- At 2 months, baby is cooing and gurgling, and turning head toward sounds.
- At 4 months, baby begins to babble, babbles with expression and copies sounds, and cries in different ways to express hunger, pain, or being tired.
- At 6 months, baby responds to sounds by making sounds, strings vowel sounds (ah, eh, oh) together when babbling, likes talking turns with parent while making sounds, responds to own name, makes sounds to show joy and displeasure, and begins to jabber with consonant sounds (m, b).
Ideas for Learning and Growth
How you can help your 2-month-old’s development:
- Act excited and smile when your baby makes sounds.
- Copy your baby’s sounds sometimes, but also use clear language.
- Pay attention to your baby’s different cries so that you learn to know what he wants.
- Look at pictures with your baby and talk about them.
How you can help your 4-month-old’s development:
- Copy your baby’s sounds.
- Act excited and smile when your baby makes sounds.
How you can help your 6-month-old’s development:
- Use “reciprocal” play—when he smiles, you smile; when he makes sounds, you copy them.
- Repeat your child’s sounds and say simple words with those sounds. For example, if your child says “bah,” say “bottle” or “book.”
- Read books to your child every day. Praise her when she babbles and “reads” too.
- When your baby looks at something, point to it and talk about it.
- Read colorful picture books to your baby.
- Point out new things to your baby and name them.
- Show your baby bright pictures in a magazine and name them.
Get Support
Get a developmental screen: the Ages and Stages Questionnaire is a child development screener that allows you to check in on how your child is growing and learning.
Get A Developmental Screen
