Tips to Encourage Language Development: 6-9 Months

January 21, 2010
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From tall tales to singing songs, Jamie Loehr, M.D, and Jen Meyers, authors of Raising Your Child share activities to help your baby start talking!
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Talk with Her

Credit: Kathryn Gamble

Have conversations with your baby! Respond to her babbling. Give her time to talk and then respond to what she said. Talk to her just like you would talk to a good friend. Show her something you're working on, ask her questions, and recount a memory. Hearing the inflections and intonations of conversation will help her learn to respond to you in kind.

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Baby Sign Language: Key Phrases

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Sing to Her

Credit: Kathryn Gamble

Sing a variety of songs, from childhood lullabies and kids' songs, to pop and rock music. When you consistently sing one song ever time your baby needs comforting, she'll soon recognize it and calm down when she hears it. This can help in the car when you can't pick her up to comfort her; sing your song to help her relax and calm down.

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Playing With Baby: Let the Music Play

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Read Often

Credit: Kathryn Gamble

Read to your baby as often as you can. Choose books with bright colors and simple illustrations. She'll love looking at the pictures and will start interacting with the story. She may point to pictures or do hand motions that go with the story.

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Name the Parts of Her Body

Credit: Kathryn Gamble

Make up rhymes as you name the parts of your baby's body that you touch, such as her nose, toes, and belly button.

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Point Out Everything

Credit: Kathryn Gamble

Name everything in your baby's environment. People (Mama, Daddy, Grandpa), animals (cat, duck, pig), objects (sup, bowl, flowers), and body parts (fingers, mouth, ears).

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Tell Tall Tales

Credit: Kathryn Gamble

Tell make-believe stories. Simple or elaborate, they'll delight your child as long as they are told in your voice.

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Ways to Encourage Language Development

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Raising Your Child

Raising Your Child: The Complete Illustrated Guide is an information-packed guide that leads parents through the ever-changing maze of new behaviors, developments, and challenges present in a child's first six years. It is filled with essential information, expert advice, practical solutions, and key choices to ensure a child's healthy development for their first six years—and set them up for success in later developmental stages. In addition to understanding their child's stage of development, readers are given parenting techniques and activities they can use with their child to maximize physical, emotional, intellectual, and behavioral development at every age and stage.

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More Activities for 6-9 Month Babies

Credit: Kathryn Gamble

Get more ideas from Raising Your Child: The Complete Illustrated Guide to help with your baby's development.

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