While most babies won’t say their first word until closer to 12 months old, this doesn’t mean they can’t process and understand what you say beforehand. To understand what your baby understands, it’s helpful to step back and consider receptive language, not just expressive language.
Receptive vs. expressive language
Receptive language refers to the ability to understand spoken language. Even before babies utter their first words, they begin comprehending language cues from their environment. Receptive language milestones include recognizing familiar words, following simple instructions, and responding to familiar voices or sounds.
Expressive language involves the ability to communicate thoughts, needs, and feelings through speech, gestures, or sounds. Expressive language milestones encompass babbling, saying first words, combining words into simple phrases, and eventually forming more complex sentences.
Language development starts at birth
Babies primarily focus on receptive language in the first six months of life. They start recognizing familiar voices, turning towards sound sources, and responding to soothing words or gentle tones.
After six months, more expressive milestones emerge, like babbling! Between 7-12 months, your baby is still working on more advanced receptive skills, too – including processing and responding to your words and asks.
Signs your baby understands you:
They look when you point
They turn when you call their name
They start to respond to simple requests or asks, like:
"All done?"
“Wave bye bye!”
“Roll the ball!”
“Clap Your Hands”
“Where’s the doggy?”
You can encourage their receptive skills by keeping up with engaging conversations, face-to-face interactions, and vocabulary-building moments – such as narrating, labeling, and reading out loud.