What does a baby in Manistee or Traverse City, Michigan have in common with a baby from Paris or Vienna? Babbling. Babbling is the very beginning of language development and it is a universal phenomenon. It is a way for the baby to practice the beginnings of their language.
Language development in babies is eagerly anticipated by parents. What parent does not positively beam upon hearing “mama” or “dada” for the first time? Babies begin to babble between the fourth and sixth month and it continues for several months.
While it is not clearly understood just why babbling occurs, it seems to give young babies the chance to use and start to control the mouth, throat and lung muscles. Ba and Da sounds are easy to produce. So the babbling sounds babies often make first are certain syllables, like “dadadadada” or “bababababa.”
Even though babbling is universal amongst babies, as the baby grows older he or she begins to focus in on the range of sounds common to the spoken language of their country. Babies watch the movement of their parents’ mouths closely and eventually they begin to make more and more sounds.
However, sometimes babies to have difficulty in their development of language. If you do have concerns do not hesitate to contact your local Intermediate School District to ask about language screening. ISD’s have speech pathologists on staff who can assess a child to determine if the child needs speech therapy. In Manistee County, the phone number to contact the ISD is 231-723-6205.
From a babbling baby to a talking toddler, language development is an amazing part of growth, whether the child lives in Manistee or Vienna.
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