By his first birthday, your baby understands a number of words, such as “no,” “hello,” and some of the names of the people or animals in your family. He is probably starting to make a few sounds with meaning, too, such “hi,” which may come out without much of the soft “h” sound but with lots of the hard “i.”

When you speak to your baby, look at him so he can see your lips. Speak clearly and somewhat slowly, but don't use baby talk or speak so slowly that the words don't sound natural. Speech is an instinct: The more natural sounds your baby hears, the more likely he is to pick up the meaning and gift of language. Your baby will start to move his mouth around even if he isn't actually making a noise. He's mimicking you (another reason it's good for him to see your lips move) and trying out this new skill.

Babbling

Eventually, your baby will start to use her voice along with her mouth. Her speech will most likely sound like sentences, but only a couple of words will actually be comprehensible, if that. However, you can still figure out what your baby is saying. Most likely, she will be commenting on something in her immediate vicinity, such as a toy that you are playing with, or something she brings to your attention by pointing to it (your earring, for example, or the television). Even if you couldn't pick out any actual words in what she said, you can still respond with something like, “Oh, you like my earring?” Suddenly, you and your child are having a conversation. This is a great milestone. When you respond to her babbles, she learns how wonderful it is to communicate. She will appreciate this validation of her attempts at speech.

Some children are naturally quiet and don't feel compelled to talk as much as some other children might. In a family of talkers, babies are sometimes unable to get a word in to practice their speaking. Older children often talk for younger children. Try to give your child time to speak, or make the room quiet and ask him questions. If you haven't heard the sound of your child's voice consistently by the time he's fourteen or fifteen months old, have his hearing checked.

Talking to Your Child

Before the age of two, your child will start to string words together in simple sentences, like “Daddy ball?” or “Mommy play?” His sounds will be rough. For example, if a sibling's name is “Samantha,” his version might be “Manta.” Nevertheless, you should talk to your child properly. He understands many of the words you say, even when your ideas are bigger than the ones he's communicating. You can say, “Yes, Daddy went to get the ball from outside so he can play with you.”

Common Vocabulary

At this age, children understand many nouns (people, places, things) and also the concept of possessives (its, mine, yours), which they may even be able to repeat. “My ball!” for example. Your child will ask questions using tone and voice, such as “My ball?” with a tilt of her head, or “No oodles!” with a shake of her head. By the age of two, your child will have a vocabulary of about thirty words that she uses consistently. You can improve her vocabulary by reading to her regularly as well as by using big words even before she can understand them. As she gets older, her vocabulary will reflect the words she's heard.