Pre-birth

You might have a lot of other things to think about while you are expecting a baby, but it's a good time to start learning about speech and language development. Those kicks feel like your baby communicating with you already!

Babies are capable of hearing even before they are born. Many people believe that talking or singing to a baby in their mum’s tummy is a great way to begin the parent-child bonding relationship Some think it might to stimulate a baby's intellect before birth.

You might like to talk to your baby every day. Your baby won't understand the words you are using, but will certainly become familiar with your voice. Dad can talk to baby too. This can help with bonding. Some people like to play music to their baby too.

Read through the first couple of age groups in this section to get an idea of how your baby's communication skills will develop.

This film explains the incredible journey that children take as they grow and learn to communicate.