Milestones for three month old baby

Developmental Milestones: 3 Months - HealthyChildren.org

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What are some of the developmental milestones my child should reach by three months of age?

By the time your baby is three months of age, she will have made a dramatic transformation from a totally dependent newborn to an active and responsive infant. She’ll lose many of her newborn reflexes while acquiring more voluntary control of her body. You’ll find her spending hours inspecting her hands and watching their movements.

Here are some other milestones to look for.

Movement Milestones

Raises head and chest when lying on stomach
Supports upper body with arms when lying on stomach
Stretches legs out and kicks when lying on stomach or back
Opens and shuts hands
Pushes down on legs when feet are placed on a firm surface
Brings hand to mouth
Takes swipes at dangling objects with hands
Grasps and shakes hand toys

Visual and Hearing Milestones

Watches faces intently
Follows moving objects
Recognizes familiar objects and people at a distance
Starts using hands and eyes in coordination
Smiles at the sound of your voice
Begins to babble
Begins to imitate some sounds
Turns head toward direction of sound

Social and Emotional Milestones

Begins to develop a social smile
Enjoys playing with other people and may cry when playing stops
Becomes more communicative and expressive with face and body
Imitates some movements and facial expressions

Developmental Health Watch

Although each baby develops in her own individual way and at her own rate, failure to reach certain milestones may signal medical or developmental problems requiring special attention. If you notice any of the following warning signs in your infant at this age, discuss them with your pediatrician.

Doesn’t seem to respond to loud sounds
Doesn’t notice her hands by two months
Doesn’t smile at the sound of your voice by two months
Doesn’t follow moving objects with her eyes by two to three months
Doesn’t grasp and hold objects by three months
Doesn’t smile at people by three months
Cannot support her head well at three months
Doesn’t reach for and grasp toys by three to four months
Doesn’t babble by three to four months
Doesn’t bring objects to her mouth by four months
Begins babbling, but doesn’t try to imitate any of your sounds by four months
Doesn’t push down with her legs when her feet are placed on a firm surface by four months
Has trouble moving one or both eyes in all directions
Crosses her eyes most of the time (Occasional crossing of the eyes is normal in these first months. )
Doesn’t pay attention to new faces, or seems very frightened by new faces or surroundings
Still has the tonic neck reflex at four to five months

Last Updated: 6/1/2009

Source: Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5 (Copyright © 2009 American Academy of Pediatrics)

The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

Baby Developmental Milestones: 3 Months

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

Reviewed by Dan Brennan, MD on February 22, 2022

May raise head and chest while on tummy

Movement

For your baby, holding up their head and chest while leaning on their elbows will be a major triumph. So give them "tummy time" every day when they are awake. Hold a toy in front of your baby to encourage them to lift their head and look forward. This strengthens their neck muscles.

Opens and shuts hands

Movement

Is your baby staring at their hands a lot these days? They have just discovered that they can open and shut them. Press a lightweight toy or rattle in their hand and they'll grip it, explore or shake it, and drop it when they lose interest.

Pushes down on legs when feet are on a firm surface

Movement

Let your baby stand for a few seconds with some help from you. Hold them in a standing position with their feet on the floor and they'll push down and straighten their legs. Let them bounce a couple of times if they try. What an adventure!

May swipe at dangling objects and may grasp and shake hand toys

Movement

Your baby is learning hand-eye coordination. Lay them under an infant gym and they'll throw their whole body into batting and grabbing for the dangling toys. Hold a toy in front of them while they are sitting on your lap and let them try to reach for it.

Can start to follow moving objects with eyes

Visual and Hearing

Your baby's eyes can move and focus at the same time now. They may follow an object moving all the way around in a half-circle. They love watching things move! Jiggle a mobile above their crib. Watching it will be a favorite activity.

Recognizes familiar objects and people at a distance

Social and Cognitive

At birth, your baby could only see fuzzy shapes. Now they can recognize the outline of a face when someone enters the room. They even may smile at you from across the room! Take them out often in their stroller or baby carrier and let them discover all there is to see.

May make cooing sounds and turns head towards some sounds

Hearing and Language

Is your baby cooing, aahing, and oohing? They are starting to imitate sounds, the first step to speech. Coo back to them and they'll begin to understand how two people talk. Sprinkle real words into talks with baby, too. They'll understand words long before they can say them.

Begins to develop a social smile

Social and Emotional

Your baby may start smiling at the sound of your voice as early as 6 weeks. This is their first social skill as they learn to express themselves in ways beyond crying. Your baby’s aware that they get a happy feeling when they see you. And when you respond, you let them know that they make you happy, too!

Enjoys playing with people and may cry when playing stops

Social and Emotional

Your baby now likes to play with people. Clap their hands together or stretch them out wide, or pedal their legs as if they are riding a bike. Make faces for them to copy. Don't worry if they cry when playtime is over -- they don't like playtime with you to end.

3 month old baby - weight, baby care, development and milestones

Old Baby

Caring for a newborn is not easy. They need special and round-the-clock attention. Since this is a delicate age and the child is in the stage of development of his abilities, special knowledge on several issues is required. Today we will talk about caring for a 3-month-old baby. If you're a new mom, it's only natural to have a few doubts and assumptions about how best to take care of your baby. But don't worry! We'll help you learn the best way to care for your three-month-old baby by providing you with a quick overview of food and nutrition, profile, baby development, health issues and more.

3-month-old weight and height:

At this stage, you can witness your baby's healthy weight gain and growth at 3 months. If you are wondering if your child is plump or thin, it's time to not worry and measure his height by looks. Practitioners calculate a child's height through weight and head circumference. Typically, during this period, the growth of the child can average up to 6 ounces per week. This means that it may be 4 ounces for some and also 7 ounces for others. No need to worry unless abnormal growth occurs.

Baby development at 3 months and milestones:

Now let's look at the significant changes in the body and the milestones of baby development at 3 months. By these indicators, you can determine whether your baby is in the right stage of development or not!

Sleep:

Your three-month-old baby may not sleep well often. There is a chance that you will notice that he or she has disturbed sleep. But remember that if there is good sleep for 6 consecutive hours once a day, your child is healthy. This is because the baby's nervous system is developing and the baby's stomach can hold more milk than before. Once these changes begin to take place, the baby will sleep soundly to get 6-7 hours of sleep at night.

Learn more: 4-month-old baby care

Movements:

Now you can see how your baby raises his head and chest when he or she lies on his stomach. The child can easily open and close his arms, bring his hands to his mouth and pick up toys. The legs can be easily and comfortably extended, and the thrusts can be seen while lying on the stomach or on the back. In some cases, you may even see your baby roll at 3 months old!

Vision and speech:

Did you know that the child can now follow moving objects and understand them? Yes! He or she may slowly begin to recognize familiar objects and even people! You can understand this when the baby smiles at the sound of a familiar voice or face. In addition, you can also see the babbling of a three-month-old baby and respond to sounds by turning his head in the direction the sounds are coming from.

Emotional milestones:

Congratulations! In addition to the physical development of a three-month-old baby, now your baby is starting to slowly respond and develop a social smile. He or she begins to enjoy other people and loves to play. You can even observe some imitation of facial expressions.

Given these milestones and your baby's expected development at 3 months, make sure you watch them as well. You should go to the pediatrician if,

The baby does not respond to loud noises.
Does not bring objects or toys to mouth.
Cannot move eyes in all directions.
Does not understand moving objects by the end of 3-4 months.
Do not react to the sound of a familiar voice and smile.
Does not hold objects or toys.

3 month old activities and schedule:

It's time for your baby to start playing. The child can recognize toys and objects around, grab them and play with them. Here are some possible activities and schedules for the best care for your child.

Activities:

Remember that every colorful and beautiful bright object around you can bring your baby to your mouth. So be careful and always keep an eye on the baby. When he or she starts to play, you can give the ball a roll in front of him so he can slowly coordinate his hand and eye movements at this point.

Here are some fun activities for your 3 month old to keep an eye on! Talk to your three-month-old baby regularly. Use simple words and tell them what you are doing. It helps to improve voice and communication skills. Sing to them and make expressions. Babies at this stage also love mirrors. Place a safe mirror at a reasonable distance and let the child have fun. He will surely entertain himself with the funniest sight of his face!

Schedule:

Don't be too strict! A person cannot have a minute-by-minute or hourly plan. A strict schedule can be too demanding and stressful. So gradually introduce the program and gradually get the child to get used to it. There are several things you can do with a three month old baby. For example, if he eats more than usual, gradually you should increase the intervals between meals, distracting him with toys or colorful objects.

Also, take a walk in the evening or in the morning at the same time every day. This can help you schedule activities.

3-month-old baby's health problems:

At this stage, the baby should be under regular supervision and care. Common health problems in infants typically include vomiting and indigestion, coughing, excessive crying, fever, drowsiness, and respiratory problems. Although this is one of the most common problems, be sure to take your child to the doctor. Considering that this is an infant and a newborn that is in the developmental stage, any minor or major changes or health problems should be reported to the medical practitioner immediately.

Safety:

Never turn your back on what your child is doing. Now that your child is able to grab objects and bring them to her mouth, you should always make sure they don't swallow or choke. Don't leave your child alone.

Learn more: 5-month-old baby

Nutrition and nutrition at 3 months:

When the baby is only 3 months old, breastfeeding or a related formula is the only source of nutrition and food intake. However, as your baby begins to grow and develop, you may notice that feeding and food intake gradually increase. As their appetite improves, they may start drinking more milk. Remember that as babies get older, they may need to feed six to eight times a day.

If you are breastfeeding a formula that is harder to digest than breast milk. In this case, there may be a longer period of stretching between feedings. 5 to 6 ounces at each feeding is the standard amount of infant formula in the case of formula.

Here are a few more things to remember when eating and eating a three month old baby.

Burp your baby regularly.
Avoid overfeeding. Increase the number of intervals if necessary.
Don't delay feeding until your baby is very hungry.

Caring for a baby:

Caring for an infant is no less a challenge. You need to be able to understand the behavior and observe regularly for 3 months. He begins to learn new things, notices bright objects and recognizes familiar faces and voices. Your child will begin to express happiness through emotions. At this stage, proper care for the baby is required, since he is not yet able to fully comprehend the world around him.

Reassure your child regularly. Be pleasant and interactive. Make sure the child feels a strong and secure bond between the two of you. Take a nice bath with warm water and make sure all towels and rags are washed with disinfectants. All surroundings and environment in which the child is located must be clean and tidy. Change diapers every few hours and keep checking them. If you notice an unhealthy situation, seek the advice of a doctor.

Tips and Checklist:

Here are some more suggestions and tips from the experts for taking the best care of your baby.

Make sure you always keep things clean and tidy.
Keep in mind that the child can put any objects and toys in his mouth, always make sure that there are no sharp objects near him.
Massage from time to time. This helps to establish a good relationship between the child and you.
Do not feed your baby anything other than breast milk or formula.
See your doctor regularly. Record all vaccines and check-ups regularly.

Learn more: Toys for a 3-month-old baby

What to buy for a 3-month-old baby:

While your 3-month-old baby doesn't need strict shopping, here are a few tips that can help you with what you might need for your child.

Feeding bottle if he does not have milk from his breast.
Bottle and pacifier steriliser.
Diaper bag.
Disinfectant for cleaning towels and rags.
Sleep bag to help you sleep soundly and reduce choking.
Cover and bag for nursing.
Baby teething for 3 months.
Outdoor blanket.

Caring for a three-month-old baby is no easy task, and these tips and a detailed guide to providing the best care for your baby can help you get there. Tell us your thoughts and share your experience with us! We are happy to hear from you!

FAQ:

Q1. Can a 3 month old baby travel by air?

Years: There are no standard rules or regulations regarding air travel for newborns and infants. You can always fly with a three-month-old baby and try to put him to sleep during the flight to reduce the inconvenience.

Q2. How much sleep does a 3 month old baby need?

Years: As a rule, a three-month-old baby can sleep about 14-15 hours a day. This includes healthy or light daytime naps and nighttime naps. Only after 4-5 months do babies have regular sleep.

3. Can a three-month-old baby eat solid food?

Years: It is recommended that a 3 month old infant eat no food other than breastfeeding and formula. To take any solid food, babies need to gain weight within 4-6 months.

How to develop a child's speech. From birth to three years.

April 24

How to develop a child's speech. From birth to three years.

Many parents believe that before their child utters the first words (and this usually happens at the age of about a year), it is useless to talk to him, because he, they say, still does not understand anything and still cannot learn anything. Nevertheless, “obscure sounds” are already the formation of speech, and it begins long before the first words appear. And already at this, the very first stage, the main function of speech is clearly visible - communication.
Teaching a child to speak consists mainly of how you speak to the child and how you explain to him with the help of words various actions and manifestations. The child gets acquainted with the things that you name him. And if you want to develop his speech, then you and your environment must verbalize, i.e. to translate into words, to explain in words the various actions that he performs.

0 to 1 month
Hearing and vision of newborns work from the first days of life. If you drop something with a crash, the child will wrinkle and cry. Offer the baby interesting objects to look at, and by about the tenth day of life, he will follow the moving toy with his eyes. Above the crib, strengthen something that sounds, if the baby accidentally touches the toy with a pen, the sound will attract his attention. Leave the child's hands free, because for development it is very important to study your hands, to watch how they move.

Remember that the child gets all the knowledge about the world around you by observing and communicating with you. Do not leave him alone for a long time and do not be a silent mother. Be sure to hug your baby, stroke the back, tummy, arms, legs, let him feel your love.

1 to 2 months
Try to communicate with your baby as much as possible. Speak affectionately, calmly, smile and try to interest the child in your speech. For him at this age, not so much words are important as intonation, facial expressions and gestures. Your baby will quickly figure out that you can get attention by shouting. And you, having determined by crying what is bothering the child, say what you are doing: “You are hungry, now we will eat”, “You are wet, now we will change your diaper”, etc.

2 to 3 months
Now the toys that have fallen into the field of view of the child, he examines carefully. Try to catch what the child's eyes fell on and name this object to him. Give your baby as many opportunities as possible to hear your speech and try to repeat it. Coo, talk, repeat the sounds uttered by the little man, and be sure to smile at the same time. When you hear the child hoot, answer him, let him know that you hear, understand that you like the sounds the child makes. Take a rattle and rattle it, move it so that the child can see it. He will follow her with his eyes, and when you put her in his hands, he will grab her tightly and try to shake her.

3 to 4 months
Now the baby is looking at you completely meaningfully (up to three to four months, the vision of newborns is considered underdeveloped). You smile at him, and he smiles back at you, he even already knows how to laugh loudly and cheerfully. When you put the baby on his tummy, he holds his head well and for a long time, which means that the view also increases. Lay out various objects in front of him, giving him the opportunity to carefully examine them, and do not forget to explain everything to the child. Name and pronounce everything that the child does and everything that you do. At this age, the baby becomes very active, rolls over on his own, carefully looks at moving toys and is well guided by the voice. When talking with him, move away and bring your face closer, deviate to the side, move away so that he does not see you, but only hears you.

When playing with your child, use no more than two toys at a time. First of all, let the baby see the toy, move it around him, touch the baby with it, hide it, let the child try to find it by sound. You can hang toys above the crib that are easy to grab, they should be bright, simple and safe.

At three months it's time to start playing the Horned Goat:
There is a horned goat,
For the little guys,
I gore, I gore, I gore.
The child will laugh merrily at the approach of a formidable two-fingered horned goat.

4 to 5 months
At four months, the child begins to walk. When you hear a hum, be sure to answer it.

Now it's time for some simple language exercises. Sitting in front of the baby, stick out your tongue, puff out your cheeks, lick your lips and sing different sounds, let him imitate you. When the child squeezes the toy in his fist, try to pretend to take it away, saying: "That's how tight you hold the toy, well done! Now give it to me," etc.

Place toys where the child can reach them. At first, you can help him by slightly moving the toy, while encouraging the baby to reach for it himself. In the future, try to get the child to get an interesting object on his own. Your baby will try to put everything in his mouth, do not interfere with this, because this is an important stage in the study of objects. Just make sure that there are no small parts that can be swallowed and that all items are clean.

Talk to your baby more and more often, saying everything you and your baby do. At the same time, try to diversify the intonation with which you speak.

5 to 6 months
Now your baby can listen to melodious music with pleasure. Let the music be heard now closer, then farther, sounds now to the right, then to the left. A five-month-old baby is very interested in musical toys. He carefully feels them, shakes them and examines them with interest, bringing them to his face. Offer him sounding toys of varying degrees of volume. Imperceptibly move away the toy that interests the baby, stimulating the child to crawl after it.
Do not forget to discuss with the baby everything that is happening around. The child does not yet understand the words, but the tone in which they are pronounced catches excellently. Therefore, talk to him affectionately and calmly, smile at him more often.
Also now is the time to start playing hide and seek. You cover your face with your palms and ask the child: “Where am I?”, And opening your face with the words “Ku-ku” (or “Here I am!”), While smiling broadly. You can diversify the game by hiding behind different pieces of furniture, and appearing from there, saying "And here I am."

6 to 7 months
At six months, the child begins to repeat individual syllables, having heard this, repeat after him and finish the word, for example, "ma-ma, ba-ba." Talk more with the baby, let him imitate you as much as possible, listen to your speech. It is imitation that develops the mobility of the lips and tongue, and the child develops the skill to respond to your words.
A six-month-old child already plays well with toys, and when a toy falls, he begins to look for it, to reach for it. Help the baby while saying: "Where is our dog? The dog has fallen, now we will pick it up. Here is the dog, take the dog." Now the child is attracted to toys where something changes, moves or is taken out.
Leave the baby alone for a while, let him try to occupy himself. This will teach him to focus and begin to teach him to be independent.

7 to 8 months
Your child has become more active, he no longer drops toys, but tries to throw them. Why swing a rattle, it is better to knock it with all your might on something. Try to speak slowly with the child, use one-two-syllable words, because the baby can already repeat some of them. Showing the child a toy, call it: "Where is our dog? Here is the dog. How does the dog bark? Av-av" Then put the toy aside and ask him where the dog is, he will turn his head in the direction where you put the toy. Voice for him various animals, both toy and real.
Give the child lids from pots, empty boxes, jars, show him the sounds that occur when they are tapped against each other. Just do not forget about the safety of the baby, do not give him breakable objects and those that can be swallowed.
At this age, you can try to play patty.

8 to 9 months
If you ask your eight-month-old baby to sit, stand, give a pen, he will do it all with pleasure. Therefore, ask him to repeat after you a variety of movements. Continue to play the hidden toy, cover the toy rabbit with a diaper and ask where it is. The baby will immediately tear off the diaper from the toy, and you will definitely praise him for it.
Now you will need a soft toy, such as a dog. Considering a toy with your child, say: "This is a dog. Here are the ears of the dog. Where are the ears of the dog? But the eyes. Where are the eyes of the dog?" Then you can show how the dog walks, barks, growls, eats.
For the development of breathing, use turntables, pipes, pieces of paper that need to be blown away.
Name even objects well-known to the baby, explain them in different situations, this will help him remember and use these words faster and easier.

9 to 10 months
A nine-month-old baby can already be offered to put nesting dolls into each other, string the rings of a small pyramid. Try to ask him "Give me a cube" - and he will give it to you. "Drop it!" - tell him, and he will throw the dice.
Constantly talk to the baby, explain everything to him, but do not overload with complex information. When talking with your child, encourage him to repeat different sounds, syllables, words. When playing with a doll, we show her eyes with a finger and call them, then our own, then the eyes of a child. Next, we continue to look for the eyes of a bear, cat, grandmother, dad. Thus, we study all parts of the face. Place a mirror in front of the baby, let him examine himself, touch his nose, eyes and ears, looking at himself in the mirror. Be sure to explain everything to the child: "And who is this in our mirror? And this is Sasha. Here are Sasha's eyes, but Sasha's ears," etc.
You can try to paint with finger paints, maybe your fidget will like it.

10 to 11 months
The baby can begin to pronounce words at this age. Don't worry if this doesn't happen, because all babies are different and your baby can say his first word at 11 or 12 months. This is also normal. Your child already understands a lot and it's time to introduce the word "not", but only in relation to what is really NOT.
Now your baby willingly comes into contact with you. He pretends to be hiding, playing peek-a-boo, pretending to be afraid of the "horned goat". He knows how to open boxes, roll cars, collects a small pyramid. You still label your actions and your child's actions with words. It is necessary that the baby gradually learns: each item is somehow called. Try the same game, you scatter several different toys, and offer your child to collect them in a box.

It's time to start playing White Sided Magpie and other finger games - it develops fine motor skills very well and stimulates the development of speech. :
Magpie-white-sided,
Cooked porridge,
She fed the kids.
Gave it to,
Gave it to,
Gave it to,
Gave it to,
But she didn't give it!
He did not saw wood,
Didn't carry water,
Didn't cook porridge.
When reciting a rhyme, we bend in turn all the fingers of the baby, starting with the little finger, except for the big one.

The time has come for drawing with pencils. Give your child a pencil, a sheet of paper, and let them draw scribbles for their own pleasure. Instead of pencils, wax crayons can be used.

11 to 12 months
Your baby continues to get acquainted with the outside world. All adults in the house should use every opportunity to talk with the baby, to teach him something.
Play "magic bag" with your child. To do this, collect a few animal toys in a small bag (you can use a small pillowcase). Show the dog's head from the bag and ask the child who it is. After hearing the answer, ask how the dog barks, what he eats, where he lives, how he walks, etc. If the child does not know this, then answer yourself, and let him listen.
Start playing story games: we put the doll in a crib, we drive the car into the garage, we feed the bear with porridge. Constantly show and explain to the child your actions, but do it not in a strict tone, but very kindly. Sit on the sofa with the baby, take a book and look at the pictures together, naming them, while letting him turn the pages himself.
Do not forget about music, right now its perception is laid. Quiet, melodic music is useful for a child's nervous system, but always be guided by the preferences of your baby.

Communicate more with the child, name everything that you see around, the actions of people and actions with objects during a walk. If the baby goes to kindergarten or spends the weekend away from home, discuss how his day went, your day, what plans you have for tomorrow. In addition, you can use special exercises and games.

For children under 2 years:
• "Repeat after me". Start doing actions with some toy, for example, with a bear. Say actions: “Look, I feed the bear. Like this. Now you feed the bear… What are you doing?” - “I feed the bear”, etc.
• "Play the pipe." Buy a pipe (or whistle) for your baby, let him learn how to blow into it, this will help develop exhalation strength. Soap bubbles can be used to form a long exhalation.

For children under 3 years old:
• "Choose from two". Pick up pictures depicting objects whose names differed in one sound, for example, “mouse-bear”, “house-smoke”, “nose-knife”, ask the child to show where one object is and where the other is.
• Joint retelling of familiar fairy tales with a recurring plot: "Turnip", "Teremok", "Zayushkina's hut", etc.

lower jaw.

The main stages in the development of a child's speech.

First stage - cry
After birth, the baby sometimes feels some kind of discomfort - and screams (still at the level of an unconditioned reflex). When the needs of the baby are satisfied, a certain stereotype of behavior is formed in the child, and the cry becomes a signal of discomfort (wet, hungry or sleepy, sad, lonely). Gradually, with the help of a cry, the baby learns not only to attract attention to himself, but also to communicate. Remember, when your baby calls you, he first screams, and then waits for an answer: will mom come or won't she? Then he screams louder and waits again. Thus, the child gives his "interlocutor" the opportunity to join in his first dialogue. By about the third month, the intonation of cries also changes. An attentive mother can distinguish a lot of different cries of her child - it can be grumbling, whining, discontent, a sharp screech of pain, angry "exclamations".

Second stage - cooing
Usually these are various variations of sounds: a-a-gu, gee-s, ge-e, a-gee, etc. It is curious that babies of different nations walk the same way. In cooing, as in screaming, the moment of interaction is also important. The kid can walk and be left alone in the room, but with your appearance, the walk becomes more active. If you look closely at the child, you will see that he does not just make sounds. The kid at this time looks into your eyes, waits for your answer, he is already trying to build a full-fledged speech dialogue. And this dialogue must be supported! After all, while cooing, a child learns to coordinate both voice and gaze, which will later become the basis of any social contact. Answer the baby in his language, support and encourage his first "performances" in every possible way. Gradually, the child begins to pronounce long chains of sounds, as if imitating himself. And he will try to imitate you too. A baby at this age is trying to feel sounds and words for the first time. So far, it is not so much the meaning of words that is important for him, but different intonations, the rhythm of speech, the articulation of various sounds.

Third stage - babbling
As the child develops, the cooing subsides, and babble comes to replace it. This usually happens at the age of 6-7 months. Your baby begins to pronounce the individual syllables "ba", "ma", "ta", etc. - at first once, very rarely and as if by accident. Gradually, syllables are heard more and more often in his speech, they are repeated in the form of chains: ba-ba-ba-ba, ma-ma-ma-ma.

Cooing and babbling are very important for the further development of speech. If your baby does not have them, try to activate them.
Holding the child in your arms so that he can clearly see the movement of your lips, repeat various syllables, sing rhythmic songs, read simple rhymes, and most importantly, talk to the baby as much as possible. He needs to hear adult speech. However, these should not be just conversations that adults have with each other, but a speech addressed specifically to him, to the child.

Stage four - first words
At this stage (usually it starts at 11-12 months) it is very important to help the child in his word creation. Right now, the baby begins to associate words with environmental objects, words are filled with meaning for him. Now you can expand your repertoire of reading aloud. Try to call things by their proper names (not "Let's put this thing over there", but "Let's put the doll in the crib"). Do not forget to comment on your actions when you are with your baby.

Speech therapists advise to train the muscles of the lips and cheeks. To do this, stock up on various whistles, harmonicas, a toy flute and teach your baby to blow into these instruments. It is also useful to blow soap bubbles (however, you will have to constantly monitor so that the child does not drink the soapy solution). Another fun way to exercise your lip and cheek muscles is to make faces with your baby. Do not hesitate to make funny faces, expressively portray a variety of emotions (surprise, fear, joy), stick out your tongue, lick your lips.

The first words will be onomatopoeic: bang, boom, woof-woof, beebika. Do not be afraid of these infantile, "lyal" (as my eldest daughter says) words. This is a very important moment in the development of speech. It is still difficult for a child to associate an abstract word (for example, dog, car, fell) with a specific object or action. If the word is at least somewhat similar to an object or action, such a connection is much easier to establish (for example, a dog says “av-av”, a car says “beep”, and a falling object makes “boom”).

When your baby tries to repeat some words after you, you can read poems “by roles” . For example, the famous poem about geese:
Adult: Geese, geese!
Child: Ha-ha-ha!
Adult: Do you want to eat?
Child: Yes, yes, yes!
Adult: Bread and butter?
Child: No, no, no.
Adult: What about you?
Child: Candy!
Adult: Well, fly as you like, just take care of your wings. They flew and flew (the child waves his arms), sat on his head.

When you read familiar poems or sing songs to your child, pause at the end of the line so that the child can complete the line.

Words and gestures
For young children, non-verbal communication is even more important because at some stage it is the only way for them to "talk" to you. It is very useful to reinforce words with certain gestures. First, the baby learns to reproduce the gesture, and then he repeats the word. At the same time, try to use the words “give”, “bring”, “take” more often, ask the child to fulfill simple requests.

Don't be shy about childish gestures, such as pointing fingers, but on the contrary, help your child learn them. Gestures can also carry emotional overtones. With gestures, the child can accompany your reading of poetry or singing. For example, like this:
I play the violin - tili-li, tili-li, (the kid holds an imaginary violin in his hands and “plays” on it),
Bunnies are dancing on the lawn - tili-li yes tili-li (“dancing”, twirling with raised arms).
And then on the drum - bam-bam-bam, bam-bam-bam (the child taps his palms on some surface),
In fear, the bunnies ran into the bushes! (hides face in hands).

Or like this:
A clumsy bear walks through the forest (the child sways with his legs wide apart),
He collects cones, sings songs (bends over an imaginary cone).
Suddenly a bump fell right on the bear's forehead (slaps his forehead).
The bear got angry, and with his foot - the top (the baby stamps his foot).

Or like this:
Zainka, dance, gray, dance. Dance like this, dance like this, dance like this (the child “dances”).
Zainka, stomp your foot, gray, stomp your foot, stomp your foot like this, stomp your foot like this, stomp your foot like this (stomps one or the other foot).
Zainka, clap your hands, little gray one, clap your hands, clap your hands like this, clap your hands like this, clap your hands like this (the baby claps his hands).
Hare, bow, gray, bow, bow like this, bow like that, bow like that (bows).

You can also beat "Toys" by Agnia Barto. The kid shows how the bull sways on a shaky board, how the girl Tanya cries bitterly, pities and strokes the poor bear with its paw torn off.

Needless to say once again that the famous finger games simultaneously train the child's "talking gestures" and fine motor skills, which are also very useful for the development of speech. These games will help your toddler build vocabulary and match words to very specific actions or objects.

It is important to note that when parents understand the child too well without words, there is simply no need for him to convey any message to them. Perhaps here sometimes you have to be a little tricky, pretending that you do not understand what the child wants from you until he tries to tell you about it.

If a child communicates with you using babbling, gestures, his first words are about to appear. Don't worry if this happens a little later than you think it should. Do not compare your baby with the girl next door, the son of a friend and the niece of your colleague! The development of each individual child may have its own individual characteristics. However, there are some important milestones in your baby's speech development that you should pay special attention to:
Cry , which is initially a reaction to discomfort (hunger). Too quiet and maximally comfortable child is not so good as it seems.
Revitalization complex (smile, animation) when an adult appears (appears at 1-3 months).
Cooing. How and when does your baby walk? Does he look into your eyes at the same time, does he “sing” his baby songs while in your arms, do you feel his need for communication?
Babble (appears at 6-10 months), the child clearly attracts attention with the help of some sounds.
Pointing gesture (appears at 8-13 months). This is a very important moment in the development of the child, preceding the appearance of the first words, because before naming an object, the baby needs to learn how to show it.
Emergence of basic social gestures eg goodbye (9-12 months).
Understanding and fulfilling simple requests , the appearance of elementary story games (feed the doll). The child usually passes this stage at the age of about one year.

Special methods of speech development and stimulation of speech activity.

Talking to yourself.
When the baby is close to you, start talking out loud about what you see, hear, think, feel. You need to speak slowly (but without stretching the words) and clearly, in short, simple sentences - accessible to the perception of the baby. For example: “Where is the cup?”, “I see a cup”, “The cup is on the table”, “There is milk in the cup”, “Tanya drinks milk”, etc.

Parallel conversation.
This technique differs from the previous one in that you describe all the actions of the child: what he sees, hears, feels, touches. By using Parallel Talk, you are prompting your child for words that express his experience, words that he will later begin to use on his own.

Provocation or artificial misunderstanding of the child.
This technique helps the child to master situational speech and consists in the fact that the adult is in no hurry to show his understanding and temporarily becomes "deaf", "stupid". For example, if the baby points to a shelf with toys, looks at you pleadingly and you understand well what he needs at the moment, try giving him the wrong toy. Of course, the first reaction of the child will be indignation at your dullness, but this will also be the first motive that stimulates the baby to name the object he needs. If there is a difficulty, tell the baby: “I don’t understand what you want: a pussy, a car doll?” In such situations, the child willingly activates his speech capabilities, feeling much smarter than an adult. This technique is effective not only for naming objects, but also for verbally denoting actions performed with them.

Distribution.
Continue and complete everything the baby says, but do not force him to repeat - it is enough that he hears you. For example:
Child: Soup.
Adult: "Vegetable soup is delicious", "The soup is eaten with a spoon"
By answering the child with common sentences using more complex language forms and rich vocabulary, you gradually lead him to complete his thought, and, accordingly, prepare the ground for mastering contextual speech.

Sentences.
The use of game songs, nursery rhymes, sentences in joint activities with kids gives them great joy. Accompanying the actions of the child with words contributes to the involuntary learning of his ability to listen to the sounds of speech, to catch its rhythm, individual sound combinations and gradually penetrate into their meaning. Having learned to distinguish the variability of amusing sound combinations, children, imitating adults, begin to play with words, sounds, phrases, capturing the specifics of the sound of their native speech, its expressiveness, imagery. Most of the works of oral folk art were created with the aim of developing the motor activity of the baby, which is closely connected with the formation of speech activity. The more small and complex finger movements a child performs, the more parts of the brain are included in the work, because it is directly connected with the hands, or rather, crosswise: with the right hand - the left hemisphere, and with the left - the right. It is important to satisfy the baby's need for emotional and tactile (touching, stroking) contact with adults. Most children are kinesthetic by nature: they love to be stroked, hugged, held hands. Oral folk art just contributes to the saturation of the need for affection, for physical contact.

Select.
Give your child a choice. The formation of responsibility begins from the moment when the baby is allowed to play an active role in what concerns him personally. The implementation of the possibility of choice gives the child a sense of self-importance and self-worth. By the age of two, the baby can make his own choice if this right is granted to him by adults: “Would you like to pour half a glass of milk or a whole glass?”, “Would you like a whole apple or half?”, “Do you want to play with a doll or a teddy bear?”

Games with natural materials.
A huge influence on the growth of a child’s speech and cognitive activity is exerted by the variety and availability of objects that he can explore from time to time: look at them, taste them, manipulate, experiment, make small discoveries about them and with them. In its instinctive striving for self-development, the child, already in the first year of life, irresistibly rushes to sand, water, clay, wood and paper. There is a lot of meaning in “fussing” with them: the child is busy with work, he gets acquainted with the material, studies its properties, functions, etc. The most beloved and best toys are those that the child created himself: fortresses from sticks; ditches dug with an old spoon or scoop; paper boats; dolls made of rags, paper or straw.

Productive activities.
At an early stage of speech development, the child masters the most diverse languages that replace words - gesticulation, facial expressions, onomatopoeia, elementary images. The word is for the child only one of the ways of expressing thoughts, but far from being the easiest. For many of his thoughts and ideas, he does not find suitable words, and expresses them in his own way, in other, more accessible ways: through productive activities. Drawing, modeling, application, design develop not only the child's linguistic abilities, but also sensory ones, which are of particular importance in the formation of mental activity. A person's thought becomes more definite and understandable if it is written down. A preschooler cannot and does not know how to write, and therefore he fixes his thoughts and ideas with the help of their sketches. So he fixes on paper all the ideas, feelings, thoughts, their combinations and intricacies that arose in his mind or soul during a certain period. An adult, writing down his thoughts, has the opportunity to repeatedly return to work with them: read, “polish”, supplement and formulate to a truly conceptual meaning. The child is incapable of such conscious work: he has drawn and abandoned, his thought, his imagination has already gone in another direction. Putting a thought into a word in such a way that it becomes clear to others is one of the most important tasks of speech, communicative and mental development, where each specific drawing of a baby has an enduring and unique meaning. Try to turn any child's drawing into an interesting story, and the story into a drawing that you need to repeatedly return to, "read" and supplement. When there are enough such stories and drawings, you can sew them into a book and “read” them to your friends and relatives. A child who understands what he is saying, who combines a distinct idea with the spoken word, reliably masters his native language.

Replacement.
"Imagine that ..." - these words are filled with a special attractive force for the child. At the age of two, the kid imagines with pleasure that the cube is a pie, and the shoe box is an oven. By the age of three, he is able to imagine himself as an airplane, a cat, a flower, etc. The words sound like a magic spell for a child: “Imagine that we are airplanes. Now we will fly around the whole room. Such an etude-game form develops the child's reflexive and empathic abilities, without which communication will not be full and developing. At this age, children also really like pantomime games, which activate the curiosity and observation of the baby. You can involve a child in such a game with the help of a sentence question: "Guess what I'm doing now." It is preferable to start with elementary actions: comb your hair, brush your teeth, eat an apple, pour milk, read a book. After the child has guessed, invite him to think of an action for you, and then “revive” the situation you set: set the table; walk on warm sand; run away like a fox carrying off a rooster; walk like a papa-bear and a son-bear, etc. Pantomime games and imitation games are the first step in a theatrical and plot-role-playing game.

Role play.
This type of children's activity at a young age is only being formed, and it acquires the fullness of the development that leads to it somewhat later. But this does not mean at all that there is no need to organize elementary plot-role-playing actions during this period. With some ingenuity, adults may well organize role-playing games. For example, playing on the phone, when a child, using a toy device, can call mom, dad, grandmother, fairy-tale characters. Playing on the phone stimulates the child's speech development, builds self-confidence, and increases communicative competence. Encourage children's tendency to imitate - this develops attention to detail, awareness of the direct and figurative meaning of words.

Music games. The importance of musical games in the speech development of a child can hardly be overestimated. Kids sing along with pleasure, adore noise musical instruments, ritual games such as "Loaf", "Over the bumps", "The woman sowed peas", etc. Encourage the child's desire to move to the music, sing along. It's okay that the child first pronounces only the endings or the last words of the song lines. Subsequently, he will begin to sing small songs in their entirety and, possibly, distort some of the words. This should not scare you - sing the song along with the "main performer", but, unlike him, sing it correctly. More often give the baby the opportunity to move to a variety of music, independently extract sounds from various objects, accompanying himself.

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