You Can Communicate With Your Baby

• Have two-way "conversations" with your child.
• Smile at your child when he smiles at you.
• Make eye contact. Let her turn away when she needs to.
• Make a sad face at her in sympathy when she cries.
• When she lifts her arms, pick her up!
• Call his name from another room. The child may stop and listen. Hearing your voice lets the child know that you are still nearby.
• When he points to something that he wants and that he can have, give it to him with words as well, "Here's your soft bear."
• If your child pulls you to the refrigerator at meal or snack times, offer something to eat, and give the name of the food.
• Sit down and read a picture book using lots of expression in your voice and lots of facial expressions. It is never too early to start to read together.
• Pass a ball back and forth together and say "Your turn, my turn."
• Make up rhymes to say.
• Use the same name for an object, toy, or food. Say "Here is the cup. Do you want a cup of juice?"
• Respond to your child's sounds and language when he tells you about something or when he wants you to notice something interesting that he sees.
• Make sounds in response to your child's sounds. Take turns starting and making "conversation." Try not to correct her when she is experimenting with sounds.
• Expand her speech and language. When she says "Cup," say "Do you want your blue cup?"
• Sing to your baby and with your baby. Some children sing before they can say words clearly. Make up songs about what you do every day.

©Department of Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center, Project RISE. Funding provided by SAMHSA. Tip sheets located at http://www.bostonchildhealth.org. Reprinted with permission.

Disclaimer: If you have further questions about your child's symptoms or behaviors, call your regular pediatrician or health care provider.

"The more language experience a child has before learning to read, the easier it is for the child to understand the meaning of words when they appear on a printed page." Harvey Wiener, author of Talk with Your Child.

Are you satisfied that you are talking enough with your child now? Statistics from the Department of Education show on average a mother spends less than 30 minutes a day, and the father even less — only 15 minutes a day — engaged in conversation. When they do talk, parents often talk at children, not with them.

Here’s a quiz adapted from Talk with Your Child to see how you are doing.

1. Do you have meals with your child, and do you engage in conversation at the table? _____
2. Do you question you child about his daily experiences? _____
3. Do you share your daily experiences in conversation with your child? _____
4. Do you read aloud to your child every day? _____
5. If you read aloud to your child, do you engage him or her in conversation about the words and pictures on pages in the book and about the ideas in the book? _____
6. Do you encourage your child to expand one- or two-word statements that her or she makes in response to questions? _____
7. Do you play verbal word games with your child – riddles, nonsense words, rhymes, etc.? _____
8. Do you find yourself naming and identifying objects or concepts that are unfamiliar to your child even though he or she may not ask you to? _____
9. Do you limit the amount of television your child watches and try to watch and interact with your child during shows you watch together? _____
10. Do you encourage your young child to play near you as you’re working around the house, and do you carry on a running dialogue about what you are doing and objects around you? _____
11. Do you engage actively in play with your child? _____

Score: 25-30 = Great! 18-24 = Pretty Good. Under 18 = Needs Work.