Encourage Baby's Language Development: 9-12 Months

By Jamie Loehr, M.D. and Jen Meyers
July 14, 2015
Jamie Loehr and Jen Meyers, authors of "Raising Your Child" suggest these activities to help enhance your baby's language development.
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Encourage Her to Babble

Credit: Kathryn Gamble

Respond to your baby's nonsense syllables. Participate in conversations with her, allowing her time to talk before you respond to what she said. Talk to her just like you would talk to a dear friend. Tell her about your day, show her photographs in a magazine, and ask her questions.

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Sing For Her

Credit: Kathryn Gamble

Sing your favorite songs to your baby. She may even dance while you sing.

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Show Her Colorful Pictures

Credit: Kathryn Gamble

Point our pictures in books and magazines and describe them. "That's a blue bird" or "This is a cow." Ask your baby questions you think she knows how to answer: "Where is the yellow duck?"

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Take Her Shopping

Credit: Kathryn Gamble

Describe what you are buying when you go shopping. "This is a red apple, and we will eat it for lunch." These sentences make a connection between the object and words, and they also make a connection between different parts of her life (store versus home).

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Name Her Body Parts

Credit: Kathryn Gamble

Name the parts of your baby's body when you are changing her diaper, bathing her, or simply snuggling. Ask her to point to the parts you've named. "Where is your tummy?"

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Name People and Objects

Credit: Kathryn Gamble

Name objects in your baby's environment, like people (Mama, Daddy, Uncle Max), animals (dog, cat, pigeon), and objects (chair, book, car).

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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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6 Ways to Make Your Baby Smarter

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