Baby Learns to Speak and Sing
Level 3
LEVEL 3.
BABY LEARNS TO SPEAK AND SING.
Baby’s language and speech development.
Baby’s OMSDEP: Her language and speech development intentions:
To express her feelings and thoughts and to ask questions.
Three-steps to speech:
Baby’s language development goes through three significant steps at this level. She commences at Step 1, progresses to Step 2, and then progresses to Step 3.
Step 1:
Firstly she will begin to make sounds that more clearly express her feelings than the sounds she has made previously. She is likely to shriek with joy or make other sounds that express her happiness and interest in life at this time. at the same time as she makes sounds of happiness and joy she is likely to kick her legs, move her arms and smile from a face beaming with delight. This is a particularly delightful time for parents, as well as for baby, as they share in her expressions of joy. Baby will rightly enjoy being happy and delighted with the world, and while she will still cry when she needs to, she should make her first strong expressions of joy at this level; if she is living in a joyful environment. The range of meaningful sounds she makes at this level is likely to include expressions of joy and happiness, unhappiness, sleepiness and hunger.
Step 2:
She will begin to make sounds that are, or will become, her own language. This language is technically known as protolanguage. The first protolanguage sound she makes is usually ‘Ma,’ or a similar sound, which delighted mothers usually take to mean mother. In reality ‘Ma’ (and some similar sounds) is a sound that is easy for babies to say; and that is why they say ‘Ma’. Nonetheless, because mother, and usually father too, expresses such delight that baby said ‘Ma’, and because they often tell baby ‘Ma’ is mother’s name, baby begins to refer to mother as ‘Ma’. And this is an excellent positive reinforcement for baby. Thus baby becomes a talker, her first word ‘Ma’, or a similar sound, is given meaning; firstly by her parents and then by her.
Another common word babies use is ‘Da’ which usually means “that”. Because baby cannot yet say the words horse, T.V., picture, chair, frog and many others she might very wisely use the word ‘Da’ to indicate that she wishes to draw your attention to that thing. Because ‘Da’ is sometimes thought by parents to mean ‘Daddy’, and because they usually enthusiastically embrace the use of this word, baby is likely to begin to refer to Daddy as ‘Da’ or even ‘Da Da’.
Baby might develop six or more of these different protolanguage sounds to describe actions or names during Level 3
Step 3:
Baby begins to make sounds that are as near as she can get to the actual words in her native language. These words are usually the names of people she knows well, favourite toys, pets or other objects, the names of which she often hears and she can easily say. When she says these words it is not unusual for baby to abbreviate them (often into one syllable) to make them easier for her to say.
When baby learns to speak two words in English, Thai, German, Japanese or any other language, and not in her own invented language (that is protolanguage), she moves up to Level 4. This is an exciting time for magnificentparent.com parents as baby has now shown that she understands (i) that a common language exists and (ii) she can now cause the air from her lungs to vibrate in the way required to speak her native (and perhaps other) language.
The Rhyming Game:
Use rhymes in the following way when baby first uses protolanguage or, if you are keen, when you think she might be about to begin using protolanguage. If you begin playing the Rhyming Game before baby begins to use protolanguage and she is not yet ready to begin speaking, your time (and her time too) will not be wasted as she will still be listening, developing and learning about language as you read the rhymes to her.
Her first word might not, by the way, be crystal clear and spoken with the quality of a well-spoken adult. It may be slurred, unclear and only partly said. You might not even be entirely sure that baby did say the word, but you should be a little more certain that she did say it than you are that she did not say it.
When you are reasonably sure that baby has spoken her first protolanguage word do as follows 10 times each day:
Get a book of rhymes and/or poems for children. Try to get happy, enjoyable , positive, rhymes or poems and not those that are tragic, sad or nasty. Your child is influenced by what you read to her. You will only need one enjoyable rhyme to begin, but ten will be helpful and one hundred or more adequate.
Read about six lines of a rhyme to baby, for example:
Robert wears a red hat,
Red hat, red hat.
Robert wears a red hat,
On his head.
Robert wears a red hat,
On his head
Or
Tigers have four paws,
Four paws, four paws.
Tigers have four paws
On their legs.
Tigers have four paws,
On their legs.
Read the rhyme to baby ten times each day for five days.
On the sixth day say the whole rhyme for the first reading. The other nine times you say the rhyme leave off the last word. Then pause for about 10 seconds before saying the last word.
On the seventh day say the whole rhyme once. The other nine times you say the rhyme leave off the last two words. Then pause for about 10 seconds before saying the last two words.
On the eighth day do as on the seventh but leave off the last three words.
On the ninth day do as on the eighth but leave off 4 words.
On the tenth day do as on the ninth but leave off 5 words.
On the eleventh day start a new rhyme and, using the new rhyme or poem, repeat the procedure above.
Continue using the rhyming game into the future until baby is speaking well and is learning new words from other sources; or until she has said about 50 short poems or rhymes. Once she begins to say two or more words she is likely to take about six to eight months before she can say 25 words and one or more 2 word couplets. A 2 word couplet is when two words are joined together in a way that makes sense. For example, “come here,” “get dog,” “warm drink,” or “green hat”. After saying her first word she might not say it or other new words for several weeks, even a month or more. If baby does not begin to repeat the words from the rhymes immediately (and it is quite likely she will take at least a few weeks) then recommence the earlier rhymes she did not say at a later date after she has begun speaking.
When you play the rhyming game baby can be expected to listen to you and to learn the rhyme herself. She can then be expected to say the missing word or words when you don’t. Don’t try to make her or tell her to do so, simply give her the time to do so while you pay attention to her. When she is ready she will tell you by saying the missing word(s). If she does not say the missing word(s) as expected then she is either not ready to do so or has a brain or other injury preventing her from doing so. (The great majority of children do not have a brain or other injury that prevents them). If she is not ready to speak yet then go on to the next rhyme you have selected and go through the procedure again. Continue to select new rhymes and use them 10 times each day for a total of 10 days as you did with the first rhyme.
Until she can speak 5 or 6 words always give baby a big hug and cheers whenever she says a word or words. Tell her, for example, “ You speak really well, Jill (or Jack). “Wow! You said ‘head’ really well. That was great talking.” Then, when she can speak six or more words, continue to congratulate her from time to time but particularly when she says a new word.
In future Levels:
Once she begins to say two or more words, as stated above, her natural progress is likely to be about 25 words over about six to eight months; with only about eight of those words in the first three to four months and the remaining 17 words in the second three to four months. Soon she will be speaking 10, and then 20, and then 40, and soon 50, 60, 70, one hundred and more words. The rhyming game can be discontinued when you become unsure about which words baby can speak and which words she does not speak. This is likely to be when she can speak between about 100 and 150 new words. Stop the rhyming game at this point if you wish and, if you wish to do so, you can recommence the game in the future. But if you and baby enjoy the rhyming game it can be continued for as long as you like. And there is no need to stay with children’s rhymes only. If you and baby enjoy Wordsworth’s, Yeats’ or Keats’ poetry, or any poems that are positive, adventurous or joyful then baby will be privileged and delighted to learn from them too and this will be wonderful progress.
When you first begin the Rhyming Game be sure to give baby plenty of time to say a word or words. Ten seconds is a reasonable time to wait but, especially when baby has never spoken, a longer wait can be helpful to give her time to think before speaking. It could take as long as a minute or more for her to answer the first few times. When you finish the rhyme, look lovingly at her and simply wait for an answer. If she does not answer in a minute or more then say the missing word and tell her how well she listened. About once each day, (in a respectful and praiseworthy way without being pushy) you could also say to her that you think she would be able to say it really well if she wants to.
It is also possible baby will say the missing word to you later in the day when you don’t expect her to. Try to remember to cheer and hug her if she does this; and she will then likely say the word soon after the next time you say the rhyme.
Activities for parents and babies:
Ask baby many questions during this period and give her time to answer.
Ten times each day do as follows:
Ask baby a question, look lovingly at her and simply wait for an answer. If she does not answer in a minute or more then respectfully and supportively tell her what you think the answer to your question might be. When she answers her first question it could take as long as a minute or more for her to answer.
Read and do the activities in the section “ENJOYING SOUNDS, MUSIC AND LANGUAGES”
Read the book “Magnificent Knowledge” and commence the activities using the Bits of Information picture cards.
When baby begins protolanguage do one Magnificent Knowledge activity using ten objects instead of ten picture cards as follows:
Decide on a group of ten objects that you would like to show baby and which she is likely to have the opportunity to talk about every day. The group of ten objects might for example be ‘kitchen utensils’.
Select ten kitchen utensils that will interest baby. Sit baby in front of you and happily and enthusiastically introduce the group called ‘kitchen utensils’ to baby; “I’m going to show you ten kitchen utensils now.” Hold up a fork and say “Fork.” Then put the fork down (out of sight and out of baby’s reach). Then hold up a knife and say ”Knife.” Then put the knife down (out of sight and out of baby’s reach). Then do the same with a spoon and the remaining utensils. When you have shown baby each item from the group ‘kitchen utensils’ put them away until the next session.
As explained in the Magnificent Knowledge book the group “kitchen utensils” should be shown to baby three times each day for five days and each item should be shown quickly; for only about one second.
After the introduction the whole procedure should take only about 10 to 15 seconds.
When the group ‘kitchen utensils’ has been shown for five days then begin a new group of ten objects such as food, vegetables, medical items, toys, furniture, parts of the home building, bathroom items (soap, toothpaste, etc), bedroom items (pillow, sheet, bed, doona, quilt, curtain, etc), stationary items (pen, pencil, notepad, pencil sharpener, eraser, etc), clothing items (T shirt, blouse, skirt, pants, jeans, shoes etc), tools (hammer, star-screwdriver, chisel, pliers, etc), machines (drill, blender, hair drier, etc) musical instruments (violin, piano, harmonica, glockenspiel, clapping sticks, etc).
To show baby some of these items such as furniture or building parts you might need to take her to the item, allow her to touch it, say it’s name and then take her on to the next item until you have shown her all 10 items. If you have less than 10 items for any one group, as you are likely to have when you have shown, for example, 10 or 20 kitchen utensils; then use the number of items you have as a small group of say five or six.
The Rhyming Game:
Play the Rhyming Game when baby first uses protolanguage or, if you are keen, when you think she might be about to begin using protolanguage. Say each rhyme ten times each day for 10 days, dropping words as described earlier, then commence another rhyme.
What baby should be doing at this Level of development:
Step 1: Making sounds that express her feelings of joy, happiness, unhappiness, sleepiness and hunger.
Step 2: Using protolanguage.
Step 3: Saying her first word(s).
What baby should be doing as she enters the next Level of development:
Speaking two words (of which she knows the meaning).
An average child is likely to move on to Level 4 at approximately age 12 months.
A Natural Parenting child could potentially move on to Level 4 at approximately age 6 months.