When do children start talking?

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Talking is the most powerful way for children to interact with their surroundings. Speech development is important to a baby's development. If a child is unable to communicate verbally, he or she can easily become frustrated and even socially withdrawn.

1. When do children start learning to speak?

Babies start getting used to sounds right from birth, many babies right in the womb. By the 3rd - 4th month, babies really start to talk. The process of learning to speak takes place within the first 3 years of life with constant changes that demonstrate the baby's ability to absorb and learn extremely quickly.
1.1 Baby Born to 3 months old: At this time, babies often hear the soothing, lulling sounds of their mother. Your baby is just starting to make his first sounds, mostly single vowels, like ahhhh. 2 to 3 months old: The main language that comes out is crying. Crying manifests differently in different situations. As you get to know your baby, you'll be able to tell the difference between a hungry cry and a tired baby cry. 3 to 4 months: Baby makes more complex sounds and starts babbling making sounds like "muh-muh" or "bah-bah". 5 to 6 months: Your baby begins to practice intonation, volume, and pitch in response to your words and facial expressions. Attention: If your baby doesn't make sounds by 6 months, take him to see a doctor.
7 to 12 months: Baby babbles make more varied sounds. Your baby tries to imitate your words with phrases like "bah-bah-bah" or "dee-dee-dah". Attention: If your baby doesn't make a sound by 7 months old, take him to see a doctor.
=>> See more guidance from a Pediatric Speech Therapist Learn to speak with your child - 0-1 year olds
1.2 Toddlers

12 months: Babies begin to say meaningful words. Children have the ability to imitate some of the words in a phrase you say. 14 months: Babies change intonation more and use more hand gestures to express speech more clearly. Note: If your baby doesn't say a word before 15 months of age, take him or her to see a doctor.
16 months: Baby says more words, starts calling you "mom" to get attention, nods and shakes her head for yes-no questions. Your baby begins to pronounce consonants like t, d, n, w and h. 18 months: Baby has a vocabulary of about 10-20 words, including the name "mom", some verbs and adjectives. Baby is able to say the simple phrase "want the doll". 18 to 24 months: Baby begins to say phrases of 2 or more words for more novel purposes. =>> See more guidance from a Pediatric Speech Therapist Learn to speak with your child - 1-3 years old
1.3 Preschool 24 months: Children know 50 to 100 words, using short sentences of 2 - 3 words and personal pronouns to communicate. 2 to 3 years: Baby can communicate with a basic vocabulary of 200-300 words, and expand phrases from 3 to 6 words. Note: If a 2 or 3 year old repeats your question instead of answering with frequency, take your child to the doctor. This can be an early sign of language delay.
3 to 4 years: Children often use words like "why", "what" and "who". Children can tell what happened when you left the house. Attention: Your baby may sound as if he is stuttering if he is in a state of excitement when communicating. This is completely normal. However, if the condition persists for more than 6 months, or is difficult to speak, see and talk to your doctor.

2. Basic principles when teaching children to speak

2.1 Smile and attention You should encourage your baby to try to communicate with you with care and love:
Smile often at your baby, especially when he's trying to talk to you. Watch your baby babble and smile, instead of looking away, interrupting, or talking to others. Be patient as you try to decipher your infant's nonverbal conversation, such as facial expressions and babbling that can signal if your baby is sad or happy. Make time to care and love your baby, even when you're busy with other things.

2.2 Imitate Baby By imitating your baby, you're sending an important message: "I'm trying to understand you better." There are back-and-forth conversations that teach your baby how to talk. Mimic your baby's pronunciation, "ba-ba" or "goo-goo," then wait for your baby to make another sound and repeat it. Do your best to respond, even if you don't understand what your baby is trying to say. Enhance communication by smiling and mirroring facial expressions. 2.3 Talk to your baby often Babies love to hear you talk, especially with a warm, happy voice. Babies learn to speak by imitating the sounds they hear around them. So the more you talk to your baby, the faster he will develop speaking skills. Many adults use a distinctive tone of voice when speaking with children such as high-pitched voices with exaggerated expressions or imitations of a female voice.
Improve listening skills by talking to your baby regularly throughout the day, recounting your activities with your baby. Talk while you're feeding, dressing, holding, and bathing your baby, so your baby begins to associate these language sounds with everyday objects and activities. Repeat simple words like "mama" and "papa" often and clearly so your baby begins to hear familiar words.

3. Tips to teach your baby to talk

0-6 months Hold your baby close and look him in the face when talking. Your baby likes to see faces and will be more interested in responding to your words. Talk to your baby as you do anything from feeding, dressing, or bathing. Sing to your baby to help him adjust to the rhythm of language. Repeating the words your baby has said helps teach them how to listen well. Use your voice to get your baby's attention. 6-12 months Name and point out things you can see, for example, "Look, a cat". This will help your baby learn words, over time they will imitate you. As your baby gets older, add more details to the statement ("Look, a black cat"). Start reading books with your baby: You don't have to read all the words on the page, just talk about the pictures you see. Talking with dummies: Some children's toys such as dolls and teddy bears are tools to help children practice talking. Play games: Some games like "peek-a-boo" and "round the garden" will help teach your baby important skills like turning, paying attention, and listening. 12-18 months If your child is trying to say a word but gets it wrong, say it again and help correct the word. For example, if your baby points to a cat and says "Meow," you should say, "Yes, that's a cat." Don't criticize your child for misreading. Increase your child's vocabulary by giving choice questions, such as, "Do you want an apple or a banana?". Toys and books that make sounds will help improve your baby's listening skills. Enjoy fun, age-appropriate songs, especially action ones like "Pat-a-cake", "Row, row, row your Boat" and "Wind the bobbin up". Illustrate actions to help your baby remember words better. 18-24 months Repeat words like: "Where are your shoes?", "Are they blue?" and "Put your shoes on". Repeating words will help your baby remember words faster. Use simple statements that are easy for your child to understand, such as "Get your coat" or "Close the door." Try asking questions like "Where's the cup" and ask your baby to point to her ears, nose, feet, etc. Limit daily TV viewing time to no more than half an hour for children under 2 years of age. Playing and listening to stories is more helpful as children learn to speak. 2-3 years Help your child build sentences: Children begin to put simple sentences together at about 2 years of age. Try to answer using sentences longer than one or two words. For example, if your child says, "take off your socks," say "I'll take your socks off." Get your baby's attention by calling her name at the beginning of a sentence. If you ask a question, wait patiently for the answer. Turn off the TV and radio, as they make it harder for your child to hear you. Talk to your child in your free time: Children this age love to be helped. Chat anytime as you shop, cook and clean with your baby.

4. What to do when suspecting that a child has a speech delay?

If you are concerned about your baby's language development, talk to your GP or health visitor. If necessary, the doctor will refer you to the speech therapy department. You can also take your baby to a speech therapist yourself for a timely check-up.
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For children to be healthy and develop well, it is necessary to have a nutritious diet in terms of quantity and quality balance. If children are not provided with adequate and balanced nutrients, it will lead to diseases of excess or lack of nutrients, which adversely affect the comprehensive development of children in terms of physical, mental and motor skills.
Children who do not eat properly are at risk of micro-mineral deficiency causing anorexia, growth retardation, malabsorption,... If they notice the above signs, parents should supplement their children with products. The supplement contains lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, and B vitamins to help fully meet the nutritional needs of children. At the same time, these essential vitamins also support digestion, enhance nutrient absorption, help improve anorexia, and help children eat well.
Parents can learn more:
Signs of zinc deficiency in children
Micronutrient deficiency and failure to gain weight in children
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