Think your baby’s sounds are adorable at 4 months? Just wait until she comes out the other side of a burst of language development between 4 and 7 months.
According to Dr. Nadja Reilly, associate director of the Freedman Center for Child & Family Development, this growth is so intense that babies often regress in other areas, such as sleeping (sorry!). Your baby’s language ability will go from coos and the occasional babble to the full-on sounds and consonants that form the building blocks of communication.
Here are some 4-month-old milestones of language development that you can expect to see from your baby.
Babbling
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, most babies start to babble around 4 months. She’ll use her voice to experiment with sounds, all of which will sound like gibberish to you. She’ll also raise and lower her pitch, almost like she’s having a conversation with you. Dr. Nancy O’Hara, pediatrician at the Center for Integrative Health, says that some babies will begin adding consistent sounds to their babbling, such as “ba-ba” or “da-da,” around 7 months.
Responsive sounds
Your baby will also start making sounds in response to the sounds that you make, and vice versa. Babies really enjoy a good conversation with their mom, even if neither understand what is being said. “This is a big time for interaction,” Dr. O’Hara says. “Your baby’s world is really opening up,” and she is going to start imitating what she sees and hears. Through this interaction with you, your baby will learn the sounds and syllables of speech, helping her develop to the point that she can use words at about the 1-year mark.
Noises to express wants
According to Dr. Reilly, babies also start to make different noises to communicate different messages during this age range. “They begin to use vocalizations for purposeful reasons,” she says. Your baby is learning that her sounds can cause a reaction, and she will start using those sounds to get attention from you when you’re busy doing something else. She might even start “talking” to her favorite teddy bear or her own reflection.
Name recognition
Your little one will soon start to recognize frequently used words. Dr. Reilly says that most babies can recognize their name by 6 months old. You can tell that she understands her name when she responds to it by turning toward you or making a sound. At around 7 months, your little one will also understand the word “no” — and she probably won’t like it very much!
How to support your child during this time
You can help your baby achieve these milestones by talking to her throughout the day. “Remember, it’s never too early to talk to babies,” Dr. Reilly says. “Even very little ones get a lot from the emotional connection with voices.” Even if you’re doing mundane things, such as laundry or dishes, talk with your little one about it. Help by naming things she sees all the time.
When she looks at Fido, tell her she sees the dog, When you turn the light on, point to it and say “Light!” Talk about her toes, her fingers and her belly when you bathe her so she learns all those words. She may not understand at first, but she’s building on all that information to form sentences soon enough. Also, respond to your little one whenever she makes a sound to engage in that interaction that babies love — chances are, she’ll answer right back.
Remember, not all babies will reach these 4-month-old milestones at the same pace. Always speak with your pediatrician if you have any questions about your baby’s growth and development.
