Talk It Up

Talk to your baby about the things that get her attention. Does she show an interest in a particular toy, such as a ball? Tell her all about it!

Have fun making sounds like “b-b-b-b” in the word “ball” and see if your baby will babble them back.
Describe the ball's color and material. Talk about how it rolls, and give meaning to your words by rolling the ball to your baby. Show her how it bounces, or comment on its texture when she investigates its surface or tries to take a bite.
You might want to play a back-and-forth game with your baby, say, I roll the ball to [baby’s name] . . . and [baby’s name] rolls it back to Daddy.

Talk it up with your baby while you wait for the train, take a walk, prepare dinner, clean up toys, give her a bath–or anytime! But remember your baby is just learning new sounds and how to make sounds, so be sure not to lecture and leave lots of time for her to reply to all your points.