Let's Chat: Four Ways to Talk to Baby

As your baby starts to babble, here's how to keep the conversation flowing.

·         Songs. Singing helps teach phonemic awareness, the understanding that words are made up of distinct sounds that can be manipulated and combined. Anything from "Mary Had a Little Lamb" to Christmas carols to your favorite pop tune will work. Extra points if you dance too!

·         Books. Again, the words themselves aren't as important as the simple fact of saying them aloud for your baby to hear. Children's books — especially nursery rhymes and poems — are wonderful (especially if you make them part of a familiar, daily routine), but you can also read aloud from your cookbook, newspaper, or novel.

·         Questions. Enlist your baby's "help" in making all those little decisions you face every day (Peaches or bananas? Yellow socks or blue?). Ask her what she thinks, then wait earnestly for a reply! It's good practice for the toddler years, when you'll want to offer her the chance to have control whenever possible.

·         Her own "words." Sure it feels silly, but you can have an entire conversation based on alternating "ba-ba's" and "ga-ga's." Parroting her own sounds back to her will make her feel listened to and interesting (and isn't she!). It also encourages her to try imitatingyou. Before you know it, she'll reverse the game by repeating your words (so watch your language!).