Language and Speech Skills for Children Ages Birth to 1 year

What are language and speech skills? 

Language is how your child understands and uses words. Speech is how your child makes sounds to form words. These skills help your child understand and communicate with others. 

Children learn these skills early in life. During the first year, you may see big changes in how your child listens, responds to sounds, makes sounds, and begins to communicate.

Language and speech milestones (ages birth to 1 year)

Milestones are skills that many children can do by a certain age. Each child develops at their own pace. Most follow a similar pattern of early childhood development.  

By age 1 year, many children: 

• Respond to sounds, voices, and language 
  • Cry or make sounds to show feelings and needs  
  • Calm down, smile, or become more alert when they hear familiar voices 
  • Move or react to loud sounds 
  • Turn their head toward voices or sounds 
  • Respond to changes in tone of voice  
  • Know their name and look when called  
  • Listen when others are speaking   
  • Begin to understand common words (such as "cup" or "bye bye") or names of familiar people  
  • Follow simple directions, such as "come here" 
  • Enjoy songs, rhymes, and games, such as peek-a-boo  
• Make sounds and begin to communicate 
  • Make different sounds, such as cooing, babbling, laughing, and squealing 
  • Put sounds together, such as “ba” and “da”  
  • Copy sounds  
  • Take turns making sounds with others  
  • Use sounds instead of crying to get attention 
  • Use gestures, such as pointing or waving 
  • Show feelings through different sounds and facial expressions 
  • Say and understand “mama” or “dada”  
  • Say 1 or 2 words 

How to help your child learn language and speech skills

You can help your child develop language and speech skills in many ways. The most helpful moments often happen when talking and playing. 

To help your child: 

• Respond to your child’s sounds and actions 
  • Make eye contact and talk to your child throughout the day. 
  • Copy their sounds, facial expressions, and laughter.  
  • Take turns making sounds and “talking” with your child. 
  • Respond when your child makes sounds or tries to talk to you. 
• Encourage sounds and early speech 
  • Encourage your child to copy sounds. 
  • Copy the sounds your child makes and add new sounds. 
  • Use simple words and repeat them often. 
  • Use sounds during play time. For example, make sounds like a boat during bath time. 
  • Introduce animal sounds, such as “moo,” “woof,” and “baa.” 
• Teach through play 
  • Play games and sing songs, such as pat-a-cake. 
  • Teach your child to copy actions, such as clapping or blowing kisses. 
  • Smile, sing, and talk to your child when they are awake and alert.  
• Talk, read, and describe your day 
  • Talk while you are doing things, such as when you are dressing or feeding them. 
  • Talk about what you are doing and what you see.  
  • Read books with simple pictures and short sentences. Point to and name things you see on the page. 
  • Let your child turn pages and look through the story at their own pace. 
• Expose your child to sounds and words 
  • Let your child hear different sounds, voices, and everyday noises. 
  • Talk about the sounds your child hears, such as music or people talking. 

Signs of language or speech problems in children 

Some children reach language and speech milestones later than expected. Illness, treatment, or changes in routine can affect development, including communication skills.   

Talk with your care team if your child has: 

• Trouble understanding simple words 
• Limited eye contact or interaction with others 
• Trouble making sounds or babbling 
• Trouble sucking, chewing, or swallowing 
• Weak control of their lips, tongue, or jaw  

Signs of hearing loss in children

Hearing loss can delay language and speech skills. Watch for signs that your child does not hear well.  

Children with hearing problems may: 

• Have trouble recognizing the sound of your voice 
• Not respond to sounds 
• Sleep through loud sounds 
• Make fewer sounds to get attention 
• Show little interest in music or noisy toys 
• Have trouble copying sounds they hear 
• Turn their head to hear better with 1 ear 
• Not babble or make many sounds 

Also watch for frequent ear problems or infections. If you have concerns about your child’s hearing, talk with your health care provider. They may refer your child to an audiologist for a hearing test. An audiologist is a healthcare professional who specializes in hearing, listening, and balance. 

Therapy for language and speech problems

If your child has problems with language or speech skills, sucking, or swallowing, your health care provider may recommend speech-language therapy. 

A speech-language pathologist (sometimes called a speech therapist or SLP) is a trained health professional who helps children build communication skills. They assess speech and language skills and create a therapy plan for your child. They can also share ways to practice skills at home. 

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