Daddy’, you could say ‘Daddy’ back to and your baby to help will know you have understood their talking. Encourage use of simple sounds known as ‘symbolic noises’ for example, ‘choo choo’ (for train) and ‘meow’ (for cat). These sounds are easier for children to copy than words, and they often use these before words.
What about using dummies?
Dummies can be useful to soothe and comfort your baby, or when your child is settling to sleep. Try not to let them suck on a dummy all the time, dummies can affect growing teeth and children need to experiment with lots of tongue and lip movements, a dummy may get in the way of this. If your child is awake and interacting with you, then remove their dummy so they can join in the conversation.
Tips for supporting your baby’s talking
- Spend time face-to-face with your baby. Look at your baby’s face, make eye contact while your talk to them. Talk to your baby throughout the day, for example, during nappy changes, sing to your baby during a feed, or talk to them during their bath time.
- Copy the noises and faces your baby makes, respond to their movements. Make your voice sound interesting and tuneful.
- Respond to your baby’s babble as if they are talking to you by babbling back and saying what you think they might be trying to tell you.
- Sing to your baby – simple songs with lots of repetition, for example, nursery rhymes (your child won’t mind how well you can sing!)
- Play simple games with your child that include repetition or a surprise, for example, Peekaboo, tickling, rocking, bouncing on your knee, Round and Round the Garden.
- When your baby looks at something or hands you something, name it for them and repeat the word.
- Encourage use of symbolic noises, for example, ‘choo choo’ for train and ‘meow’ for cat. These are easier for children to copy than words and they often use these before words.
- Show your child simple, useful gestures, for example, pointing and waving.
- Switch off background noise from TV, iPad/Tablet, phone. Playing and responding to your child is the best way to support early language development. Television/iPad/tablet are fine some of the time, but they do not respond to your child. People can respond, so you are the best way of helping your child to learn to talk.
See our Language Development Film via YouTube for a demonstration of a range of strategies to support your child’s language development.
Other sources of support for early language development:
Last reviewed October 2025