After months of listening to your baby babble, it’s a thrilling moment when she finally says her first word—whether it’s Dada, Mama, or baba. While this process is a natural part of development, talking to your baby right from birth not only helps her learn to speak earlier but also enables her to master a larger vocabulary. A child’s capacity to process words is like any other skill—the more practice she gets hearing words and making connections to their meanings, the more she’ll be able to say, says Anne Fernald, Ph.D., director of Stanford University’s Center for Infant Studies, in Stanford, California.

In fact, experts believe that chatting up your child is one of the most effective ways to give him a head start in life. Landmark research by Betty Hart, Ph.D., and Todd Risley, Ph.D., published in their book Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children, found that babies in talkative families had a higher IQ at age 3 and significantly better test scores at age 9 than those in less talkative ones. Use these tips to get the conversation going.

 

Start Early

Talking to a newborn might seem pointless, but your baby’s ears and the part of her brain that responds to sound are well-developed by birth. According to a study published in Pediatrics, the more words preterm babies heard while in the neonatal intensive care unit, the more they responded with sounds of their own, suggesting that conversing with a preemie could encourage speech development. The same strategy can benefit any child: “Talk as much as possible to your infant. She’s absorbing a lot more than you realize,” says the study’s author Melinda Caskey, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at Brown University.

 

Watch for Cues

When you’re caught in a nonstop cycle of feeding, changing, and soothing, it’s easy to let your small talk revolve around routine matters (“Time for a nap, Sweetie”). Though this is helpful, other subjects will do even more to boost his language skills. “Follow his gaze to see what excites him, and respond to his interests,” suggests Kathryn Hirsh-Pasek, Ph.D., director of Temple University Infant and Child Laboratory, in Ambler, Pennsylvania.

 

If he’s staring at a light fixture or reaching for the strawberry on your plate, give him more information. You might use simple terms to describe what the object does, or its size, color, and flavor. You can also chat about what you’re doing (“I’m picking up your toys so we don’t trip on them and fall”) and chant rhythmic poems such as “pat-a-cake.”

 

Share a Book

In the early months, reading isn’t about the plot so much as the shared experience. As you cuddle together, talk about the pictures any way you like—you don’t have to stick to the story line (“Look at the fuzzy bear”). “Touch-and-feel books are great for babies 6 months and under, when the senses are a primary tool, and picture books with no words at all can free you to make up your own tale,” says Amanda J. Moreno, Ph.D., associate director of the Marsico Institute for Early Learning and Literacy at the University of Denver. Whether you choose a board book or a Dr. Seuss favorite, reading to your baby can inspire a richer use of vocabulary and provide fun themes you might not have thought of on your own.

 

Make it a Dialogue

Your baby will quickly tune out a one-sided lecture, so give her a chance to respond. (“Do you see the doggie?” When she replies with, “Ooh goo bah!” say, “Yes, he’s eating his dinner.”) Likewise, be sure to answer her when she babbles out of the blue. “That teaches her how a conversation works and lets her know you care about what she has to say,” says Dr. Hirsh-Pasek. How you respond doesn’t matter much at this age. You could comment on what your baby is pointing at, say something generic (“Look at that big smile!”), or even say something completely off topic (“How about peas for lunch?”).

 

Turn Off the TV

You might assume that your baby benefits from all language, but flipping on the tube may actually be detrimental. Researchers at the University of Washington, in Seattle, found that babies between 8 and 16 months knew six to eight fewer vocabulary words for every hour per day that they watched DVDs geared to infants. Why? The back-and-forth of social interaction is essential to speech development. A TV character doesn’t react to your baby, but when you smile and reply to your little one’s babbles, he knows he did something right and is encouraged to do it again. “There are mountains of data to show that the more human conversations a baby has, the further his language develops,” says Dr. Hirsh-Pasek.

 

From Birth to 3 Months

Your baby listens to your voice. He coos and gurgles and tries to make the same sounds you make. You can help your baby learn how nice voices can be when you:

Sing to your baby. You can do this even before he is born! Your baby will hear you.

Talk to your baby. Talk to others when she is near. She won’t understand the words, but will like your voice and your smile. She will enjoy hearing and seeing other people, too.

Plan for quiet time. Babies need time to babble and play quietly without TV or radio or other noises.

 

From 3 to 6 Months

Your baby is learning how people talk to each other. You help him become a “talker” when you:

Hold your baby close so he will look in your eyes.

Talk to him and smile.

When your baby babbles, imitate the sounds.

If he tries to make the same sound you do, say the word again.

 

From 6 to 9 Months

Your baby will play with sounds. Some of these sound like words, such as “baba or “dada.” Baby smiles on hearing a happy voice, and cries or looks unhappy on hearing an angry voice. You can help your baby understand words (even if she can’t say them yet) when you:

Play games like Peek-a-Boo or Pat-a-Cake. Help her move her hands along with the rhyme.

Give her a toy and say something about it, like “Feel how fuzzy Teddy Bear is.”

Let her see herself in a mirror and ask, “Who’s that?” If she doesn’t respond, say her name.

Ask your baby questions, like “Where’s doggie?” If she doesn’t answer, show her where.

 

From 9 to 12 Months

Your baby will begin to understand simple words. She stops to look at you if you say “no-no.” If someone asks “Where’s Mommy?” she will look for you. She will point, make sounds, and use her body to “tell” you what she wants. For example she may look up at you and lift her arms up to show you she “wants up.” She may hand you a toy to let you know she wants to play. You can help your baby “talk” when you: Show her how to wave “bye-bye.”

 

From 12 to 15 Months

Babies begin to use words. This includes using the same sounds consistently to identify an object, such as “baba” for bottle or “juju” for juice. Many babies have one or two words and understand 25 or more. He will give you a toy if you ask for it. Even without words, he can ask you for something—by pointing, reaching for it, or looking at it and babbling. You can help your child say the words he knows when you:

Talk about the things you use, like “cup,” “juice,” “doll.” Give your child time to name them.

Ask your child questions about the pictures in books. Give your child time to name things in the picture.

Smile or clap your hands when your child names the things that he sees. Say something about it. “You see the doggie. He’s sooo big! Look at his tail wag.”

Talk about what your child wants most to talk about. Give him time to tell you all about it.

Ask about things you do each day—“Which shirt will you pick today?” “Do you want milk or juice?”

Build on what your child says. If he says “ball,” you can say, “That’s your big, red ball.”

Introduce pretend play with your child’s favorite doll or toy animal. Include it in your conversations and your play. “Rover wants to play too. Can he roll the ball with us?”

 

From 15 to 18 Months

Your child will use more complex gestures to communicate with you and will continue to build her vocabulary. She may take your hand, walk you to the bookshelf, point to a book and say “buk” to say, “I want to read a book with you.” You can help your child talk with you when you:

Tell her “Show me your nose.” Then point to your nose. She will soon point to her nose. Do this with toes, fingers, ears, eyes, knees and so on.

Hide a toy while she is watching. Help her find it and share in her delight.

When he points at or gives you something, talk about the object with her. “You gave me the book. Thank you! Look at the picture of the baby rolling the ball.”

 

From 18 Months to 2 Years

Your baby will be able to follow directions and begin to put words together, such as “car go” or “want juice.” He will also begin to do pretend play which fosters language development. You can spur your child’s communication skills when you:

Ask your child to help you. For example, ask him to put his cup on the table or to bring you his shoe.

Teach your child simple songs and nursery rhymes. Read to your child. Ask him to point to and tell you what he sees.

Encourage your child to talk to friends and family. He can tell them about a new toy.

Engage your child in pretend play. You can talk on a play phone, feed the dolls, or have a party with the toy animals.

 

From 2 to 3 Years

Your child’s language skills will grow by leaps and bounds. He will string more words together to create simple sentences, such as “Mommy go bye-bye.” He will be able to answer simple questions, such as “Where is your bear?” By 36 months he will be able to answer more complicated questions such as, “What do you do when you are hungry?” He will do more and more pretend play, acting out imaginary scenes such as going to work, fixing the toy car, taking care of his “family” (of dolls, animals).

You can help your child put all his new words together and teach him things that are important to know when you:

 

Teach your child to say his or first and last name.

Ask about the number, size, and shape of the things your child shows you.

Ask open-ended questions that don’t have a “yes” or “no” answer. This helps them develop their own ideas and learn to express them. If it’s worms, you could say: “What fat, wiggly worms! How many are there?…Where are they going? Wait, watch and listen to the answer. You can suggest an answer if needed: “I see five. Are they going to the park or the store?”

Ask your child to tell you the story that goes with a favorite book. “What happened to those three pigs?” Reading spurs language development. Take him to storytime at your local library. Your toddler will enjoy sharing books with you as well as peers.

Do lots of pretend play. Acting out stories and role-playing create rich opportunities for using, and learning, language.

Don’t forget what worked earlier. For example, your child still needs quiet time. This is not just for naps. Turn off the TV and radio and let your child enjoy quiet play, singing, and talking with you.