Receptive Language Development

In any conversation, there are two kinds of language: receptive and expressive. Receptive language is understanding and expressive language is (rather obviously) speaking or expressing. If you've been around young children or even teenagers, it's apparent that receptive language comes before expressive language... in fact it begins around 6 months of age!

For this reason, parents are encouraged not to discipline young babies. They truly don't understand. And yet... beginning around 6 months of age, that changes! Now Baby is much more likely to understand. That means now is the time to begin building the foundations of obedience. I cheer our son anytime he does what I ask, whether it is keeping his hands away from his mouth while I feed him or looking at Daddy. I think it's more valuable to praise obedience than cuteness, and babies get lots of praise for just being adorable. I want our son to know that character matters more than charm.

So how can you encourage Junior's blooming receptive language? What to Expect the First Year offers some simple suggestions:

Slow down: Just the way my Spanish students got confused listening to native speakers, Baby can't pick up much if you go too fast.

Focus on single words: As you tell Baby that you're changing his diaper, for example, hold up the diaper and tell him what it is. Mention it a few more times before you're done with that task.

Downplay pronouns: Junior can get lost in "me" and "you" and "we." He's much more likely to understand "This is Mommy's book" than "This is my book."

Emphasize imitation: You can do this by imitating his coos. Before long he'll be imitating lots of what you say.

Use songs and rhymes: Baby can learn a lot from repetition. I do this all the time, whether listing parts of the house we walk through, saying the same phrase every time I set him down to play, or singing a song before bed. He'll learn first what he hears most.

"Read" books: Baby won't understand a story at this point, but books with vivid pictures are great at capturing his interest. Try asking questions like "Where's the dog?" He might point to it a lot sooner than you'd think! Books are also a great way to teach patience, cuddle, and begin to build a love of reading.

Wait for a response: You won't hear words yet, but the excited squeal when you announce it's time for a walk or whimper when you say bathtime is over mean that Baby understands what you're saying.

Give commands: Saying "wave bye-bye" and then waving his little hand will soon elicit the response from Baby himself. It doesn't hurt to add "please" to your commands -- that will make it a natural part of Baby's vocabulary.

I find these tips so encouraging and helpful as we're teaching our 6.5 month old son both Spanish and English. I want him to get every chance to understand since he only hears a given language half of the time. It is so exciting to watch him begin to understand!

RESOURCES

What to Expect the First Year