Although your baby won’t say much during her first year of life (at least not in words you understand), her language skills begin to grow the minute she’s born. Here’s how the process unfolds:

Age: Birth to three months

What your baby does: Your little sweetie is learning about voices by listening to yours. The coos and gurgles that emerge at the end of this period are her first attempts at imitating the sounds you make.

How to help: Sing and talk to your baby often, but also keep other distracting background noises (the TV, radio) to a minimum so she can hear and focus on the sounds she’s working on.

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