In the first six months of life, we each begin to develop our own unique speech patterns. What is surprising to many parents is the ability of most newborns to make the various vowel sounds when crying or even cooing. Within a few weeks of birth, infants immediate begin to spontaneously interact with a parent as a reflexive response to their own natural development of the speech and language structures, including the tongue and vocal cords
It is during the first six months of life, especially soon after birth, that crucial milestones begin, enabling a newborn, to some extent, to make the emotional connection to the mother. With communication and language development in the newborn, the ability to coo and interact on a social level begins with the interaction with the mother through these first few months of cooing and crying. It is from these reactions the newborn learns to make specific sounds in order to acquire the attention needed or to achieve a specific result.
At about four months of age, the daily and constant interaction with the mother will become more evident as the infant, at this time, will begin to engage in a more two way conversation, to some extent, with the mother. It is at four months of age when an infant begins to more readily, and quickly, recognize the face of not only the mother but also the father and siblings, using all of these individuals as resources in establishing their own speech pattern.
Beyond more recognizable faces, the infant, at about four months of age, will begin to work on language development skills involving a more advanced sense of hearing. Because the infant is use to a mother’s voice, especially based on prenatal sounds, it is the mother’s voice, usually in high pitch, which will entice the child’s interest the most. For this reason, the mother plays a key role in teaching an infant to speak and listen and it is this period, beginning at four months of age, when the infant will begin to respond to the sound of other voices, even those that can not be seen.
During these first six months of life the infant’s physical structure is becoming larger and stronger. In an effort to promote language development, a mother should engage her infant, regularly, in speech and language patterns, promoting conversation, so as to teach the child the variations in pitch but also to stimulate cooing in an effort to promote further growth of development of the physical structures of the mouth and throat.
As with any child growth and development process, it is imperative to always seek out the counsel of the pediatrician to ensure your child is growing and developing normally. During these first six months of life, discuss language and speech development
